219:, but returned to Dallas three years later for his father's job, who was a professional candy maker. Although his family did not own a piano Moore learned the instrument by watching others, including a female cousin, and practicing on instruments he found around town. He also learned to play harmonica as a boy, and was a tap dancer and whistler. He took a more serious interest in playing piano in his mid-teens, although he never learned how to read music. In 1915 he performed on Dallas radio station WWR, and continued to play for tips at various social gathering places, including chockhouses (homes or stores where home-brewed alcohol was served) and
33:
337:
Although Moore played the piano for audiences around the world, he never considered himself a professional musician. Throughout the course of his adult life, his nonmusical jobs included hauling gravel, driving mule teams, washing dishes, working as a hotel porter, and as a custodian at office
357:
Tony
Russell wrote that "Moore was so odd a performer that some newcomers to the blues have been uncertain whether to take him seriously. By the time he became moderately well-known on the international blues scene of the 1960s and 1970s; his always singular style had burgeoned into florid
308:. He did not record again in either the 1970s or 1980s, but he continued to give live performances until his death. He remembered and sang again the blues he had recorded in the 1920s and 1930s, such as "West Texas Woman" and "Blue Bloomer Blues", with their touching and poetic
203:. He is best remembered for his recordings of "Blue Bloomer Blues" (which he first recorded in 1929, as well as later in life), "Across the Atlantic Ocean" and "Black Eyed Peas and Hog Jowls".
346:
Moore died of a heart attack on
January 20, 1989 in Dallas, aged 89. He never married; he was survived by a son and daughter. He was interred at the Lincoln Memorial Cemetery in Dallas.
834:
819:
839:
849:
829:
226:
After his father's death, he dropped out of school to support his mother and two siblings. He had become proficient on the piano before entering the
804:
844:
32:
358:
eccentricity, and he would reminisce tirelessly in a foggy half-shout about youthful high times in his hometown, over skipping blues and
759:
824:
814:
640:
612:
809:
764:
247:
784:
779:
774:
769:
320:
794:
789:
511:
656:
258:
he made did not sell in great quantities, and Moore did not record again until 1937, when a few of his songs were issued by
599:
316:
289:
266:
686:
281:
signed him to a recording contract in 1960, and the subsequent recordings brought him nationwide recognition.
594:
754:
749:
604:
424:
238:. Also in the 1920s he acquired his nickname, based on a whistle he made while playing the piano.
799:
227:
636:
608:
517:
507:
255:
354:
278:
251:
178:
168:
163:
546:
331:
173:
285:
235:
216:
725:
743:
359:
259:
103:
734:
711:
334:. On November 22, 1988, the state of Texas designated his birthday Alex Moore Day.
270:
664:
293:
730:
568:
220:
521:
450:
363:
301:
297:
274:
230:
in 1916. His overall sound during the 1920s combined elements of the blues,
200:
720:
475:
715:
288:
in the United States and a few festivals in Europe. He toured with the
231:
323:, becoming the first African-American Texan to receive such an honor.
309:
212:
70:
506:. Vol. 2 (K-Z). Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-Clio. pp. 456ā458.
196:
98:
549:. Texas State Historical Association (TSHA). Tshaonline.org. n.d
195:(November 22, 1899 – January 20, 1989), was an American
338:
buildings. He retired from the last of those jobs in 1965.
273:. However, throughout the 1940s and 1950s, he performed in
663:. National Endowment for the Arts. n.d. Archived from
504:
502:
Govenar, Alan, ed. (2001). "Alexander H. Moore, Sr.".
156:
146:
129:
112:
91:
77:
57:
47:
42:
23:
635:. Dubai: Carlton Books Limited. pp. 147ā148.
215:, Texas. At the age of three, his family moved to
326:The year before his death, he recorded the album
304:, Germany, which led to the release of the album
277:in Dallas and occasionally other parts of Texas.
