About John Henry Barbee
John Henry Barbee was an American blues singer and guitarist. He was born in Henning, Tennessee. He claimed that he was born William George Tucker and that he changed his name with the commencement of his recording career, in tribute to his favorite folk song, "The Ballad of John Henry", but this claim is not supported by census records, in which he is registered as the son of Beecher Barbee and Cora Gilford. The record sold well enough to cause Vocalion to call on Barbee again, but by that time he had left his last known whereabouts in Arkansas. He later found out that he had only injured the man, but by the time this was discovered, Barbee was no longer making a career playing music. Barbee returned to the United States after getting diagnosed with a severe form of cancer, and used the money from the tour to purchase his first automobile.
Biography source: Wikipedia. The profile adds birthday-specific historical context from the Celebs Birthday Today editorial database.