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The Duke, as he is well know among friends, began his musical career quite early, touring with such blues legends as Robert Johnson and Sunnyland Slim. His radical chord changes and unorthodox foot stomping lead some club owners to ban his act. Playing where he could for nickles and dimes and the odd quart of homemade whiskey, he fell into a deep depression. If it wasn't for a small pony he purchased to make his travels easier, he never would have met the blacksmith, who in turn introduced him to Torch, who at the time was working in a hide tanning factory outside of Nashville.
This is where it all began. At a small greasy spoon, the two met for the first time over breakfast and were soon sharing riffs and lyrics. Tapping the table with the cutlery, the two wrote their first song, "Crust Rolls Blues" which to this day is still in the courts pending a decision due to its remarkable similarity to "Cross Roads Blues". The two claim theirs came first.
The now famed songwiting duo went on to write such classics as "My Supper She's a Hottie", "Little Guy Shuffle" , "I'll Tan Your Hide" and "My Pocket's Got a Hole." It wasn't until the late spring of 1954, did the two finally decide to put an entire band together. Their first project, Greasy Mitt, was a trio, picking up a stand-up bass player by the name of Zippy Jones. "I'll Tan Your Hide was their first hit single, topping the charts for six weeks. After playing three live shows, Zippy dissapeared without a trace, last seen buying some malt liquor at a corner store in Brooklyn.
Their second project was a 12 piece experimental Jazz/Blues Infusion, which they called "The Bakers Dozen". The Dozen soon split after a huge bar brawl, landing eight of the members in hospital. It is rumoured the fight started on the stage, when the drummer, Raspy Mike, jokingly picked up his snare drum and slammed it over the head of the tuba player, Milky Joe.
With nothing but a guitar and the clothes on their back, Torch and Duke were released from hospital after mild reconstructive surgery. Passing by a Bingo hall on the way to the soup kitchen, the two pooled their change and managed to fit in a quick game. One line and four corners later, the two had enough money to purchase another guitar. Using bingo chips as picks, the rest is history....
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