Arbee Stidham

A thrilling and expressive jazz-influenced blues vocalist, Arbee Stidham also takes on alto sax, acoustic guitar and harmonica. His dad Luddie Stidham worked well in Jimme Lunceford’s orchestra, while his uncle was a innovator from the Memphis Jug Band. Stidham created the Southern Syncopators and performed various night clubs in his indigenous Arkansas in the ’30s. He made an appearance on Little Rock and roll radio train station KARK and his music group supported Bessie Smith on the Southern tour in 1930 and 1931. Stidham regularly performed in Small Rock and roll and Memphis until he relocated to Chicago in the ’40s. Stidham documented with Lucky Millinder’s Orchestra for Victor in the ’40s for Victor. He do his own classes for Victor, Sittin’ In, Checker, Abco, Prestige/Bluesville, Mainstream, and Folkways in the ’50s and ’60s, and made an appearance in the film The Bluesman in 1973. Stidham also produced many event and club looks countrywide and internationally. He do periodic blues lectures at Cleveland Condition University or college in the ’70s.