372:
When he was transferred back to the U.S., he was not allowed to bring his
Vietnamese guitar along, so he bought a new American guitar shortly after his arrival and continued to develop this new skill. By 1979, he felt adrift in the Boston area and naively decided to move to Oklahoma, buy some land and earn a living as a farmer. He grew many different crops, from cantaloupes to artichokes, but the farm was never a financial success, merely a sideline. Homans later said that watermelons were the one crop on which never lost money. After Vietnam, Homans spent most of his adult life working for a living as a truck driver, just to make ends meet.
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418:, produced by his longtime musical colleague from Massachusetts, Chris Stovall Brown, with cousins Kyle and Adam Enevoldsen on drums and bass. A few months later, Homans had a serious heart attack, but bounced back quickly and continued to drive trucks, hauling industrial waste, and in 2003, used his work vacation time to make his first international tour, a solo journey through southern England.
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wrote as much about Homans as he did about the star. Raitt and Homans both attended the unveiling of a
Mississippi Blues Trail marker honoring the late McDowell. Later, Homan went alone to McDowell's grave and serenaded his mentor, acknowledging the debt he owed the man who started Watermelon Slim on
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In 1998, Homans met two
Oklahoma State University philosophy professors, Doren Recker and Mike Rhodes, with whom he started a band called "Fried Okra Jones". This band went through several changes in personnel, including the blues woman Honour Hero Havoc, bass player, and guitarist "Texas" Ray Isom.
371:
In
Vietnam, he contracted an illness that put him in a Cam Ranh Bay military hospital. While convalescing, he started playing a Vietnamese guitar, made with balsa wood and rusty metal strings. He played it as a sort of Lap Steel guitar that's why his guitar tone-bar was a Zippo cigarette lighter.
386:
He never stopped playing music, and hooked up with some professional players in Oregon in 1984. This improved his skills and gave him confidence in his music abilities. Then he went to Europe, intending to establish himself as a soloist. When that attempt failed, he returned to Boston and truck
486:, Homans' first country-and-western CD recorded in Nashville with Paul Franklin, Darrell Scott and other top Nashville session players, was released on NorthernBlues. Future releases will include another Nashville record, reflecting Homans' North Carolina
322:, where he was first exposed to blues music from about the time he was five years old. During childhood, he sang in choirs and glee clubs. Homans later explained that he first played music in 1958, on a set of bongo drums. A year later, he acquired a
364:, an album recorded and released on a small label in 1973 after returning from a tour of duty in Vietnam. This song, which he wrote, has been described as "furiously anti-war." Homans had become, after his return home, involved with
368:, and the album had songs with lyrics reflecting drug use, spiritual exploration, and involvement with the emotional cost of fighting "enemies." The album, originals of which are now highly collectible, has been re-released.
745:
Homans may have chosen the nickname because his farm produced watermelons. He recalled that he was holding a harmonica in one hand and eating a piece of watermelon with the other hand on that day.
585:, plus a live version of "Oklahoma Blues" score this award-winning documentary by writer/director Matt Myers. Homans and Myers met while attending school together at Oklahoma State University.
441:. In early 2007, this album won in The 6th annual Independent Music Awards for Best Blues Album. Watermelon Slim & The Workers were also nominated for Blues Album of the year for
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driving. In 1993, he returned to his 'truck patch" in
Oklahoma, where he has been based ever since. He also formed his supporting band, "The Workers."{{efn| The Workers were:
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Taylor, David (13 April 2015). "It's as easy to find the heart of
America in the tin blues shacks of the Mississippi as it is in Washington's corridors of power".
414:
In 1999, Homans recorded for the first time since 1973, an EP CD called "Fried Okra Jones". In 2002, Homans made his first national release for
Southern Records,
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roots, an acoustic duo CD featuring Honour Havoc, and blues CDs with
Mississippi bluesmen James "Super Chikan" Johnson and Robert "The Wolfman" Belfour.
501:, an established star who had actually been Raitt's teacher. In 1979, Homans dropped in on one of Raitt's shows. The reporter covering the show for the
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In 2004, Homans left this last truck driving job to go on tour with his supporting band, "The
Workers". In 2005, Homans was nominated for the
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429:, produced by Chris Hardwick. He and his band were also nominated for six more Handy Awards in 2006, in a variety of categories, and for a
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Wheeler, Brad (17 April 2006). "Waist deep in alligators: Blues legend
Watermelon Slim's done a lot of things most people shouldn't try".
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This musician's real name is William P. Homans III. He was the son of noted Boston civil rights lawyer William P. Homans Jr.
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was awarded Best Blues CD of 2007. Besides that, Homans won the Maple Blues Award for B.B. King International Entertainer.
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In 2009, this CD was nominated for another four Blues Music Awards, for a total of seventeen awards from the
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Homans has been performing since the 1970s and has been linked to several notable blues musicians, including
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456:. At the awards ceremony in 2008, Homans and his band won the award for Best Blues Band of 2007, and
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In 2008, The Workers recorded their third CD for Toronto's NorthernBlues record label,
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at one of her performances. Both Raitt and Homans shared the same musical hero,
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577:, which is about the Tar Creek environmental disaster in Oklahoma. Music from
475:. Homans was also inducted into the Oklahoma Blues Hall of Fame at this time.
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848:. Published April 17, 2006. Updated April 23, 2008. Accessed June 16, 2018
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Watermelon Slim's music is featured in the 2009 environmental documentary
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784:"Watermelon Slim Mixes Country, Blues, Rock on New CD 'Ringers'"
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performer, with The Workers he has concentrated more on playing
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for "Best New Artist Debut", for his acoustic masterpiece CD,
298:. Homans has also earned bachelor's and master's degrees from
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from the article and its talk page, especially if potentially
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884:"The Musicians Atlas - 2007 Independent Music Awards Winners"
379:, Homans was living on a truck farm in July, 1980, in
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when he first adopted the moniker "Watermelon Slim."
