Posey Rorer

Posey Rorer (center) with Charlie Poole and Clarence Foust, 1923

Posey Wilson Rorer (born September 22, 1892 in Franklin County , Virginia , † June 6, 1936 in North Carolina ) was an American old-time musician . From 1923 he was a member of the North Carolina Ramblers, the band Charlie Pooles .

Life

Childhood and youth

Born to WT and Lucy Abigail Rorer, Posey Rorer spent his childhood in the mountainous regions between the villages of Herny and Ferrum. He was enthusiastic about music early on, as his father also played the banjo . He made his first fiddle himself and during his youth he often played with his cousin Bob Moore. Rorer worked from an early age, first as a miner and later in the region's textile factories.

Career

In 1920 Rorer became the brother-in-law of Charlie Poole after he had married Rorer's sister Lou Emma. Poole and Rorer began to make music together and founded the North Carolina Ramblers with guitarist Norman Woodlieff , who played in the streets, on barn dances and roamed the country.

In 1925, Poole and the North Carolina Ramblers got a record deal with Columbia Records and quickly became one of the most famous and successful string bands in the USA. Her debut single Don't Let Your Deal Go Down sold straight away and became the hit of the year. In addition to Poole's style of playing the banjo, it was Rorer's melodies on the fiddle that made her so popular. They had a soft, melodic sound and were reminiscent of the old pieces that one knew from childhood. Poole died in 1931, and Rorer sat at the helm of the North Carolina Ramblers with guitarist Roy Harvey .

Rorer headed the North Carolina Ramblers in various lineups until his death in 1936. Some sources also give March 1935 as the date of death. One of his descendants, Kinney Rorrer, published a biography of Charlie Poole in 1982.

Web links

• Posey Rorer in the All Music Guide
• Article in the Old-Time Herald