North Carolina Blues & Gospel [LONG]
R. L. Eagle
outline, and additions/ corrections are welcome. TIA. Bob
NORTH CAROLINA is often associated primarily with Blind Boy Fuller, but
despite his enormous popularity and influence, he was a relative late-comer.
At the 1920 census, there were 763,407 black residents in the state, the
leading counties being Wake (29,210), Mecklenburg (26,657), Forsyth
(26,121), Halifax (25,893), Pitt (23,025), Edgecome (22,343), Robeson
(20,307), Wayne (18,995), Nash (17,413), Guilford (17,359), New Hanover
(16,482), Wilson (16,261), Craven (15,198), Anson (14,862), Cumberland
(13,961), Northampton (13,825), Warren (13,821), Bertie (13,639), Durham
(13,168), Lenoir (13,061), Granville (12,722), Sampson (12,144), Beaufort
(12,093), Franklin (11,856), Johnston (11,502), Duplin (11,116), Rockingham
(10,656), Richmond (10,545), and Vance (10,171).
Of 763,316 black residents of the state who gave their place of origin in
the 1920 Census, 714,449 (93.6%) had been born in the state. The other main
states of origin were 33,806 (4.4%) from South Carolina, 7,769 (1%) from
Virginia, and 2,471 (0.3%) from Georgia, with no other state exceeding 0.1%.
As at 1920, there were 76,290 farms in the state operated by colored
farmers, of whom 53,917 were tenants. By comparison, there were 193,473
white farm operators, of whom 63,542 were tenants. Counties having the
largest number of colored tenant farmers included Anson, Bertie, Edgecombe,
Franklin, Granville, Greene, Halifax, Johnston, Lenoir, Mecklenburg, Nash,
Northampton, Pitt, Robeson, Sampson, Scotland, Wake, Warren, Wayne and
Wilson.
Cotton production exceeded 20,000 bales in Anson, Cleveland, Cumberland,
Edgecombe, Halifax, Harnett, Hoke, Johnston, Mecklenburg, Nash, Pitt,
Robeson, Sampson, Scotland, and Union counties. Robeson led them with
61,737 bales.
Tobacco production exceeded 5 million pounds in Beaufort, Caswell, Columbus,
Craven, Duplin, Edgecombe, Franklin, Granville, Greene, Johnston, Lenoir,
Martin, Nash, Person, Pitt, Robeson, Stokes, Surry, and Vance counties.
Pitt led them with 25,390,860 pounds.
By 1990, there were 1,456,323 black residents, including 134,468 in
Mecklenburg County, 91,655 in Guilford County, 88,057 in Wake County, 87,496
in Cumberland County, 67,654 in Durham County, and 66,102 in Forsyth County.
From somewhere in the State came, or reportedly (or possibly) came:
Margaret W. Allison; The Angelic Gospel Singers; Rev. F. C. Barnes
(1980s); The Bell Tones; Ted Bogan (1929 - to Chicago); Charles Boyer;
Irving 'Skinny' Brown (1986); Rev. Janice Brown (1980s); The Carolina
Blazers; "The Carolina Carolers"; The Carolina Cotton Pickers; Carolina
Slim (also as North Carolina Slim); Carolina Washboard Trio (a Walter
Taylor group); Alonzo Eubanks; Ella Mae Norris; Tampa Kid; 'Tiny" (alto
sax - to Arkansas).
ALAMANCE COUNTY
Burlington: Jim Hill (influenced Jamie Alston, Sr.);
Mebane: Walter Thompson (fiddler);
ANSON COUNTY
Wadesboro: Calvin Allen;
BEAUFORT COUNTY
Nothing known
BERTIE COUNTY
Nothing known.
BRUNSWICK COUNTY
Wilmington: Billy Bland (birthplace, 1932);
Wilmington: location (2001) of The Blues Society of the Lower Cape Fear -
http://www.capefearblues.com/.
BURKE COUNTY
Morganton: Etta Reid Baker (Location: at least 1940s-1997); Lee Baker
(1956 - died 1967);
CALDWELL COUNTY
Collettsville: Boone Reid; Elizabeth "Babe" Reid; Etta Reid (birthplace,
1913 - later, by 1956, became Etta Baker - to Morganton 1940s); Cora
Phillips (nee Baker);
Gamewell: Cora Phillips; Lacey Phillips; Quincy Phillips;
CARTERET COUNTY
Beaufort: birthplace of Richard "Big Boy" Henry (later at New Bern, then
back to Beaufort);
CASWELL COUNTY
Yanceyville: The Badgett Sisters; Rev. Cortelyou Badgett;
CHATHAM COUNTY
Jamie Alston, Sr (birthplace, 1907 - to Orange County);
Siler City: birthplace of Prophet (1934);
COLUMBUS COUNTY
Nothing known
CRAVEN COUNTY
Nothing known
CUMBERLAND COUNTY
Fayetteville: location (2001) of David Poole; and (2001) of the Sandhills
Blues Society.
