Thomas Edgar Shaw (March 4, 1908 – February 24, 1977) was an American blues singer and guitarist who got a late opportunity to shine after a lifetime of developing his gift.
Shaw was born in Brenham, Texas, a farming community between Austin and Houston. His was a musical family; his father played harmonica, guitar and accordion and Shaw learned acapella versions of spirituals on his father’s knee. His uncle Fred Rogers headed up a family string band and his cousins, Willie and Bertie, were first rate blues guitarists. His older brother Leon played piano and his brother Louis played harmonica.
Shaw first played harmonica before picking up guitar in the early 20’s. The first song he mastered was “Out And Down”, a ragtime song that was played locally by his brother Louis and later recorded as “One Dime Blues” by Blind Lemon Jefferson. Shaw had already been enthralled by Jefferson’s early recordings of “Long Lonesome Blues” and “Matchbox Blues” when he met Jefferson on the town square of Waco in 1926 or 1927. “I followed all around that evening there, and then I started talkin’ to him, and naturally me being a kid he’s askin’ me different things: ‘You like the way I play this guitar?’ I told him ‘I love it!’ …Say: ‘How would you lie to do it?’ I say: ‘I sure wish I could do it!’ He says: ‘Well you can.’ I say: ‘I don’t know.’
Around 1930 Shaw met J.T. “Funny Papa” Smith. Shaw and Smith went on to play weekend house parties, each devising second guitar parts behind the others’ vocal and leads. Smith promised to include Shaw in on of his recording sessions in 1931 but Smith was hauled off to face a murder charge and never returned to the area. Shaw later had collaborations with J. T. Smith and Ramblin' Thomas and briefly accompanied Texas Alexander. He may have been the only bluesman to have known and played with all of these essential Texas bluesmen.
Here’s “Howling Wolf Blues” from above LP
Thomas could not resist recording his own version of Blind Willie Johnson’s “Motherless Children” thrilled crowds with his ability to do both Blind Lemon and Blind Willie favorites. Thomas travelled many miles all over the country to find his audience, and like another Washington County neighbor, L. C. Robinson, ended up in California in 1934. Transplanted Texans on the West Coast loved that he could lay down Jack O’ Diamonds, Two White Horses in Line, and See That My Grave Is Kept Clean, received right from Blind Lemon’s corner to their ears.
Still, his time came when a blues revival came in the 70’s and Thomas was there to sing the old songs, just like he remembered them, to a new generation of enthusiastic listeners. He found new purpose in doing something he loved, something his whole family teased him unmercifully about, but they were mostly dead now, and it was up to Tom Shaw to carry on the family music legend. And so he did. And he was always glad to tell you all about it.
Shaw’s belated debut was recorded in 1969 or 70 and issued in 1972 on the Blue Goose label, titled Blind Lemon’s Buddy. Subsequent albums included Born In Texas issued in 1972 on Advent then later on Testament. In addition, Shaw appeared at festivals and, in 1972, he toured in Europe. His last album Do Lord Remember Me was released in 1973 on the Blues Beacon label, which he recorded in Holland.
Shaw died during open heart surgery in San Diego, in February 1977, aged 69 and was buried at Mt. Hope Cemetery, San Diego.
(Edited from Wikipedia, Big Road Blues & Navasto Music Murial)