362:piano patterns with occasional bursts of shrill
265:It was 1951 before Moore recorded again, with
633:The Blues: From Robert Johnson to Robert Cray
8:
569:"Alex Moore: African-American Blues Pianist"
284:During the 1960s, Moore played at clubs and
835:20th-century African-American male singers
31:
20:
687:"Whistlin' Alex Moore | Discography"
626:
624:
497:
495:
493:
300:. The same year he recorded a session in
657:"NEA National Heritage Fellowships 1987"
292:in 1969, performing on the same bill as
406:
193:Alexander Herman "Whistlin' Alex" Moore
575:. National Endowment for the Arts. n.d
541:
539:
537:
535:
533:
531:
470:
468:
444:
442:
418:
416:
414:
412:
410:
7:
820:National Heritage Fellowship winners
16:American blues musician (1899ā1989)
840:20th-century American male singers
476:"Whistlin' Alex Moore Discography"
388:From North Dallas to the East Side
14:
850:20th-century American songwriters
830:African-American male songwriters
425:"Whistlin' Alex Moore: Biography"
600:The Guinness Who's Who of Blues
321:National Endowment for the Arts
805:20th-century American pianists
1:
845:20th-century American singers
315:In 1987, Moore was granted a
689:. AllMusic. January 20, 1989
317:National Heritage Fellowship
290:American Folk Blues Festival
246:In 1929, he made his debut
866:
453:. TheDeadRockStarsClub.com
234:, barrelhouse boogie, and
760:African-American pianists
547:"Moore, Alexander Herman"
30:
825:Arhoolie Records artists
815:Columbia Records artists
731:Whistlin' Alex Moore
810:Rounder Records artists
765:American blues pianists
721:Illustrated discography
785:Boogie-woogie pianists
780:American blues singers
775:Songwriters from Texas
770:American male pianists
631:Russell, Tony (1997).
330:his final session for
53:Alexander Herman Moore
43:Background information
795:Texas blues musicians
790:Musicians from Dallas
423:O'Neal, Jim (n.d.).
382:Whistlin' Alex Moore
370:Selected discography
306:Alex Moore in Europe
199:pianist, singer and
25:Whistlin' Alex Moore
605:Guinness Publishing
603:(Second ed.).
87:Dallas, Texas, U.S.
228:United States Army
211:Moore was born in
449:Doc Rock (n.d.).
187:
186:
68:November 22, 1899
857:
699:
698:
696:
694:
683:
677:
676:
674:
672:
653:
647:
646:
628:
619:
618:
591:
585:
584:
582:
580:
565:
559:
558:
556:
554:
543:
526:
525:
499:
488:
487:
485:
483:
472:
463:
462:
460:
458:
446:
437:
436:
434:
432:
420:
355:Music journalist
279:Arhoolie Records
252:Columbia Records
149:
84:
81:January 20, 1989
67:
65:
50:
35:
21:
865:
864:
860:
859:
858:
856:
855:
854:
740:
739:
726:Grave headstone
714:discography at
708:
703:
702:
692:
690:
685:
684:
680:
670:
668:
667:on May 19, 2020
655:
654:
650:
643:
630:
629:
622:
615:
607:. p. 270.
593:
592:
588:
578:
576:
567:
566:
562:
552:
550:
545:
544:
529:
514:
501:
500:
491:
481:
479:
474:
473:
466:
456:
454:
448:
447:
440:
430:
428:
422:
421:
408:
403:
372:
352:
344:
332:Rounder Records
244:
209:
190:
183:
147:
142:
125:
108:
86:
82:
69:
63:
61:
48:
38:
26:
17:
12:
11:
5:
863:
861:
853:
852:
847:
842:
837:
832:
827:
822:
817:
812:
807:
802:
797:
792:
787:
782:
777:
772:
767:
762:
757:
752:
742:
741:
738:
737:
728:
723:
718:
707:
706:External links
704:
701:
700:
678:
648:
641:
620:
613:
597:, ed. (1995).
