Waymon “Sloppy” Henry (1884?-?) was an Atlanta Blues singer, active from 1924-29. Very little is known about his personal life, and there are no extant photos of him. He may have been born in Scottsboro, and was based in Chattanooga, Tennessee in the year 1900, but recorded exclusively in Atlanta, Georgia.

Henry was a powerful blues singer who sang with a clear and melodic voice in a number of styles, covering a wide range of subjects. His repertoire covers traditional blues standards like “Cannon Ball Blues” and “Jomo Man,” and, notably, includes the first recorded version of the “Little Sadie” standard, recorded under the title “Bobbed Haired Woman Blues,” which eventually become Johnny Cash’s famous “Cocaine Blues”! Henry also seems to have composed many original songs, including a Ragtime piece and a ballad about the Ford automobile.

While he primarily recorded with the pianists Neal Montgomery and Eddie Heywood, Peg Leg Howell and Eddie Anthony appeared with him in a recording session on August 13, 1928. The image above depicts Peg Leg Howell’s Gang, not Waymon Henry.