My Daddy Rocks Me: Queer Voice and Desire in the Music of Frankie “Half Pint” Jaxon

Abstract

Frankie “Half Pint” Jaxon was a Black, queer musician active from the 1910s through the 1930s. His work is characterized by captivating transformations of both musical elements and the gender and sexual dimensions of songs. A discussion of his recording of “My Daddy Rocks Me” reveals Jaxon not only reimagining the song but also raising the voice of the sissy character in the blues and presenting queer desire as rapturous and transgressive. While studies of queer aspects of the blues have focused on female musicians like Ma Rainey, this article is the first to examine the music of a queer Black male musician.