Friday Music: Ruthie Foster - Death Came a Knocking (Traveling Shoes)

I'm late putting up a video today because I have been in North Carolina with family after the death of my Uncle Fred. Uncle Fred was my father's brother, and he lived to age 80 despite pretty serious health problems. So we will miss him, but I expect he was ready to go.

It was a real blessing to reconnect with several of my Nash cousins these last couple of days. Everyone says that it is a shame that family doesn't get together except for funerals. That's true, but it's also true that it is a good thing to get together for funerals. We had fun telling stories about Uncle Fred.

So, this is a song called Death Came a Knocking although sometimes it's called Traveling Shoes. I have loved this song for years, ever since I heard the Duhks sing is on their album The Duhks (2006). This version is by Texas blues/jazz/gospel singer Ruthie Foster who just won the 2015 Koko Taylor Award (Traditional Blues Female Artist) at the 36th annual Blues Music Awards in Memphis, Tennessee.

It's an appropriate song for today when we buried Uncle Fred. He's done his duty.