Precious Bryant
Precious Bryant was born Precious Bussey on January 4, 1942 in Talbot County, Georgia, just east of Columbus. Precious’ early performances were in the Baptist church, where she accompanied her sisters on guitar as they sang as The Bussey Sisters. Outside of church, she played at parties and talent shows in and around Talbot County. Atlanta folklorist Georgia Mitchell first recorded Precious in 1969. Over a decade later, at Mitchell’s coaxing, Precious agreed to play the Columbus Museum’s Chattahoochee Folk Festival. It was her first formal public appearance and she was an instant hit. Her naturally warm stage presence, coupled with her lively, articulate guitar style and tender but energetic voice, quickly won her a devoted audience in the area. Along with her own compositions, any song she chose to play was instantly transformed into a moving arrangement stamped with the attitude and assuredness of the true performer she was. Precious only recorded two full-length commercial records, both on the Terminus label: Fool Me Good in 2002 and The Truth in 2005. Both garnered worldwide attention, including the award for Best Blues Record of the Year by the French Academy of Music for Fool Me Good.
“Precious Bryant is a national treasure.”
– Bonnie Raitt –
