Ernest Stoneman

Ernest V. "Pop" Stoneman (born May 25, 1893 in Monorat , Virginia , † June 14, 1968 ) was an American old-time musician . Stoneman was one of the first rural musicians to be immortalized on record with his traditional music.

Life

Childhood and youth

Born and raised in Carroll County, Virginia, Stoneman was raised by his father and three cousins. In the family he learned most of the traditional songs of the Blue Ridge Mountains, which he would later record. As a young man, Stoneman married and kept afloat doing odd jobs. At the same time he performed as a musician for friends and neighbors.

Career

After listening to a record by hillbilly musician Henry Whitter , Stoneman made a bet with friends that his records would sound a lot better than Whitters. He traveled to New York City in 1924 and immediately got a contract with Okeh Records , as old-time musicians were in high demand in the 1920s. In late 1924, his second single, The Sinking of the Titanic , came out and became a huge hit. The song was one of the most successful of the decade and should be one of Stoneman's most famous pieces. During his early recordings he accompanied himself with his autoharp and a harmonica , and later switched to the guitar . Around 1926 he founded the string band The Dixie Mountaineers with friends and neighbors and switched to Victor Records .

The Story of the Mighty Mississippi , 1927

In 1927, Stoneman's career peaked. He had become the top artist of Victors and, among other things, also led the famous Bristol Session, where the later stars Jimmie Rodgers and the Carter Family were discovered. Stoneman continued to make records; by 1929 he recorded over 200 pieces. When the global economic crisis across the globe fell, Stoneman lost his entire fortune. He moved to Washington, DC with his wife and nine children , where he lived in poor conditions. With casual work and performances as a musician, he tried unsuccessfully to improve his standard of living. Finally, after the economic crisis, Stoneman found work again in an ammunition depot.

In the late 1940s, Stoneman began performing again as The Stoneman Family with his equally talented family . In 1956 he was nicknamed "Pop" and appeared on the NBC game show The Big Surprise , on which he won $ 10,000. After Stoneman retired, he became a member of his children's bluegrass band, now called The Stonemans . In 1965 they got a recording contract with MGM Records , where they released singles and albums. Together they hosted their own TV show and gained new fame through the folk revival. In 1967, Stoneman's health began to slowly deteriorate, despite which he continued to record and continued to perform throughout the spring of 1968.

Ernest Stoneman died on June 14, 1968 at the age of 75. In 2008 he received the greatest award in country music posthumously; Stoneman was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame .

Discography

Singles

year	title	#	Remarks
OKeh Records
1924	The Face That Never Returned / The Sinking of the Titanic	40288
1925	Freckle Face Mary Jane / Me and My Wife	40312
1925	Sinful to Flirt / The Dying Girl's Farewell	40384
1925	Piney Woods Girl / Long Eared Mule	40405	with Emmet Lundy
1925	Jack and Joe / The Lightning Express	40408
1925	Uncle Sam and the Kaiser / Dixie Parody	404430
1925	Blue Ridge Mountain Blues / All I've Got's Gone	45009
1925	The Sailor's Song / The Fancy Ball	45015
	The Kicking Mule / Old Maid Blues	45036	B-side by Roba Stanley
	The Wreck of on the C&O / John Hardy	7011
	Asleep at the Switch / The Orphan Girl	45044
	Kitty Wells / In the Shadow of the Pine	45048
	The Religious Critic / When My Wife Will Return to Me	45051
	The Texas Ranger / Don't Let Your Deal Go Down	45054
	May I Sleep on Your Barn Tonight Mister? / The Old Hickory Cane	45059	A-side with Fiddler Joe
	Silver Bell / My Pretty Snow Deer	45060	with Fiddler Joe
	The Old Go Hungry Hash House / He's Going to Have a Hot Time Bye and Bye	45062
	Are You Angry with Me, Darling? / Katie Kline	45065
Victor Records
1926	In the Golden Bye and Bye / I Will Meet You in the Morning	20223	with the Dixie Mountaineers
1926	I Love to Walk with Jesus / Hallelujah Side	20224	with the Dixie Mountaineers
1926	Little Old Log Cabin in the Lane / Sourwood Mountain	20235	with the Dixie Mountaineers
1926	All Go Hungry Hash House / West Virginia Highway	20237	A-side with the Dixie Mountaineers; B-side with Bald Brewer
1926	Goin 'Up Cripple Creek / Sugar in the Gourd	20294	with the Dixie Mountaineers
1926	Old Joe Clark / Ida Red	20302	with the Dixie Mountaineers
	Going Down the Valley / The Sinless Summerland	20531	with the Dixie Mountaineers
	The Great Reaping Day / I Would Not Be Denied	20532	with the Dixie Mountaineers
	I'll be Satisfied / When the Redeemed are Gathering In	20533	with the Dixie Mountaineers
	Peek-a-Boo - Waltz /?	20540	A-side with Bald Brewer; B-side by Phil Reeve & Ernest Moody
Challenge Records
1926	The Girl I Left Behind in Sunny Tennessee / Katy Cline
1926	Barney McCoy / Pretty Snow Dear
1926	May I Sleep in You Barn Tonight Mister? / Silver Bell
1926	An Old Fashioned Picture / Barney McCoy		A-side by Vernon Dalhart
1926	May I Sleep in Your Barn Tonight Mister? / Mother's Grave		B-side by Vernon Dalhart
	Bully of the Town / Pass Around the Bottle
	The Fatal Weding / It's Sinful to Flirt
Conqueror Records
	Pass Around the Bottle / Bully of the Town
Vocalion Records
	There's Somebody Waiting for Me / Texas Ranger
	Broke Down Section Hand / Nine Pound Hammer
	My Only Sweetheart / All I've Got's Gone

Web links

• Ernest V. Stoneman at Allmusic (English)
• Photo gallery