Fiddlin 'John Carson

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John Carson in 1924

Fiddlin 'John Carson (born March 23, 1868 or 1874 in Fannin County , Georgia , † December 11, 1949 in Atlanta , Georgia) was an American old-time musician who recorded a record in 1923 as one of the first rural musicians .

Life

Fiddlin 'John Carson - The Little Old Log Cabin In The Lane

Beginnings

His date of birth is already controversial. It is most likely March 23, 1874, because according to the biographer Gene Wiggins it is the most historically verifiable date of birth, as an 1880 census describes Carson in June as a 6-year-old resident. Carson married Jennie Nora in 1894 and had 9 children. One of them was Rosa Lee Carson, born on October 9th, 1909, who accompanied him as " Moonshine Kate " for the first time on December 10th, 1930 with his guitar on his recordings. The former railroad builder had only one passion, his fiddle and his music. Since his income was not enough to feed the family, he worked in a cotton mill near Atlanta from 1900 onwards. He also played at dance events, but it was not until 1913 that he became known locally for violinist competitions, the Atlanta Fiddler's Conventions . His breakthrough came through appearances on the WSB radio station in September or October 1922. By then, he had won a total of seven violinist competitions.

The music veteran had gained a certain degree of popularity through winning fiddle competitions and his first radio appearances when he was invited to a recording session by its music producer Ralph Peer in 1923 following a tip from the local representative of the record label OKeh Records . The first country hit, according to the overwhelming opinion of experts, was directed by Ralph Peer in an empty house in Atlanta on June 14, 1923 with a mobile recording studio, where Fiddlin 'John Carson Little Old Log Cabin In The Lane / Old Hen Cackled & The Rooster's Going To Crow , cataloged by the small Okeh label as # 4890. A furniture store owner ordered 500 pieces, subsequently a total of 500,000 pieces have been sold since publication in July 1923. Now the record industry became aware of this previously ignored genre - which was called "Old Time", "Hill Country" or "Hill Billy" - and began to search the market for similar artists. Commercial country music was born.

Further career

Carson's next studio session didn't take place until 7/8. November 1923, this time he was brought to the stationary Okeh studios in New York. A total of 12 tracks were created here in an extremely productive session, including You'll Never Miss Your Mother Till She's Gone / Papa's Billy Goat (OKeh # 4994), which reached second place in the hit parade. This also succeeded with Fare Thee Well Old Joe Clark / Casey Jones , made in the same recording session and published in May 1924. Carson's train song I'm Nine Hundred Miles Away From Home , recorded on August 27, 1924, is probably based on an old folk song. Original and is considered the first recorded basis for the later country standard 500 Hundred Miles Away From Home ( Bobby Bare , nearly 1 million copies sold; September 1963). From the session of March 17, 1927 comes u. a. again the title Cotton-Eyed Joe , which was successfully revived by the Rednex in December 1994. Carson was loyal to the OKeh label for nine years until October 31, 1931, when, after a creative break, he appeared on Bluebird Records (Victor label) on February 27, 1934. There were only nine singles that were released until February 1936 with a delay.

Carson recorded a total of 179 songs, most of them in his own, clearly identifiable country fiddle style. When he wasn't singing solo, he was accompanied by the Virginia Reelers or Moonshine Kate.

Discography, complete

OKeh (1923–1932):

