Geechie Wiley

Geechie Wiley was a fictional character to me.

Or at least I didn’t know she was real.

I had heard her mentioned in a story. It was about finding a rare Geechie Wiley album. I’m never sure about the line between fact and fiction... and in this case I thought maybe she wasn’t real.

That is until I bought an album from a subway musician named “Erin Harpe” who sang a song based off of Geechie Wiley. A name I couldn’t help but remember. And suddenly fiction came to life and I had the inside track on a story. I could hear a Geechie Wiley song. “Pick Poor Robin Clean”

Wait, let me explain something about that street musician. As far as subway musicians go she is my favorite, she’s the best I’ve ever heard. She sings the blues, but not just the blues, I’m talking old time depression era blues.

Every time I saw her I would search my pockets for cash and try to buy an album and every time I’d come up short. Until finally one day I had $10 and I bought an album. But I bought the wrong one. This one is great, it’s her band and they do a great job. But I wanted that soulful depression era blues that I heard on the subway.

So weeks later I scrounged up my crumpled ones, and $4 in quarters to by her original album. And there it was. “Pick Poor Robin Clean” - Geechie Wiley.

I felt my heart skip.

She’s real.

In that second I fell in love.

I fell in love with the idea of her. And then I heard Erin Harpe sing Pick Poor Robin Clean, and I knew what I had to do. The internet is a wonderful thing. I tracked down the faded, crackling Geechie Wiley and had a listen.

They are both brilliant.

I’m still in love with Erin Harpe, the greatest street musician I’ve had the privilege to listen to. And I’m still in love with Geechie Wiley who remains a mystery; she leaves a spotty trail of recording, but is real. Now I have the privilege of beginning to understand just how rare that album in the story was.