Buster Pickens

Edwin "Buster" Goodwin Pickens (June 3, 1916 – November 24, 1964) was an American pianist. Pickens is best known for his work accompanying Alger "Texas" Alexander and Lightnin' Hopkins. He also recorded a solo album in 1960.

Life and career Pickens was born in Hempstead, Texas, to Elias "Eli" Pickens (Turnipseed) and Bessie Gage.

In the 1930s, Pickens, along with Robert Shaw and others, was part of the "Santa Fe Group", named after touring musicians utilising the Santa Fe freight trains. From that time, Pickens described people doing the slow drag to "slow low-down dirty blues" in barrelhouse joints.

Following service in the United States Army in World War II, Pickens settled in Houston, Texas.

Pickens later accompanied Alger "Texas" Alexander in the latter's final recording session, for Freedom Records in 1950. Later Pickens regularly performed with Lightnin' Hopkins and played on several of Hopkins's albums in the early 1960s, including Walkin' This Road by Myself (1962), Lightnin' and Co. (1962), and Smokes Like Lightning (1963). Pickens had by this time also recorded his own debut solo album, Buster Pickens (1960), and appeared in the 1962 film The Blues.

Discography Buster Pickens (1960), Heritage Records The album, recorded in Houston by Chris Strachwitz, Mack McCormick and Paul Oliver, contained "Santa Fe Train" / "Rock Island Blues" / "Ain't Nobody's Business" / "Colorado Springs Blues" / "She Caught the L & N" / "Remember Me" / "Women in Chicago" / "The Ma Grinder, No. 2" / "You Better Stop Your Woman (From Ticklin' Me Under the Chin)" / "Jim Nappy" / "Mountain Jack" / "D.B.A. Blues" / "Hattie Green" / "Backdoor Blues" / "Santa Fe Blues".