  • The Little Old Log Cabin In The Lane / The Old Hen Cackled And The Rooster's Going To Crow (Okeh 4890), July 1923
  • Billy In The Low Ground / When You And I Were Young Maggie? (Okeh 40020), December 1923
  • You'll Never Miss Your Mother Till She's Gone / Papa's Billy Goat (Okeh 4994), January 1924
  • Casey Jones / Fare Thee Well Old Joe Clark (Okeh 40038), February 1924
  • Tom Watson Special / Be Kind To A Man When He's Down (Okeh 40050), March 1924
  • The Kickin 'Mule / The Farmer Is The Man That Feeds Them All (Okeh 40071), April 1924
  • Dixie Boll Weevil / Old Sally Gooden (Okeh 40095), May 1924
  • Old Aunt Peggy Won't You Set 'Em Up Again? / Arkansas Traveler (Okeh 40108) June 1924
  • I Got Mine / The Cat Came Back (Okeh 40119), July 1924
  • When Abraham And Isaac Rushed Out / Old And In The Way (Okeh 40181), September 1924
  • I'm Nine Hundred Miles From Home / I'm Glad My Wife's In Europe (Okeh 40196), October 1924
  • Alabama Gal / It Ain't Gonna Rain No Mo ' (Okeh 40204), October 1924
  • Dixie Division / Sugar In The Ground (Okeh 7003 [12 ″]), November 1924
  • Dixie Cowboy / John Henry Blues (Okeh 7004 [12 ″]), December 1924
  • Run Nigger Run / Turkey In The Straw (Okeh 40230), December 1924
  • Nancy Rowland / Jimmie On The Railroad (Okeh 40238), December 1924
  • Old Dan Tucker / Old Uncle Ned (Okeh 40263), January 1925
  • The Baggage Coach Ahead / The Orphan Child (Okeh 7006 [12 "]), February 1925
  • The Lightning Express / The Letter Edged In Black (Okeh 7008 [12 "]), March 1925
  • Steamboat Bill / Boil Dem Cabbage Down (Okeh 40306), March 1925
  • It Takes A Little Rain With The Sunshine? / My North Georgia Home (Okeh40323), April 1925
  • Charming Betsy / The Death Of Floyd Collins (Okeh 40363), May 1925
  • The Honest Farmer / There's Hard Time Coming (Okeh 40411), July 1925
  • The Boston Burglar / Sally Ann (Okeh 40419), August 1925
  • The Hawk And The Buzzard / Bully Of The Town (Okeh 40444), September 1925
  • To Welcome Travelers Home / Run Along Home With Lindy (Okeh 45001), October 1925
  • Soldier's Joy / Hop Light Ladies (Okeh 45011), November 1925
  • Hell Broke Loose In Georgia / Flat Footed Nigger (Okeh 45018), December 1925
  • Grave Of Little Mary Phagan / All Alone By The Sea Side (Okeh 45028), January 1926
  • Do Round My Lindy / Drunkard's Hiccoughs (Okeh 45032), February 1926
  • Liberty / Old Frying Pan And A Camp Kettle (Okeh 45035), April 1926
  • Georgia Wagner / Cackling Pullet (Okeh 45040), June 1926
  • Goodbye Liza Jane / If There Wasn't Any Women In The World (Okeh 45049), August 1926
  • Everybody Works But Father / Bachelor's Ball (Okeh 45056), October 1926
  • Fire In The Mountain / Peter Went Fishing (Okeh 45068), December 1926
  • When We Meet On The Beautiful Shore / It's A Long Long Way To Tipperary (Okeh 45077), January 1927
  • Don't Let Your Deal Go Down / In My Old Cabin Home (Okeh 45096), April 1927
  • It's A Shame To Whip Your Wife On Sunday / Cotton Eyed Joe (Okeh 45122), August 1927
  • Jesse James / Swanee River (Okeh 45139), October 1927
  • I'm Gonna Swing On The Golden Gate / Hell Bound For Alabama (Okeh 45159), December 1927
  • If You Can't Get The Stopper Out / Turkey In The Hay (Okeh 45167), January 1928
  • Did He Ever Return / Engineer On The Mogull (Okeh 45176), February 1928
  • Quit That Ticklin 'Me / Smoke Goes Out The Chimney Just The Same (Okeh 45186), April 1928
  • Little Log Cabin By The Stream / Old Joe Clark (Okeh 45198), May 1928
  • Going Down To Cripple Creek / Run Along Home Sandy (Okeh 45214), July 1928
  • Burgular And The Old Maid / There Ain't No Bugs On Me (Okeh 45259), October 1928
  • Christmas Time Will Soon Be Over / Old And In The Way (Okeh 45273), November 1928
  • John Makes Good Licker / Moonshine Kate (Okeh 45290), December 1928
  • Be Kind To A Man When He's Down / It Won't Happen Again For Years (Okeh 45301), February 1929
  • You Can't Get Milk From A Cow Named Ben / Going To The County Fair (Okeh 45321), April 1929
  • Down South Where The Sugar Cane Grows / Hawk And Buzzard (Okeh 45338), June 1929
  • My Ford Sedan / I'll Meet Her When The Sun Goes Down (Okeh 45353), August 1929
  • John Makes Good Likker / John Makes Good Likker (Okeh 45369), September 1929
  • Welcome The Travelers Home No.2 / You'll Never Miss Your Mother No.2 (Okeh 45384), October 1929
  • Times Are Not Like They Used To Be / She's More Like Her Mother Every Day (Okeh 45402), December 1929
  • Corn Likker And Barbeque / Corn Likker And Barbeque No.2 (Okeh 45415), January 1930
  • Sunny Tennessee / Whatcha Gonna Do When Your Likker Gives Out (Okeh 45434), April 1930
  • Kate's Snuff Box / Pa's Birthday Party (Okeh 45440), May 1930
  • The Hen And The Rooster / The Raccoon And The Possum (Okeh 45445), June 1930
  • Who Bit The Wart Off Grandma's Nose / Who's The Best Fiddler (Okeh 45448), July 1930
  • John In The Army / You Gotta Let My Dog Alone (Okeh 45458), September 1930
  • Last Of The Old Dollar Is Gone / Old Gray Horse Ain't What He Used To Be (Okeh 45471), October 1930
  • On The Banks Of Old Tennessee / Silver Threads Among The Gold (Okeh 45488), November 1930
  • I'm Going Where The Climate Suits Me / Dominicker Duck (Okeh 45498), December 1930
  • Old Ship Is Sailing For The Promised Land / My Home In Dixieland (Okeh 45513), February 1931
  • Take The Train To Charlotte / Little More Sugar In My Coffee (Okeh 45542), May 1931
  • I Intend To Make Heaven My Home / My Man's A Jolly Railroad Man (Okeh 45555), November 1931
  • After The Ball / Didn't He Ramble (Okeh 45569), January 1932

