Mississippi Hugh Laurie

Whinin' Hugh, the early years.

Mississippi Hugh O.B.E. Laurie III, Jr. is an African American blues guitarist and pianist, famous for his soulful and wide vocal range and harsh upbringing. He is also a distant relative of Hugh Laurie, a little-known British male nurse.

Early life[edit | edit source]

Hugh Omar Benjamin Ezekiel Laurie was born albino, on an unkown date, to poor sharecroppers, literally on the banks of the Mississippi River, just outside the hamlet of Oxford, Arkansas. In an accident that was to foreshadow the misfortune he suffered throughout his life, minutes after leaving the womb he tumbled into the river and was washed downriver. He managed to free himself from the rapids by clinging onto a stray branch, finding himself in the village of Eatin', Mississippi. Here the infant was brought up by a she-wolf until he was discovered by an aged minstrel show performer, Stephen "Big Nose" Fry, who taught young Hugh all he knew on the guitar: the chords G and C. This was not enough to play the blues, but thankfully Hugh was a natural on the instrument and by the age of 5 had laid the foundations for the unique style that was to make him semi-famous. Although he never learnt to read, Hugh was given basic schooling in classical civilisation, rugger and the literature of Oscar Wilde by his adoptive father.

Soon Hugh began to play in juke joints in the Eatin' area, where he gained the name Whinin' Hugh Jr., a name which he was keen to shake off later in life. Hugh was never paid for his performances, but he didn't care, finding the joy of making music a sufficient reward. He was often paid to leave the joints anyway. Hugh was also determined to learn the piano, but since he had no money to buy one he realised he would have to make his own. He whittled the instrument's body out of a willow tree and the keys from the ivory tusks of a bison he killed. Finding few fans for his radical piano style, Hugh would sit by the banks of the river and play with the accompaniment of a lonesome whippoorwill, watched proudly by Fry (who, incidentally, was deaf from a young age).

It was in 1978 that a drunken Hugh Laurie, lost at a crossroads, infamously traded his soul with the Devil in exchange for directions home.

Fame[edit | edit source]

Hugh's first and only big break came in the 1990s when he was discovered by a New York talent scout and offered the chance to play the title role in Stuart Little, a film about a man who adopts a pet rat only to discover it can talk. The film was a great success and Hugh rocketed to fame. However, tragedy struck when Hugh trampled Michael J. Fox, the rat actor, to death. His acting career was sunk, and he returned to his old love, the blues. With the little money he still had from his part in the film, Hugh decided it was time to release an album.

Discography[edit | edit source]

This should probably be called bluesography, because this guy has no disco albums to date.

Let Me Sing[edit | edit source]

Hugh had planned to invite a star-studded cast of blues musicians to accompany him on his debut. However, none were available so Tom Jones had to suffice. The album, entitled Let Me Sing, was released in 2011. Although it only contained one original song - "Trampled Rat Blues" - it met widespread critical acclaim (in The Guardian). However, some blues purists questioned the "classic blues" status of some of Hugh's covers, mainly his interpretation of Lady Gaga's Just Dance.

Other Albums (if any)[edit | edit source]

On 26 July 2010 some guy in Malta announced that Laurie would be releasing a new blues album (actually, more of a bluish turquoise with a hint of mauve), after signing a contract with Parker Brothers. The album, called Let Them Engage in the Verbal Form of Enciphering and Deciphering Thought Patterns Through Use of the Bodily Organ Known in English as the Vocal Chords, was released in Eugene, Oregon on 18 April 2011 and in The Purple Pig Pub on 29 April. The album features collaborations from well known artists such as The Barron Von Trapp, Woodsy Owl, and Wile E. Coyote

Year	Album details	Peak chart positions										Certifications (sales thresholds)
Year	Album details	UK	AUS	AUT	FRA	GER	IRE	NL	NZ	SWI	US	Certifications (sales thresholds)
2011	Let Them Engage in the Verbal Form of Enciphering and Deciphering Thought Patterns Through Use of the Bodily Organ Known in English as the Vocal Chords Released: 18 April 2011 Label: Parker Bros. Formats: CD, Vinyl, Rubber, Spandex, 8-track tape, Fisher-Price record player	$11^{7}$	(Nothing to see here, move along.)	${\frac {4525534880.422}{3.1415}}$	-2001	I would put it here, but then we'd have to listen to him singing the blues.	10010110011101101110001100111011		${\sqrt {-7}}$	${\frac {0}{\frac {-b}{2a}}}-i{\frac {\sqrt {-\Delta }}{2a}}$	Error: Insufficient computer memory: Number too large.	ARG: Lead UK: Sludge