John Henry Barbee

[1] He claimed that he was born William George Tucker[2] and that he changed his name with the commencement of his recording career, in tribute to his favorite folk song, "The Ballad of John Henry", but this claim is not supported by census records, in which he is registered as the son of Beecher Barbee and Cora Gilford.

Barbee explained that this sudden move was due to his evading the law for shooting and killing his girlfriend's lover.

[4] He later found out that he had only injured the man, but by the time this was discovered, Barbee was no longer making a career playing music.

[1] Barbee returned to the United States after getting diagnosed with a severe form of cancer, and used the money from the tour to purchase his first automobile.

The third annual White Lake Blues Festival, held at the Howmet Playhouse Theater in Whitehall, Michigan, on May 11, 2010, was organized by executive producer Steve Salter, of the nonprofit organization Killer Blues, to raise monies to honor Barbee's unmarked grave with a headstone.