Roy Harvey

Roy Harvey (born March 24, 1892 in Monroe County , West Virginia , † July 11, 1958 ) was an American old-time musician and guitarist . Harvey played guitar in the backing band Charlie Pooles , the North Carolina Ramblers , and took over the leadership of the group after Pooles death.

Life

Childhood and youth

Roy Harvey was born and raised in West Virginia. He was the only member of Poole's band that wasn't from North Carolina . As a child, Harvey learned to play the guitar and worked as a train driver on the Virginian Railroad from the age of 19 , but was fired after a strike in 1923. Harvey later processed this incident in his song The Virginian Strike of '23 .

Career

In 1925 Harvey met Charlie Poole, who was on tour and played in West Virginia. Impressed by Harvey's skills on the guitar, Poole hired him for his band. Over the next five years, Harvey would become the main member of the North Carolina Ramblers. He managed Poole's career, which was often jeopardized by his self-destructive lifestyle. During his time with Poole, Harvey also worked in a record store in Beckley , where he came into contact with local musicians such as Jess Johnston, Leonard Copeland, Earl Shirkley or Ernest Branch and Benice Coleman. With them he founded various bands.

There was much more to this than just wanting to make music. Harvey developed a concept with which he managed to get multiple record deals. Old-Time and Hillbilly were extremely popular during the 1920s and Harvey saw the potential it had. So he opened various record labels, he would record whatever they wanted for them: string band songs with Branch and Coleman, religious songs with Bob Hoke, Blue Yodeling with Shirkley or fast guitar duets with Jess Johnston. This gave Harvey a much higher chance of being accepted by a label. In less than five years, Harvey was able to look back on a work of around 200 recordings.

Milwaukee Blues , 1930 with Jess Johnston

Harvey had his first success with Earl Shirkley when they recorded When The Roses Bloom For The Bootlegger together in 1928 . The piece was a parody of the hit I'll Be With You When The Roses Bloom Again and dealt with prohibition in the USA. The single became the sixth best-selling record for Columbia Records with more than 72,000 copies sold in the same year.

After Poole terminated his contract with Columbia Records and died in 1931, Harvey took over the leadership of the North Carolina Ramblers and replaced Poole with mandolinist and singer Bob Hoole. Harvey arranged recording sessions with Gennett Records , Paramount Records, and Brunswick Records . Thanks to the fiddler of the group Posey Rorer , the songs had a similar sound to the already successful tracks with Poole and sold well.

During the Depression , which peaked in America in the early 1930s, Harvey's success deteriorated rapidly; as a result he first worked as a police officer in Beckley, but moved to Florida in 1942 , where he found a job again as a railroad worker. He had now completely given up music. Harvey died in 1958 at the age of 66.

Discography

Singles

The following discography is not exhaustive as it is difficult to make a complete list with Harvey's work of over 200 recordings. In addition, many records were not released under Harvey's name because he was only active as a background musician or acted as a member of a group.

year	title	Remarks
Gennett Records
1927	Write A Letter To My Mother / Poor Little Joe	B-side as Roy Harvey's 3 Kentucky Serenaders
1927	Please Papa, Come Home / That Old Clay Pipe
1927	We Will Outshine The Sun / Walking On The Streets of Glory	B-side with Bob Hoke
Brunswick Records
	There'll Come A Time / A Mother Old and Gray Who Needs Me	with the North Carolina Ramblers
	As We Parted At The Gate / I'll Be There Mary Dear	with the North Carolina Ramblers
	Bluefield Murders / George Collins	with the North Carolina Ramblers
	Budded Roses / What Is Home Without Love?	with the North Carolina Ramblers
Columbia Records
1929	When The Bees Are In The Hive / Daisies Won't Tell
1929	The Brave Engineer / The Wreck of the Virginian Train No.3	with the North Carolina Ramblers
1929	The Yodeling Mule /?	with Earl Shirkley as Roy Harper
	Just Pickin '/ Beckley Rag	with Leonard Copeland
	Lonesome Weary Blues / Underneath The Sugar Moon	with Leonard Copeland
	Greasy Wagon / Mother's Waltz	with Leonard Copeland
	The Lilly Reunion / Just Goodbye, I am Going Home
	Dark Eyes / Willie Poor Boy	with Posey Rorer
Vocalion Records
	Take Me Back To Home and Mother / Sweet Refrain	with the North Carolina Ramblers

Albums

• Roy Harvey Vol.1, 1926-1927
• Roy Harvey Vol 2, 1928-1929
• Roy Harvey Vol.3, 1929-1930
• Roy Harvey, Vol.4 1931

literature

• Tony Russell: Country Music Originals , Oxford University Press

Web links

• Roy Harvey on Hillbilly-Music.com (English)
• with the North Carolina Ramblers
• with Leonard Copeland
• with Posey Rorer