DUPLIN COUNTY
Nothing known
DURHAM COUNTY
Durham: Elmon "Shorty" Bell (1930s); Rev. Bennett; Big John & The Golden
Echos (1964); Rev. W. T. Bigelow (1960s - 1970s); Bright Moon Quartet
(1929 to at least 1979); Sam Brown; Thomas Burt;
Jim Caesar (died 1951); Shirley Caesar;
Rev. Gary Davis; Lewis/ Louis Dicks/Dix (1992);
Blind Boy Fuller;
Curtis Henry; John Dee Holeman;
Arthur "Peg Leg Sam" Jackson (1930s onwards); Henry Johnson; Just Come
Four;
Arthur Lyons;
Dewey 'Pigmeat' Markham (birthplace, 1904); Duke Mason (to Orange County?);
Richard Trice; Willie Trice;
Jo Jo Wallace (1960s);
Durham: location (2001) of Triangle Blues Society -
http://www.triangleblues.org/.
Durham's radio stations included: WSRC (1964);
Durham's record labels include: Crossroads (Glenn Hinson);
Durham's record producers include: Glenn Hinson (1978);
North Durham: Blind Boy Fuller, Blind Gary Davis and George Washington.
EDGECOMBE COUNTY
Jesse Bradley (deceased);
Conetoe: birthplace (1925) of the late Elester "Lester" Anderson;
Rocky Mount: James Applewhite (birthplace, 1929); "B. B." (piano, 1950s);
Walter Battle of the Carolina Kings; Blind Boys of Alabama (1960s); Lewis
Dicks (1960s); Roosevelt May;
Rocky Mount's record labels included: Hub.
Tarboro: Elester "Lester" Anderson (by 1973 - died there, 1980); Horace
"The Carolina Kid" Bridges (birthplace, 1921);
FORSYTH COUNTY
Winston - Salem: Big Del (1972); Willa Mae Buckner (died there, 2000);
Horace "The Carolina Kid" Bridges; The Gospel Swans; Guitar Gabriel; Otis
King (gospel); Clarence Matthews; Luther "Captain Luke" Mayer (from 1940
onwards); Prophet (died there, 1992); Jahue Rorie; James "Guitar Slim"
Stephens (deceased); The Vibrations; Sherman Williamson & The Rhapsolians;
FRANKLIN COUNTY
Louisburg: Walter Battle of the Carolina Kings;
GASTON COUNTY
Gastonia: Location (1997) of Thomas "Guitar" Gable.
GATES COUNTY
Nothing known
GRANVILLE COUNTY
Nothing known.
GUILFORD COUNTY
Greensboro 27401: J. F. Watkins (1960s); location (1985 to at least 2001)
of the Piedmont Blues Preservation Society - web site
http://www.piedmontblues.com/, to become http://www.piedmontblues.org/.
High Point: Location (1997) of researcher/ photographer Mark Austin.
GRANVILLE COUNTY
Big John & The Golden Echos (1960s);
GREENE COUNTY
Nothing known
GUILFORD COUNTY
Nothing known
HALIFAX COUNTY
Nothing known
HARNETT COUNTY
Nothing known
HERTFORD COUNTY
Nothing known
HOKE COUNTY
Raeford: Bobby Bennett (birthplace: to Philadelphia by 1963);
JOHNSTON COUNTY
Kenly: Gilbert "The Rhinestone Cowboy" Barnes (1987);
LEE COUNTY
Sanford: Floyd "Dipper Boy" Council;
LENOIR COUNTY
Kinston: All Star Quartet (1940s); Clifton "Skeeter" Best (birthplace,
1914); James Briggs (1940s); Abe Dunn (1930s); Andrew Herring (1940s);
MARTIN COUNTY
Williamston: Milford Kenneth "Blue Scotty" Scott (birthplace, 1937 - to
Louisiana);
MECKLENBURG COUNTY
Charlotte: Ben Abney (Peg Leg) (recorded there, 1936); Harold Alexander
(1976); Wilbert Andrews; Roosevelt Antrim (recorded there, 1937);
Andrew Baxter; Rev. James Beard; Rev. Beal (= Beard?); William Bell
(Charlotte?, 1979); Biddle University Quartet; Biddleville Quintet;
"Bill" (with Eddie Kelly's Washboard Band, 1937); Nappy Brown (birthplace,
1929);
Doug Clark & The Hot Nuts (Charlotte?, 1979); The Coasters (Charlotte?,
1979); Ellas Coleman; Napoleon Brown Culp (birthplace, 1929);
Julius Daniels;
Golden Bells (1946);
Eddie Kelly's Washboard Band (1937);
"Walter" (with Eddie Kelly's Washboard Band, 1937); Clyde Wright (1946);
Charlotte: location (2001) of the Charlotte Blues Society -
http://www.carolinablues.com/cbs/index.html.
Charlotte's booking agents include: Hit Attractions Inc. (1979); Insight
Talent (1979);
Charlotte's publishers include: Brown Sugar Music (1974: any interest?);
MOORE COUNTY
Robbins: James Brown (1930s);
NASH COUNTY
Nothing known
NEW HANOVER COUNTY
Nothing known
NORTHAMPTON COUNTY
Nothing known
ORANGE COUNTY
Carrboro: Floyd Council lived in Sunset, the black section of Carrboro.
