TRANSCRIPT:
I’m Mark Rapp, and this is Rapp on Jazz.
Blues guitarist and singer Wes Mackey was born December 12, 1942, in the Big State community near Yemassee, South Carolina.
Mackey’s love for music started young, learning from his parents who filled their home with gospel and blues. He picked up the guitar around age ten and never looked back. By seventeen, he was in Augusta, Georgia, gigging with his band Guitar Wes and the Houserockers, and later performing with the Rock and Roll Kings.
A true musical traveler, Mackey’s journey led him across the globe—from juke joints in the South to Malaysia.
His signature tracks include “Angel Girl,” “Train,” and “Thank You Carolina.” His final performance was on Valentine’s Day 2019, after which he passed away suddenly, embodying the spirit of a true musician who played until the end.
This has been Rapp on Jazz, a co-production of ColaJazz and SC Public Radio, made possible by The ETV Endowment of South Carolina.