Early Life
Joe Holmes was born near McComb, Mississippi in 1897. In 1915 he followed his brother to North Louisiana, where he married Roberta Allums. In 1920 he returned to McComb with his wife and their child Essie. There he played with the most famous local blues musician Sam Collins, known locally as "Salty Dog Sam" and on record as "Cryin' Sam Collins". When interviewed by Warlow, Roberta recalled seeing her husband playing with Collins, whom she recognised from a publicity image for Black Patti Records. One year later, Roberta and Essie returned to Sibley, while Joe pushed his musical career, intitially in McComb, and then as an itinerant, returning periodically to Sibley. One town he played in was Minden, Louisiana, where he had a friend called George Young. In 1928 Blind Lemon Jefferson passed through Minden. Joe Holmes and George Young left with him for Wichita Falls, Texas. Holmes later celebrated his brief partnership with Jefferson on his record "My Buddy Papa Lemon". At that time he befriended Willard Thomas, known as Ramblin' Thomas, who became his favourite musical partner. Holmes would often travel to Shreveport, Louisiana to play with Thomas.
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