"Leroy's Buddy" was the professional moniker of William "Bill" Gaither, an influential pre-war blues guitarist and singer active throughout the 1930s and early 1940s. Strongly influenced by his close friend and musical partner Leroy Carr—hence the chosen pseudonym—Gaither carved out a distinctive niche in the pre-war blues landscape.Recorded in 1938, Decca 7497 features "You Done Lost Your Swing No. 2" paired with "Babyfied Ways Girl". Backed by subtle, rolling piano and his own fluid acoustic guitar phrasing, these tracks display Gaither's smooth vocal delivery, a style that kept the spirit of Carr’s urban blues alive while adapting to late-1930s thematic shifts.
The release of "You Done Lost Your Swing No. 2" in 1938 occurred during a fascinating intersection of African American musical history, where traditional rural blues encountered the commercial juggernaut of the Swing Era. As big band swing music came to dominate national airwaves and mainstream venues, blues musicians frequently commented on this cultural shift within their lyrics.From an economic perspective, 1938 was a period of slow recovery following the 1937 recession. Major labels like Decca Records relied on steady, reliable blues artists like Gaither to maintain consistent coin-drop revenue from jukeboxes located in urban working-class neighborhoods and Southern communities, where listeners preferred intimate storytelling over large, expensive orchestral jazz arrangements.
"You Done Lost Your Swing No. 2" is a direct thematic follow-up to Gaither’s earlier 1936 hit composition, "You Done Lost Your Swing," which was originally released on Decca 7194 accompanied by pianist Honey Hill.
Bill Gaither was so committed to honoring Leroy Carr's memory that he not only used the name "Leroy's Buddy" on his record credits, but he also composed several poignant tribute songs dedicated to Carr following the pianist's untimely death in 1935.

VJM Grade: EE+ (Side 1) / E+ (Side 2) — Graded by renowned blues archivist Michel Chaigne.
Shellac Condition: The disc retains its exceptional, deep factory mirror gloss. Grooves are remarkably crisp and clean, reflecting its minimal play history and careful storage over the decades.
Edge Note: There is a tiny, shallow flake on the outer edge rim of Side 2. This is strictly NAP (Not Affecting Play), as it resides entirely within the run-in groove area and terminates well before the first musical passages begin. The record cues and plays flawlessly.
Labels: The blue-and-gold 1930s Decca labels are beautifully preserved, with razor-sharp gold typography and minimal spindle trace wear.

Shipping & Packaging Policy
Shipping fragile pre-war 78 RPM records safely requires specialized materials and strict attention to detail. This disc will be packed securely using a professional multi-layered system
:The record is placed in a protective sleeve and sandwiched between thick, rigid cardboard squares.
The entire assembly is wrapped securely in multiple layers of heavy-duty bubble wrap.This bundle is suspended inside a sturdy, double-skin corrugated cardboard box with ample void fill to absorb impact and eliminate internal movement.
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