Billy Banks

It is extremely common for blues scholars to mistake one obscure female classic blues vocalist for another, especially if they are singing an itchy old number such as "Mean Old Bed Bug Blues". For said "female" vocal to have actually been done by a man is quite a rare occurence, but it has been known to happen if a fellow by the name of Billy Banks was lurking around. The aforementioned bed bug song was an early '30s side that for years was thought to feature the vocal efforts of a Fats Waller protege named Una Mae Carlisle. But it was actually Banks, a vocalist and bandlea...