Henry Townsend
1909–2006 (age 97)
Blues musician
Biography
Henry Townsend, born in 1909, was a Delta-born bluesman whose gravelly voice and deft guitar, mandolin, and piano work bridged the country and urban styles, making him one of the last living interpreters of the prewar blues tradition.
He recorded across seven decades, toured widely, and mentored younger musicians while so many old songs found new audiences, and he was laid to rest in 2006 at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery.