Bama was one of the many inmates of Parchman prison, Mississippi, that Alan Lomax and his father John Lomax spoke to and recorded in the 1930s and 1940s. Bama was 'said to be the star singer of the pen' and was in and out of jail for most of his life for various crimes ranging from murder to theft. According to Bama himself he was often arrested for doing nothing at all and was told, "We'll arrest you in egvance (sic) - you gonna do something". He also said he once was arrested for getting a pig drunk and attempting to steal that.

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