Lonnie Glosson was born the seventh child of George and Cora Lonnie Glosson in Judsonia, Arkansas.
10 Facts About Lonnie Glosson
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Lonnie Glosson changed his middle name to Elonzo because he disliked his uncle he was named after.
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Originally working as a cotton picker, Lonnie Glosson was taught the rudiments of the harmonica by his mother before beginning his professional musical career in 1925, on KMOX Radio, in St Louis.
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Lonnie Glosson traveled around the Midwest for performances in small-time venues before auditioning as a cast member for WLS Chicago's National Barn Dance in 1930, alongside many other musical acts, including Gene Autry, who attempted to persuade Lonnie Glosson to pursue an acting career with him, in Hollywood.
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Lonnie Glosson managed to become a popular local attraction for his ability to include unusually harmonic riffs and sounds in his stage act.
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Lonnie Glosson did eventually go to Hollywood to accept an opening as a radio host in 1934, but returned to the Midwest by the end of the year.
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In 1936, while being a featured performer on Renfro Valley Barn Dance, Lonnie Glosson recorded his self-penned song "Arkansas Hard Luck Blues", which was highlighted by an early example of talking blues, a style later popularized by Bob Dylan.
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Also in the year, Lonnie Glosson began a long-standing partnership with fellow musician Wayne Raney, fueled by Raney's admiration for Lonnie Glosson's harmonica techniques, and establishing the team on a radio station in Little Rock.
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Lonnie Glosson initiated a solo career, mainly performing in universities and expanding into gospel music.
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On March 2,2001, at the age of 93 Lonnie Glosson died of natural causes.