From an auction ending tomorrow:
In May of 2005 my aunt Mattie James Grandberry died as the victim of a horrific crime. She was brutally murdered by a woman… who she allowed to live with while she got back on her feet. After her death I had the responsibility of cleaning the house while the family decided what to do it. At that time family members told me that prior to her last Marriage to a Minister and Pastor W.A. Grandberry my aunt in her youth had been married a famous blues singer named Elmore James. At the time I had no knowledge of Elmore James so I decided just to find and gather what I could and would do some research later. Months after the funeral I began to do some internet research and discovered the extent of Elmore James music career and his influence on the blues and rock n roll era. After researching and reading Steve Franz’s book “The Amazing secret life of Elmore James” I found not only was my aunt the widow of a pioneering blues legend my family knew all about it but the rest of the world knew nothing. When I asked my family why, the answer was simple. Aunt Matt wanted to be known as the wife and widow of a preacher not a blues singer.
It then went on to say that the auction contained the following items:
• Elmore James “Genuine, Original” Naval Discharge!
• Elmore and Mattie James Marriage Certificate!
• The last picture taken of Elmore James in His casket at the gravesite immediately before he was buried!
• Veterans Administration correspondence between Mattie and the VA while she described her relationship with her husband while applying for benefits. (She received benefits from being his widow until 1977 when she remarried.) These forms mention Elmore’s first wife Minnie Mae Carter and his parents Joe Willie James and Leora Brooks Randoll.
• A certified copy of Elmore James’ death certificate dated 1973.
Looking at the marriage certificate, it was clearly issued in Humphreys County, Mississippi, and appears to be dated either June 12, 1945 (at the bottom), or upon closer inspection, possibly July 12 or 21, 1948 (middle of the document). Very hard to tell at this resolution.
But, it does call in to question how much more of this there might be out there, somewhere, waiting to be discovered.
As far as her aunt wishing to be remembered for being married to a preacher, not a blues singer, I can only say that Elmore preached the gospel truth of the blues….. but I’m not sayin’ anything that his devoted fans around the world don’t already know.
Tip of the hat to Mike Rowe for sending this on. Thanks Mike.
