Georgia-born blues singer/guitarist Bob Hicks was signed by Columbia Records in the late 1920s, recording dozens of 78’s for the label between 1927 and 1930. Hicks was working as a barbecue cook when he was discovered, and the label photographed him in his uniform and dubbed him Barbecue Bob. His unique, open-tuned strumming approach to the guitar and his rich, strong voice made for a distinctive sound, and he became one of the best-selling blues artists of the era. Unfortunately, his career was a short one: he died from a combination of tuberculosis and pneumonia in 1931 at the age of 29.