Biography
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Born
28 July 1931
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Born In
Hyde County, North Carolina, United States
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Died
23 September 2020 (aged 89)
Sidney Selby is a true blues man. He also goes by 'Bone Crusher' and 'Guitar Crusher', names he earned throughout his career.
Born in rural Hyde County N.C. in 1931 during the height of the Depression, he toiled in the cotton fields during his youth but set aside Sundays for exercising his rich baritone in the choir of Mt. Pilgrim Baptist Church, continuing a tradition which gave rise to a whole generation of blues singers of his era.
He moved to New York in the 50s, found a job and started singing in Church again. However. encouraged by his friends, he soon formed his own band, the Midnight Rockers and began attracting a large following.
The year 1960 marked the beginning of a decade of performances with The Drifters, The Isley Brothers, Ben E. King and other major R&B talents which flourished during the 1960's musical renaissance.
Selby was signed by Columbia Records and remained under contract until 1970, when the musical tastes in America began to shift away from blues and soul sounds. So, in the early 80s GUITAR CRUSHER headed for Europe and a more hospitals blues climate. Here his performance on major festivals marked the start of his comeback. The now internationally-known singer and writer has since accorded 4 albums singing his own compositions with force and assurance in his gospel-inflected voice. His transfixing vocal power won him a reputation as 'The Big Voice From New York', a headliner on the european blues-circuit.
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