Eddie South

Eddie South (born November 27, 1904, Louisiana, Missouri, USA - died April 25, 1962, Chicago, Illinois, USA) was an American jazz violinist. He was a classical violin prodigy who switched to jazz because of limited opportunities for African-American musicians. He began his professional musical career in 1921, playing with Erskine Tate and Mae Brady. In 1923, he was the musical director for Jimmy Wade's Syncopators. In 1927, he formed Eddie South and His Alabamians. During a European tour in 1929 with Marian Harris, he discovered gypsy music in Budapest. In 1937, he returned to Paris and performed and recorded with Django Reinhardt, [A=Stéphane Grappelli] and Michel Warlop. Continued to lead his own groups during the 1940s & 1950s and although he suffered from ill health for many years he continued to work professionally until a few weeks before his death. Never used an amplified instrument, and was known as "The Dark Angel of the Violin".