Willie Baker

Pseudonyms and confusion of identity Some of the Gennett recordings were later reissued on subsidiary labels, such as Champion and Supertone. These often employed a pseudonym for the original artist, with the express desire of avoiding paying the musician's royalties.

Thus Baker's sides were also later released as by 'Steamboat Bill and His Guitar' (Champion label) and 'Willie Jones and His Guitar' (Supertone label). The one oddity is that in 1934, Varsity Records issued Baker's 1929 track "No No Blues" as the B-side to Handy Archie's A-side, "Miss Handy Hanks". Handy Archie was in itself a pseudonym for one Archie Lewis, although he is not to be confused with the later Jamaican singer of the same name.

This apparent confusion is exemplified in the compilation album titled, Atlanta Blues : Charley Lincoln & Willie Baker 1927 – 1930. This contains each performers work, and yet seemingly credits Baker's "Mamma, Don't Rush Me Blues" not once, but twice, to Lincoln.

Discography Singles Year Title (A-side / B-side) Record label 1929 "Sweet Patunie Blues" / "Weak-Minded Woman" Gennett(Gennett 6751) 1929 "Mamma, Don't Rush Me Blues" / "No No Blues" Gennett(Gennett 6766) 1929 "Bad Luck Moan" / "Ain't It A Good Thing?" Gennett(Gennett 6812) 1929 "Crooked Woman Blues" / "Rag Baby" Gennett(Gennett 6846)

Selected compilation albums Complete Recorded Works (1927–1939) (Document, 1984) The Georgia Blues Guitarists (P-Vine, 2002) The Rough Guide to Unsung Heroes of Country Blues, Vol. 2 (World Music Network, 2015)