Seasick Steve Tales of a Travellin' Man

Until New Year's Eve, 2006, former hobo Steven Gene Wold, a 65-year-old blues musician, playing a beat-up, three-string guitar (aka The Three-String Trance Wonder, or "the biggest piece of shit in the world") and stomping on a wooden box with a Mississippi motorcycle plate stuck on, was hardly known outside his tiny community of fans. A performance before on Jools Holland's New Year's Even special projected Seasick Steve into the big league. Dog House Music sold out overnight, and 2008 brought his major label debut. Behind this unique performer's rise is 65 years of fascinating life story: he left a violent home at 13, and his professional career only began after decades on the road. He learned from blues legend KC Douglas in his grandfather's garage. Part of Steve, the hollerin', stompin' blues, and the gorgeous homemade guitars is magical musical history. But he's also a modern, versatile musician, who has rubbed shoulders with the likes of Janis Joplin, Joni Mitchell, and Kurt Cobain.

Matthew Wright is a music writer.