Robert Nighthawk Robert Nighthawk (born Robert Lee McCollum) recorded extensively in the 1930s as "Robert Lee McCoy" with bluesmen such as John Lee "Sonny Boy" Williamson (also known as Sonny Boy Williamson I). He performed on acoustic guitar in a style influenced by Tampa Red. Sometime around World War II, after changing his last name to "Nighthawk" (from the title of one of his songs), he became an early proponent of electric slide guitar and adopted a metal slide. Nighthawk's sound was extremely clean and smooth, with a very light touch of the slide against the strings. He helped popularize Tampa Red's "Black Angel Blues" (later called "Sweet Little Angel"), "Crying Won't Help You", and "Anna Lou Blues" (as "Anna Lee") in his electric slide style-songs which later became part of the repertoire of Earl Hooker, B.B. King, and others. His style influenced both Muddy Waters and Hooker. Nighthawk is credited as one who helped bring music from Mississippi into the Chicago blues style of electric blues.
Robert Nighthawk Robert Nighthawk (born Robert Lee McCollum) recorded extensively in the 1930s as "Robert Lee McCoy" with bluesmen such as John Lee "Sonny Boy" Williamson (also known as Sonny Boy Williamson I) He performed on acoustic guitar in a style influenced by Tampa Red Sometime around World War II after changing his last name to "Nighthawk" (from the title of one of his songs) he became an early proponent of electric slide guitar and adopted a metal slide Nighthawk's sound was extremely clean and smooth with a very light touch of the slide against the strings He helped popularize Tampa Red's "Black Angel Blues" (later called "Sweet Little Angel") "Crying Won't Help You" and "Anna Lou Blues" (as "Anna Lee") in his electric slide style-songs which later became part of the repertoire of Earl Hooker BB King and others His style influenced both Muddy Waters and Hooker Nighthawk is credited as one who helped bring music from Mississippi into the Chicago blues style of electric blues