Blues Stay Away From Me

Written by The Delmore Brothers (Alton and Rabon Delmore), Wayne Raney, and Henry Glover, and first recorded on May 6, 1949, in Cincinnati for King Records. It was created as a “hillbilly hucklebuck” (a popular dance rhythm) at the request of label owner Syd Nathan, merging country-folk with blues. The song was constructed early one morning in 1949 at Cincinnati’s Gibson Hotel by Alton Delmore, Rabon Delmore, and harmonica player Wayne Raney. The guitar riff was contributed by Henry Glover, an African American songwriter/producer on the King Records staff. It became a #1 Country & Western hit, staying on the Billboard country chart for 23 weeks, and is considered a forerunner to rockabilly.