He began a life of travelling, living in Chicago, where he worked with Georgia Tom, and in Indianapolis, Indiana, where he met Scrapper Blackwell and Leroy Carr.

In Detroit, after Joe Louis encouraged him to become a boxer, he fought 107 bouts, winning Golden Gloves and other championships and picking up the nickname Champion Jack, which he used the rest of his life.

Lange became Dupree’s regular guitarist, and played a lot with him on several albums for the ‘Folkways’ and ‘Storyville’ labels and accompanied him also on his many other gigs in Europe between 1961 and 1965.

[9] On June 17, 1971, he played at the Montreux Jazz Festival, in the Casino Kursaal, with King Curtis, backed by Cornell Dupree on guitar, Jerry Jemmott on bass and Oliver Jackson on drums.

The recording of the concert was released in 1973 as the album King Curtis & Champion Jack Dupree: Blues at Montreux on the Atlantic label.

[10] In the mid-1970s, Dupree lived at Ovenden in Halifax, England, after marrying a local woman, Shirley Ann Harrison, whom he had met in London.

He continued to record in Europe with Kenn Lending, Louisiana Red and Axel Zwingenberger and made many live appearances.

He was not a sophisticated musician or singer, but he had a wry and clever way with words: "Mama, move your false teeth, papa wanna scratch your gums."

He was a noted raconteur and transformed many of his stories into songs, such as "Big Leg Emma's", a rhymed tale of a police raid on a barrelhouse.

His recording of "Shakin' Mother for You" now features on the playlist of most DJ's on the UK Lindy Hop scene and it has become the de facto standard track for the 'Cardiff Stroll'.