The Oldest and the Youngest Musicians

Nathan Beauregard was reportedly (according to the liner notes) 104 when he recorded "Bout A Spoonful" in June of 1969.  I discovered this track in 1970 on a Blue Thumb sampler called "All Day Thumb Sucker."  Turns out it was originally released on the "Memphis Swamp Jam" compilation above (1969), again in 1981 on a "Kings of Country Blues" collection and finally in 1993 (on CD) on the "Mississippi Delta Blues Jam, Vol.s 1 & 2" compilations. 

Nathan's first known recording is at the July 20, 1968 Memphis Country Blues Festival in Overton Park, Memphis.

However, his birth date is probably not 1865, or even 1863 as is sometimes reported.

His death certificate lists April 3, 1883 as his birth date, twenty years after.  His draft registration card for World War I lists 1893, thirty years later.  Some researchers have narrowed in on July 2, 1892 as his birth date, which would make him "only" 77 at the time of recording (but that seems unlikely, given the sound and pictures of him).  In an interview recorded at the same time as "Bout A Spoonful," Beauregard declines to give a birth date (month or year) and claims not to know it.

I tend to believe the 1883 date, making him 86.  That sounds about right.

I always heard Eubie Blake recorded until he was 100, but Wikipedia says he died at 96.  Elizabeth Cotton lived to 94.  Eugene Wright, bassist for the Dave Brubeck Quartet, is still alive at 96.  Vera Lynn, British songstress, is still alive at 103 (as of this writing) but not releasing new music.

Vera Lynn, good grief. I assumed she had died long ago. She was the one who sang about "blue birds over the white cliffs of Dover", forever associated (now) with the Battle of Britain.