Clarence Ashley
Clarence "Tom" Ashley (born September 29, 1895 in Bristol , Tennessee , † June 2, 1967 in Winston-Salem , North Carolina ) was an American old-time and folk singer whose career began in the mid-1920s. His most famous song is Coo Coo Bird .
Life
Childhood and beginnings
Clarence Ashley's ancestors came to the United States from Europe before 1800, where they settled first in Virginia and later in North Carolina. Ashley's mother, Rose-Belle, married Ashley's father, George McCurry, in 1894, but who was already married to other women at the time. When McCurry's polygamous lifestyle became known, his wife divorced and moved in with her father, Enoch Ashley. Shortly thereafter, in 1895, their son Clarence Earle McCurry was born, who soon took the name of his mother and grandfather.
Ashley was a lively kid, so his grandfather nicknamed him "Tommy Tiddy Waddy" which over time simply became "Tom". As a young man he was commonly known as Thomas Clarence Ashley. In 1899 the family moved to Mountain City from Bristol, Tennessee . At the age of eight, Ashley learned to play the banjo from his two aunts and later also learned to play the guitar . At 16, he joined a medicine show that had stopped in Mountain City. Every summer between 1911 and 1943 he wandered the country with this show and entertained people. Here he developed his Afro-American sketch figure "Rastus". Ashley painted his face black for this; this type of comedy was called blackface , but is now considered politically incorrect.
Career
1925 to 1933
Since joining the Medicine Show, Ashley has made a living playing music. The rest of the year he played at events around North Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia with various musicians such as GB Grayson , the Greel Sisters and the Cook Sisters. At the age of 17, Ashley married 14-year-old Hettie Osborne, with whom he bought a piece of land in Shouns , Tennessee.
However, Ashley only made solo recordings after making some recordings for Columbia Records with Byrd Moore and Clarence Green . After a session with this group in October 1929, Ashley recorded a few pieces, including Coo Coo Bird . After further recordings in New York , Columbia offered him a contract, but Ashley declined because he believed the other band members should get one too.
In 1925, Ashley met the musician Doc Walsh , with whom he played in the band The Carolina Tar Heels . This band recorded about 18 songs between 1925 and 1932. In 1931 Ashley recorded with the Blue Ridge Mountain Entertainers and between 1930 and 1933 Ashley played a lot with Gwen Foster and released a few singles with him with the American Record Corporation . It was the last record for a long time. It is believed that Ashley stopped grossing singles due to the post-1933 economic crisis.
Career break
The depression also troubled Ashley and his family. There was no more money to be made from music and Ashley briefly moved to West Virginia , where he worked in a mine . After eight months he returned to Tennessee and supported his family by doing odd jobs and driving a truck.
Ashley's situation improved in the 1940s. He was hired by Charlie Monroe for his band, the Kentucky Partners , and also acted as the comedian for the band. In the late 1940s, an injury stiffened a finger on his right and Ashley gave up the banjo and guitar. Even so, he continued to attend Fiddler's Conventions and was happy to pass on his knowledge of music to younger musicians.
Folk Revival
In 1960, Ashley met folk promoter Ralph Rinzler. Rinzler was a great admirer of Ashley's recordings from the 1920s, which he called Clarence Ashley but introduced himself to Rinzler as Tom Ashley. Rinzler asked if he knew Clarence Ashley and told him about his admiration. Ashley then revealed himself and Rinzler was able to convince him to take some pictures again. In September Ashley recorded a few songs in his hometown with the help of guitarist Doc Watson . He started playing the banjo again and recorded two albums for Folkways Records . A successful comeback followed and Ashley gained great fame among the young folk audience. A gig at New York Town's Hall was recorded and released as an album; further appearances in Chicago , Los Angeles and New York followed. With a new backing band that included guitarist Watson and Tex Isley, they also went on a tour of England in 1966 .
death
Ashley was planning a second tour in England when he was diagnosed with cancer. He died on June 2, 1967 of complications from the disease. Ashley was buried near his home at the bottom of a hill. His wife Hettie died in 1975. Ashley had three children: his sons JD († 1979) and Tommy and his daughter Eva († 2003).
Discography
Singles
| year | title | # | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gennett Records | |||
| 1928 | Four Nights Experience / You're a Little Too Small | A-side as Tom Ashley | |
| Columbia Records | |||
| 1929 | / Dark Holler Blues | ||
| 1929 | Naomi Wise / Little Sadie | ||
| 1930 | Old John Hardy / The House Carpenter | ||
| Banner Records | |||
| 1931 | My Sweet Farm Girl / Haunted Road Blues | ||
| 1931 | Corrine Corrina / Short Life of Trouble | A-side with W. Abernathy; B-side with Clarence Greene | |
| 1931 | Bring Me a Leaf from the Sea / I Have No Lovin 'Mama Now | A-side as Blue Ridge Mountain Entertainers ; B-side with Gwen Foster | |
| Conqueror Records | |||
| 1933 | Over at Tom's House / The Fiddler's Contest | 8103 | |
| Vocalion Records | |||
| 1934 | Sideline Blues /? | 2611 | with Gwen Foster |
Albums
- 2003: Greenback Dollar 1927-1933
- 2007: Clarence Ashley and Tex Isley
Web links
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Ashley, Clarence |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Ashley, Tom; Ashley, Thomas C .; McCurry, Clarence Earle (real name) |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | American old-time and folk singer |
| DATE OF BIRTH | on September 29, 1895 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Bristol, Tennessee |
| DATE OF DEATH | June 2nd, 1967 |
| Place of death | Winston-Salem , North Carolina |