Bluebird (1934-1936):

  • Do You Ever Think Of Me / Stockade Blues (Bluebird B-5447), May 1934
  • Storm That Struck Miami / I Want To Make Heaven My Home (Bluebird B-5483), June 1934
  • When The Saints Go Marching In / Bear Me Away On Snowy White Wings (Bluebird B-5560), August 1934
  • There's No Bugs On Me / Going Where The Sugar Cane Grow (Bluebird B-5652), October 1934
  • Taxes On The Farmer Feeds Them All / Honest Farmer (Bluebird B-5742), January 1935
  • Mama's Nanny Goat / Papa's Billy Goat (Bluebird B-5787), February 1935
  • Old And In The Way / I'm Old And Feeble (Bluebird B-5959), June 1935
  • Be Kind To A Man When He's Down / You'll Never Miss Your Mother Till She's Gone (Bluebird B-6022), August 1935
  • Since She Took My Likker From Me / I'm Glad My Wife's In Europe (Bluebird B-6247), February 1936

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Gene Wiggins, Fiddlin 'Georgia Crazy: Fiddlin' John Carson, His Real World, and the World of His Songs , 1987, pp. 3 ff.
  2. ^ Edward L. Ayers , The Promise of the New South , 2007, p. 394
  3. ^ Zell Miller, They Heard Georgia Singing , 1996, p. 71
  4. ↑ David Hatch / Stephen Millward, From blues to rock , 1987, p. 47 with further references
  5. ↑ At that time, records were being sold in furniture stores in the USA
  6. ^ Charles K. Wolfe, Classic Country , 2001, p. 64
personal data
SURNAME Carson, Fiddlin 'John
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American country musician
DATE OF BIRTH March 23, 1868
PLACE OF BIRTH Fannin County, Georgia
DATE OF DEATH December 11, 1949
Place of death Atlanta , Georgia