Your site and knowledge of country music is impressive. I was raised around it from birth: my father was a professioanl country fiddle player that was mentored by Bob Wills, played with him for a short while, did the Red Foley show out of Springfield, did session work with his pal, Grady Martin and then came back to Fort Worth and joined the Light Crust Doughboys for the next 50 or so years, so I was thrust into it by osmosis. I'm 77, and still play mandolin, banjo, guitar, and fiddle, and plan to keep on as long as I hold up. I also write about it on my blog. I enjoy your writing and coverage of the past that most folks don't know.
With "The Sinking of the Titanic", the Stonemans also seem to have pioneered the type of historical songs popularized by Johnny Horton a few decades later.
My aunt was Tex Ann Nation, who was one of Merle Travis's wives and made records with him in the late 1940s. Country music history is interesting to me. Thanks!
The Stonemans certainly popularized the genre, but the composing, publishing and performing of ballads about disasters and other topical events far predates the Stonemans and dates back to at the least the 16th century when broadside ballads were sold for pennies by street buskers. Many of these passed into the oral tradition and made their way around the English-speaking world. Canada, Australia and New Zealand also have a long tradition of these songs.
This just might make an interesting topic for a future article, Zachariah
They were great! I often wondered if the reason they didn’t go on to long term fame was because of a PR problem. By the 1920s most country performers smiled for their photos. Even a hundred years later Cowan Powers looks like he’s ready to leap out of the photo and stick a dagger in your heart.
Gideon Tanner (of Gid Tanner + the Skillet Lickers). Probably an unpopular choice due to some songs they did that were pretty awful + racist even for their time, but they were pre-1927, so...
Also Riley Puckett, the blind guitarist + singer working around 1925-26 + recording sides.
Your site and knowledge of country music is impressive. I was raised around it from birth: my father was a professioanl country fiddle player that was mentored by Bob Wills, played with him for a short while, did the Red Foley show out of Springfield, did session work with his pal, Grady Martin and then came back to Fort Worth and joined the Light Crust Doughboys for the next 50 or so years, so I was thrust into it by osmosis. I'm 77, and still play mandolin, banjo, guitar, and fiddle, and plan to keep on as long as I hold up. I also write about it on my blog. I enjoy your writing and coverage of the past that most folks don't know.
With "The Sinking of the Titanic", the Stonemans also seem to have pioneered the type of historical songs popularized by Johnny Horton a few decades later.
My aunt was Tex Ann Nation, who was one of Merle Travis's wives and made records with him in the late 1940s. Country music history is interesting to me. Thanks!
The Stonemans certainly popularized the genre, but the composing, publishing and performing of ballads about disasters and other topical events far predates the Stonemans and dates back to at the least the 16th century when broadside ballads were sold for pennies by street buskers. Many of these passed into the oral tradition and made their way around the English-speaking world. Canada, Australia and New Zealand also have a long tradition of these songs.
This just might make an interesting topic for a future article, Zachariah
I had no idea such songs went back so far. Very interesting.
An excellent breakdown of the argument. Thank you for your posts
Good treatment. Too bad Fiddlig Powers & Family didn't survive into the electric era.
They were great! I often wondered if the reason they didn’t go on to long term fame was because of a PR problem. By the 1920s most country performers smiled for their photos. Even a hundred years later Cowan Powers looks like he’s ready to leap out of the photo and stick a dagger in your heart.
Most excellent. Thanks.
Very interesting, thanks! I'll have to check out the Stoneman's body of work
Great read. Thanks!
Two names that also have an argument:
Gideon Tanner (of Gid Tanner + the Skillet Lickers). Probably an unpopular choice due to some songs they did that were pretty awful + racist even for their time, but they were pre-1927, so...
Also Riley Puckett, the blind guitarist + singer working around 1925-26 + recording sides.
I’m sorry, but they look like the Main Street Singers from “A Mighty Wind”. No disrespect intended!
Country music is like fingernails on a blackboard to me. Nuff said.