James "Boodle It" Wiggins

It is generally thought that Wiggins was born in Louisiana, United States, and is credited as such in several sources.{{Cite web|url=https://rateyourmusic.com/artist/james-boodle-it-wiggins|title=James "Boodle It" Wiggins discography|website=Rateyourmusic.com|accessdate=9 August 2019}} His acquired nickname of "Boodle It" appears to come from his association with a style of dance, although there was also an assumed sexual connotation.{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=scp47Y9cLtgC&q=Why+was+James+Wiggins+nicknamed+%22Boodle+It%22&pg=PA192|title=Ramblin' on My Mind: New Perspectives on the Blues|first=David|last=Evans|date=October 1, 2010|publisher=University of Illinois Press|pages=192, 199|isbn=9780252091124}}

Wiggins is believed to have been discovered in Dallas, by R. L. Ashford, a scout for Paramount Records. However, Big Bill Broonzy told Paul Oliver that Wiggins originally came from Louisiana. Wiggins subsequently recorded eight sides, in three separate sessions, for Paramount between 1928 and 1929. His first recording session produced "Keep Knockin' An You Can't Get In", which was recorded in Chicago, Illinois, around February 1928 and released by Paramount (12662) that year.{{Cite web|url=https://www.goldminemag.com/collector-resources/james-wiggins-came-knocking-long-before-little-richard-did|title=James Wiggins came 'Knocking' long before Little Richard did|first=Patrick|last=Prince|website=Goldminemag.com|date=July 4, 2010|accessdate=9 August 2019}} Wiggins sang and played the kazoo on the track. The pianist on the track is believed to be Bob Call, who some time later played accompaniment to Big Bill Broonzy, Jazz Gillum, Robert Nighthawk, and Arbee Stidham. In his autobiography. Born With The Blues, Perry Bradford claimed to be composer of the song, but the first recorded version would seem to be that by Wiggins.{{Cite web|url=https://sundayblues.org/?tag=james-boodle-it-wiggins|title=James 'Boodle It' Wiggins | Big Road Blues|first=Ajay|last=D'Souza|website=Sundayblues.org|accessdate=9 August 2019}} Variations were then recorded by Lil Johnson in 1935 and Louis Jordan in 1939. According to Rolling Stone, Jordan had heard the James Wiggins and Kokomo Arnold versions. "Keep Knockin' An You Can't Get In" was a precursor of both "Keep A-Knockin'" and "I Hear You Knocking". The other track recorded at the same session was "Evil Woman Blues".

There were two further recording sessions undertaken by Wiggins in Chicago on November 13 and 14, 1928. This resulted in six unissued sides. These were originally earmarked for Vocalion Records or Brunswick Records.{{Cite web|url=https://api.discogs.com/artists/1653730|title=James Wiggins|website=Api.discogs.com|accessdate=9 August 2019}}

On October 12, 1929, in Richmond, Indiana, Wiggins recorded another four sides, "Forty-Four Blues", "Frisco Bound", "My Lovin' Blues" and "Weary Heart Blues" for Paramount, plus another two in Grafton, Wisconsin that the same month. Paramount placed two advertisements in The Chicago Defender; the first on November 30, 1928 (promoting "Keep A Knockin' An You Can't Get In" b/w "Evil Woman Blues") and then on January 25, 1930 (for "Weary Heart Blues" b/w "My Lovin' Blues"). Blind Leroy Garnett played piano accompaniment on the four tracks recorded in Richmond. Whereas in Grafton, Wiggins recorded his version of "Gotta Shave 'Em Dry", and "Corrine Corrina Blues" with a boogie-woogie accompaniment by the pianist, Charlie Spand.{{Cite web|url=http://www.philxmilstein.com/probe/pix/oliver.htm|title=Shave 'Em Dry|website=Philxmilstein.com|accessdate=9 August 2019}} These were also issued by Paramount (12916).

More recently, Blues Unlimited, in an article headed "A Handful of Keys: Boodle It One Time?", reported that Bob Hall and Richard Noblett had analyzed Wiggins' recordings, and cast doubts on the accepted identifications of the pianists. They accepted Garnett's presence on "My Lovin' Blues" and "Weary Heart Blues", but cast some doubt as to whether he played on "Forty-Four Blues". Similarly they agreed on Bob Call as the pianist on "Evil Woman Woman Blues", but not necessarily "Keep Knockin' An You Can't Get In". For Wiggins's final recording "Corinne Corinna" and "Gotta Shave 'Em Dry", Charlie Spand had been suggested but no firm conclusions were drawn. Bob Call, was identified on the two unissued Wiggins sessions.{{Cite web|url=https://thedocumentrecordsstore.com/product/docd-5103/|title=Boogie Woogie & Barrelhouse Piano Vol. 2 (1928-1930)|website=Thedocumentrecordstore.com|accessdate=9 August 2019}}

Wiggins survived a lynching in Bogalusa, Louisiana, in 1929, when a white woman took offence at his refusal to step aside for her on a public street. A local mob shot him four times and lynched him, although he survived the ordeal.{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-w-uGwm_LhcC&q=Why+was+James+Wiggins+nicknamed+%22Boodle+It%22&pg=PA641|title=Encyclopedia of the Blues|first=Edward M.|last=Komara|date=August 8, 2006|publisher=Psychology Press|page=641|isbn=9780415926997}}

It is supposed that Wiggins died in c. 1930, although details are unknown.

Several of his tracks have appeared on various compilation albums, including Boogie Woogie & Barrelhouse Piano Vol. 2 (1928-1930) (Document Records, 1992).{{Cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/release/boogie-woogie-and-barrelhouse-piano-vol-2-1928-1930-mr0000137250|title=Boogie Woogie and Barrelhouse Piano, Vol. 2 (1928-1930) - Various Artists | Release Info|website=AllMusic|accessdate=9 August 2019}}

Wiggins, in common with some other blues musicians, tended to recycle some of his song lyrics, with the lines "I wake up every morning..." and "I woke up this morning...", identified in three of his songs - "Evil Woman Blues" and "Forty-Four Blues", and the latter deviation in "Frisco Bound".{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=M78Mn3MNfv4C&q=%22James+%22Boodle+It%22+Wiggins%22&pg=PA179|title=The Blues Lyric Formula|first=Michael|last=Taft|date=January 11, 2013|publisher=Routledge|page=179|isbn=9781135778033}}

• List of blues musicians

{{Reflist}}

• [https://www.discogs.com/artist/1653730-James-Wiggins Discography @ Discogs.com]

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Category:Year of birth unknown

Category:Place of birth missing

Category:Year of death unknown

Category:Place of death missing

Category:American blues singers

Category:Singers from Louisiana

Category:Songwriters from Louisiana

Category:American blues harmonica players

Category:20th-century American singers

Category:Paramount Records artists