Known in her heyday as "the blues sensation of the West," the big-voiced Sara Martin was one of the best of the classic female blues singers of the '20s. Martin began her career as a vaudeville performer, switching to blues singing in the early '20s. In 1922, she began recording for OKeh Records, cutting a number of bawdy blues like "Mean Tight Mama." She continued recording until 1928. During this time, Martin became a popular performer on the southern Theater Owners' Booking Association circuits, eventually playing theaters and clubs on the east coast as well. In the early '30s, Sara Martin retired from blues singing and settled in her hometown of Louisville, Kentucky. While she was in Louisville, she ran a nursing home and occasionally sang gospel in church. Sara Martin died after suffering a stroke in 1955.
In the military, Granville entertained his buddies as he played his guitar. One of the songs that McGhee was best known for was “Drinkin’ Wine, Spo-Dee-O-Dee“.
In their first Atlantic session “Stick and his Buddies”, comprising of brother Brownie ,Wilbert “Big Chief” Ellis ,Gene Ramsey and an unknown drummer (possibly Gene Moore) cut six tracks (Tall Pretty Woman Blues was released) on Valentine’s day 1949. The band was in quite good form, having practised Drinking Wine over and Over again and Granville’s writing style and performances were versatile. He could move effortlessly from proto rock and roll to somewhat unpolished crooning jazz styling and of course he was a fine blues performer…