318:, United States, but has said that he was raised in
398:guitar lap-style, lefthanded and backwards, with a
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654:Watermelon Slim & Super Chikan Okiesippi Blues
360:The first recording project to feature Homans was
831:"Watermelon Slim - Biography." October 13, 2015.
736:Homans earned five dollars for his performance.
513:, a boarding school in Lenox, MA. Homans has a
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468:blues CD poll for the second year in a row.
445:in the 7th annual Independent Music Awards.
873:Watermelonslim.com, Accessed June 15, 2018.
843:Wheeler, Brad. "Waist deep in alligators."
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53:about living persons that is unsourced or
124:Learn how and when to remove this message
833:Mymusicbase.com, Accessed June 16, 2018.
464:also was No. 1 Blues Album in England's
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720:
529:. Before dropping out to enlist in the
390:His more recent music is rooted in the
152:Watermelon Slim at Silver Dollar Room,
452:, which was nominated for another six
267:, (born 1949) professionally known as
910:"Blues Music: Top Blues Albums Chart"
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824:
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7:
1038:20th-century American male musicians
517:in journalism and history from the
493:In 1972-3, Homans met country star
402:. While for decades typically an
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943:NorthernBlues Music Official Site
624:Watermelon Slim & the Workers
1033:20th-century American guitarists
1013:Independent Music Awards winners
1003:Oklahoma State University alumni
978:American blues harmonica players
539:Vietnam Veterans Against the War
366:Vietnam Veterans Against the War
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439:Watermelon Slim and the Workers
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988:Blues musicians from Oklahoma
1043:Northern Blues Music artists
886:. 1 May 2009. Archived from
642:Escape From the Chicken Coop
544:In February 2019, his album
484:Escape From the Chicken Coop
448:In 2007, Homans made the CD
286:. He is currently signed to
31:biography of a living person
998:University of Oregon alumni
381:Pushmataha County, Oklahoma
183:1949 (age 74–75)
58:must be removed immediately
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993:Middlebury College alumni
983:American slide guitarists
968:American blues guitarists
704:Mississippi Fred McDowell
527:Oklahoma State University
499:Mississippi Fred McDowell
304:Oklahoma State University
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1028:Guitarists from Oklahoma
973:American male guitarists
548:reached number 7 in the
509:Homans is a graduate of
618:Up Close & Personal
583:Up Close & Personal
394:style, as he plays his
353:, and Henry Vestine of
958:American blues singers
815:. Toronto. p. R1.
482:. A few months later,
351:"Country" Joe McDonald
165:Background information
45:Please help by adding
1018:Singers from Oklahoma
963:American male singers
772:. London. p. 28.
511:Lenox School for Boys
506:the road to success.
435:Toronto Blues Society
427:Up Close and Personal
316:Boston, Massachusetts
265:William P. Homans III
175:William P. Homans III
691:Ripe For the Picking
519:University of Oregon
343:Champion Jack Dupree
300:University of Oregon
51:Contentious material
867:"Watermelon Slim."
672:Church Of The Blues
546:Church Of The Blues
437:for the 2006 album
314:Homans was born in
288:NorthernBlues Music
254:NorthernBlues Music
846:The Globe and Mail
812:The Globe and Mail
660:Bull Goose Rooster
535:Middlebury College
454:Blues Music Awards
328:Middlebury College
869:Oklahoma Magazine
612:Big Shoes to Fill
579:Big Shoes to Fill
515:bachelor's degree
503:Norman Transcript
431:Maple Blues Award
423:W. C. Handy Award
416:Big Shoes to Fill
392:Mississippi Delta
377:Oklahoma Magazine
271:, is an American
269:"Watermelon Slim"
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73:"Watermelon Slim"
34:needs additional
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636:No Paid Holidays
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533:he had attended
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473:No Paid Holidays
278:. He plays both
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917:. Retrieved
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792:. Retrieved
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245:1973–present
241:Years active
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40:verification
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1023:1949 births
589:Discography
531:Vietnam War
355:Canned Heat
339:Robert Cray
290:, based in
952:Categories
919:7 February
894:7 February
794:18 January
753:References
666:Golden Boy
171:Birth name
84:newspapers
769:The Times
574:Tar Creek
567:Film work
554:Billboard
433:from the
324:harmonica
310:Biography
284:harmonica
226:Harmonica
36:citations
698:See also
521:, and a
408:electric
404:acoustic
276:musician
205:Oklahoma
62:libelous
648:Ringers
296:Ontario
292:Toronto
158:Ontario
154:Toronto
98:scholar
680:(2020)
674:(2019)
668:(2017)
662:(2013)
656:(2011)
650:(2010)
644:(2009)
638:(2008)
632:(2007)
626:(2006)
620:(2004)
614:(2003)
608:(1999)
602:(1973)
594:Albums
280:guitar
250:Labels
234:vocals
230:guitar
212:Genres
197:Origin
186:Boston
100:
93:
86:
79:
71:
871:2009.
715:Notes
561:chart
400:slide
396:dobro
273:blues
216:Blues
201:Tulsa
105:JSTOR
91:books
29:This
921:2019
896:2019
796:2016
685:DVDs
302:and
282:and
180:Born
77:news
38:for
788:VOA
954::
912:.
853:^
821:^
786:.
581:,
563:.
550:US
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