The music of Naptown blues pianist Honey Hill – Part 3

August 03, 2025

Listen to the final episode in our three-part series exploring the music of Gilbert “Honey” Hill, an important Indianapolis blues pianist.

Gilbert “Honey” Hill was born in Indianapolis on January 8, 1912. His parents, Frank and Emma Hill migrated to Indiana from Kentucky. Hill spent much of his childhood living on the city’s Eastside, including an address at 1508 Yandes Street. Hill lived in Indianapolis until his death in 1953.

On this edition, we’ll focus on Hill’s final recordings with Little Bill Gaither. From 1936 to 1940, he recorded over 70 songs with Gaither. Listen to an hour of classic blues recordings featuring Hill and Gaither.