b. 12 December 1920, Mobile, Alabama, USA. Dallas travelled the south in the 30s and 40s, teaming up for some time with Frank Edwards, and sang in the Chicago streets for a while before settling in New York from 1943. His 1949 recordings for Sittin' In With are in a small group format with Brownie McGhee (with whom Dallas had played guitar and washboard in the 30s) and Big Chief Ellis; they bear little sign of urbanization (indeed his springy guitar rhythms positively countrify ‘Jump Little Children, Jump', usually a preserve of blues shouters). By 1962, he had ceased to play ...