586:
560:
527:
512:
489:
464:
438:
405:
404:
402:
399:
398:
397:
394:Ice Pick Blues
391:
385:
379:
371:
368:
351:
348:
343:
340:
243:
240:
217:El Paso, Texas
208:
205:
189:Musical artist
188:
185:
184:
182:
181:
176:
171:
166:
160:
158:
154:
153:
150:
144:
143:
141:
140:
137:
133:
131:
127:
126:
124:
123:
120:
116:
114:
110:
109:
107:
106:
101:
95:
93:
89:
88:
85:(aged 89)
79:
75:
74:
59:
55:
54:
51:
45:
44:
40:
39:
36:
28:
27:
24:
15:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
862:
851:
848:
846:
843:
841:
838:
836:
833:
831:
828:
826:
823:
821:
818:
816:
813:
811:
808:
806:
803:
801:
798:
796:
793:
791:
788:
786:
783:
781:
778:
776:
773:
771:
768:
766:
763:
761:
758:
756:
753:
751:
748:
747:
745:
736:
732:
729:
727:
724:
722:
719:
717:
713:
710:
709:
705:
688:
682:
679:
666:
662:
658:
652:
649:
644:
642:1-85868-255-X
638:
634:
627:
625:
621:
616:
614:0-85112-673-1
610:
606:
602:
601:
596:
590:
587:
574:
570:
564:
561:
548:
542:
540:
538:
536:
534:
532:
528:
523:
519:
515:
509:
505:
498:
496:
494:
490:
477:
471:
469:
465:
452:
445:
443:
439:
426:
419:
417:
415:
413:
411:
407:
400:
395:
392:
389:
386:
383:
380:
377:
374:
373:
369:
367:
365:
361:
360:boogie-woogie
356:
349:
347:
341:
339:
335:
333:
329:
324:
322:
318:
313:
311:
307:
303:
299:
295:
291:
287:
282:
280:
276:
272:
268:
263:
261:
260:Decca Records
257:
253:
249:
241:
239:
237:
233:
229:
224:
222:
218:
214:
206:
204:
202:
198:
194:
180:
177:
175:
172:
170:
167:
165:
162:
161:
159:
155:
151:
145:
138:
135:
134:
132:
128:
121:
118:
117:
115:
111:
105:
104:boogie-woogie
102:
100:
97:
96:
94:
90:
80:
76:
73:, Texas, U.S.
72:
60:
56:
52:
46:
41:
37:Moore in 1969
34:
29:
22:
19:
735:Find a Grave
691:. Retrieved
681:
669:. Retrieved
665:the original
660:
651:
632:
598:
595:Colin Larkin
589:
577:. Retrieved
572:
563:
551:. Retrieved
503:
480:. Retrieved
455:. Retrieved
429:. Retrieved
393:
387:
381:
375:
353:
345:
336:
328:Wiggle Tail,
327:
325:
314:
305:
283:
264:
245:
225:
210:
192:
191:
148:Years active
83:(1989-01-20)
18:
755:1989 deaths
750:1899 births
693:January 31,
671:December 5,
579:December 5,
553:January 31,
482:January 31,
457:January 31,
451:"The 1980s"
431:January 31,
376:Wiggle Tail
294:Earl Hooker
267:RPM Records
223:in Dallas.
221:juke joints
130:Instruments
113:Occupations
744:Categories
712:Alex Moore
513:1576072401
427:. AllMusic
401:References
248:recordings
207:Early life
152:1920sā1989
122:songwriter
64:1899-11-22
49:Birth name
800:Whistlers
478:. Wirz.de
364:whistling
302:Stuttgart
298:Magic Sam
286:festivals
661:arts.gov
573:arts.gov
522:47644303
342:Personal
201:whistler
179:Columbia
169:Document
164:Arhoolie
119:Musician
716:Discogs
319:by the
256:records
232:ragtime
174:Rounder
639:
611:
520:
510:
396:(1995)
390:(1994)
384:(1994)
378:(1988)
350:Legacy
310:lyrics
254:. The
242:Career
236:stride
213:Dallas
157:Labels
139:vocals
92:Genres
71:Dallas
275:clubs
197:blues
136:Piano
99:Blues
695:2014
673:2020
637:ISBN
609:ISBN
581:2020
555:2014
518:OCLC
508:ISBN
484:2014
459:2014
433:2014
296:and
271:Kent
250:for
78:Died
58:Born
733:at
366:."
746::
659:.
623:^
571:.
530:^
516:.
492:^
467:^
441:^
409:^
312:.
262:.
697:.
675:.
645:.
617:.
583:.
557:.
524:.
486:.
461:.
435:.
269:/
66:)
62:(
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
