Roosevelt Sykes (January 31, 1906 – July 17, 1983) was an American blues musician, also known as "The Honeydripper".
During this period he befriended another blues musician, the singer Charlie "Specks" McFadden, and accompanied him on half of the McFadden's recordings. After he and Oden moved to Chicago, Sykes found his first period of fame when he signed a contract with Decca Records in 1934. In 1943, he signed with Bluebird Records and recorded with the Honeydrippers,. scoring a pair of R&B hits in 1945 (covers of Cecil Gant's "I Wonder" and Joe Liggins'"The Honeydripper").
The following year, he scored one more national chart item for the parent Victor logo, the lowdown blues "Sunny Road." He also often toured and recorded with singer St. Louis Jimmy Oden, the originator of the classic "Going Down Slow."Sykes and Oden continued their musical friendship into the 1960s.
In Chicago, Sykes began to display an increasing urbanity in his songwriting, using an eight-bar blues pop gospel structure instead of the traditional twelve-bar blues. Despite the growing urbanity of his style, he gradually became less competitive in the post–World War II music scene. After his contract with RCA Victor expired, he recorded for smaller labels, such as United, until his opportunities ran out in the mid-1950s.
Sykes had a long career, spanning the pre-war and post-war eras. His pounding piano boogies and risqué lyrics characterize his contributions to the blues. He was responsible for influential blues songs such as "44 Blues", "Driving Wheel", and "Night Time Is the Right Time".
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He was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame in 1999 and the Gennett Records Walk of Fame in 2011.
He was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame in 1999 and the Gennett Records Walk of Fame in 2011.
(edited from Wikipedia & AllMusic)