Question 1

True or false: Son House's primary instrument was a National resonator guitar.

Accepted Answer

True. He famously used National resonator guitars, whose loud, metallic tone perfectly suited his raw, unamplified Delta blues style.

Question 2

True or false: Son House recorded his first songs in 1930 for the Paramount label.

Accepted Answer

True. He made his debut recordings for Paramount in 1930, including 'My Black Mama,' which became a Delta blues classic.

Question 3

True or false: Son House disappeared from music for over 20 years before being rediscovered in the 1960s.

Accepted Answer

True. After recording in 1941–42, he quit music and worked odd jobs. Blues revivalists found him in 1964, leading to a comeback.

Question 4

True or false: Son House was a key figure in the Chicago blues scene after moving north in the 1940s.

Accepted Answer

False. He moved to Rochester, NY, not Chicago, and stayed rooted in Delta blues rather than the electric Chicago style.

Question 5

True or false: Son House was a Baptist preacher before becoming a blues musician.

Accepted Answer

True. He started as a preacher in his youth, but turned to the blues after being drawn to guitar and the juke joint life.

Question 6

True or false: Son House taught Robert Johnson how to play guitar in the Mississippi Delta.

Accepted Answer

False. No, Son House was an influence, but he didn't teach Johnson. Johnson likely learned from others, though House inspired his style.

Question 7

True or false: Son House's guitar style heavily influenced the British Invasion bands of the 1960s.

Accepted Answer

False. He influenced American blues-rock, but British Invasion bands like The Beatles were more inspired by earlier rock and R&B, not House directly.

Question 8

True or false: Son House's birth name was Eddie James House Jr.

Accepted Answer

True. He was born Eddie James House Jr.; 'Son' was a common Southern nickname, not a given name.

Son House Trivia Questions