Richard Trice

Richard Trice (November 16, 1917 – April 6, 2000) was an American blues guitarist, singer and songwriter.^[1][2] He released two singles, and remained loyal to his birthplace and its preferred blues music styling, often referred to as Piedmont blues, East Coast blues, or more generically country blues.^[2]

Life and career

Trice was born in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States.^[2] The family moved to Raleigh by 1920.^[1]

From a musical family, Trice learned to play the guitar at a young age and partnered his older brother, Willie Trice, in his adolescence playing at dances. In the 1930s, alongside his brother, he formed a duo and began playing a ragtime-influenced blues, which was common in the Carolinas in that period.^[3] In Durham, North Carolina, the brothers befriended Blind Boy Fuller in 1933, and it was this relationship that led to the Trice brothers entering a recording studio.^[2] At least en years his elder, Fuller was a great influence on Trice.

In July 1937, Willie Trice recorded two sides for Decca Records in New York, with Richard playing second guitar.^[4][5] Issued as being by Welly Trice, the tracks were "Come On In Here Mama" and "Let Her Go God Bless Her".^[5] At the same session, Richard Trice recorded his own compositions, "Come On Baby" and "Trembling Bed Springs Blues", for Decca billed as Rich Trice, although these were not issued for a little while.^[2] In the 1940s, he moved to Newark, New Jersey,^[3] and in October 1946 Trice recorded two sides billed as Little Boy Fuller for Savoy Records. They were "Shake Your Stuff" and "Lazy Bug Blues". He recorded several other tracks over the next six years but all of them were unreleased.^[2]

In the 1950s, Trice relocated back to North Carolina and joined a gospel quartet.^[3] Trice performed at house parties, juke joints, and tobacco warehouses until the early 1960s.^[6] Although he was interviewed by music historians in the 1970s, he never played blues guitar again.^[3]

In 2000, the flim Shine On: Richard Trice and the Bull City Blues, was released chronicling Trice's life story, the blues music particular to his part of the world, and his own spiritual rediscovery. It contained music by Richard Trice, Blind Boy Fuller, Reverend Gary Davis, John Dee Holeman and Willie Trice. The film received an 'Honorable Mention' at the Columbus International Film & Video Festival, 2000.^[7]

Richard Trice died in April 2000, in Burnsville, North Carolina, at the age of 82.^[2] He was interred at Mount Sinai Baptist Church Cemetery, Chapel Hill, North Carolina.^[8] He was placed alongside his brother who had predeceased him in 1976.^[9]

References