Chapel Hill (also includes some who may have been in rural Orange County):
Jamie Alston's grandfather, Dave Alston taught his son, Jamie Snr.; Jamie
Alston (still, 1972 - died 1978); Minnie Alston; Elester "Lester" Anderson
(1973); Thurman Atkins; Wilbert Atwater (birthplace, 1905 - still 1973);
Rufe Atwater played fiddle, brother Tom Atwater plays harmonica; Wilbert's
sister Betty Atwater, played piano and married Charlie Farris, a hamonica
player, and his mother had married Will Baldwin, who was a fine banjo
player. Will's brother, Walker Baldwin, played mandolin and a little
guitar. Dallas Baldwin, a good guitarist.
Dallas Baldwin; Jamie Alston's brother-in-law, Jim Baldwin; Will Baldwin
was Wilbert Atwater's father-in-law; Bill Britton.
Elizabeth Cotton; Willie Cotton; Clarence Couch, Willie Trice's mother's
brother, played slide guitar; Floyd Council (September 1972);
Dump Fair;
Matthew "Matty" Hackney's brother. Matty Hackney;
Rufus Jackson; Bud Johnson was Albert Trice's playing partner;
George Latlow or George Letlow;
Duke Mason was from Durham and his brother Robert Mason was one of the best
twelve-string guitarists around; "McKinley"; Mitchell's Christian Singers.
John Snipes; Thomas Stroud, Leo Stroud.
Olice/ Ollice Thomas (1992); Albert Trice; Richard Trice and Willie Trice
(also at Durham); Uncle Luther Trice.
Odell Walker; "Wild Bill".
Hillsborough: Thee McGhee.
PERSON COUNTY
Nothing known
PITT COUNTY
Greenville: Big Boy Henry (recorded there, 1985 - from Beaufort, Carteret
County);
Greenville's record labels include: Audio Arts;
RICHMOND COUNTY
Rockingham: Henry Borski (1925); Barry Brown (1925); James Henry Brown
(1925);
ROBESON COUNTY
Nothing known
ROWAN COUNTY
Gold Hill: Clyde Bernhardt (birthplace, 1905 - to Richfield, Stanly County,
by 1914);
SAMPSON COUNTY
Nothing known
SCOTLAND COUNTY
Nothing known
STANLY COUNTY
Badin: Clyde Bernhardt (by 1914: to Harrisburg, Pennsylvania by 1919);
Richfield: Clyde Bernhardt (by 1907: to Badin by 1914);
STOKES COUNTY
Pinnacle: Location (1994-2000 at least) of Music Maker Relief Foundation,
Inc. (Tim & Denise Duffy, and Mark Levinson)
Walnut Cove:
TRANSYLVANIA COUNTY
Brevard: birthplace (1897) of Jackie "Moms" Mabley (who was born Loretta
Mary Aiken).
VANCE COUNTY
Nothing known
WAKE COUNTY
Morrisville: Robert Mason, 12-string guitarist was around Morrisville, near
Raleigh;
Raleigh: Blind Joe (Walker: 1934);
Zebulon: location (2000) of Itom Publishing, operated by Bill Ray Cain and
featuring Dicky Williams.
WARREN COUNTY
Nothing known
WAYNE COUNTY
Nothing known
WILSON COUNTY
Wilson: Charlie Austin (1970s);
YANCEY COUNTY
Leslie Riddle.
_________________________________________________________________________
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Jerry Mack
"bluesfiddler", David Foraker. He's been entertaining Tarheel audiences since
1971, & is still going strong. I saw him on Easter Sunday at The Biltmore
Estate. His voice is strong, his violin is smooth, his stories were fun & his
testimony was rivetting.
JM
Dave Foraker
(hah!).....but, to be fair I spent some of the last 30 years singin' for rock
bands, beach music bands or working as a sideman for country or R&B
acts......plus, there was a period in the mid-'80's when I spen almost 5
years working on the piano bar circuit. The blues has always been my first
love, but when ya live in the southeast, it hasn't always paid the
bills.......matter of fact, it's just been the last 11 years when the Lord
has blessed me so abundantly that my love of blues has also been my meal
ticket......Now, I realize that I've opened a door for some of y'all to jump
on me about, but I've had children to feed & school, & so, I've had to work
enough to be a good father, so go ahead.....I've got my blues hat in place....
& it's got an asbestos lining.
bluesifyin' 4 an awesome God.....
Dave Foraker
http://www.bluesfiddler.com
http://www.mp3.com/daveforaker
Jerry Mack
profh...@hotmail.com writes:
> Thanks for reminding me about Dave, who I'll add in. He's so obvious on
> Blues-L, I guess I assumed I had listed him.
>
> Incidentally, although it's obvious you like Dave's music, who ELSE do you
> like? You risk being seen as a cardboard-cutout blues fan.
>
>
Fair enough, Bob. I also like the Piedmont Blues of Big Boy Henry and
Lightnin' Wells. I was a huge Albert King fan and got to see him 10-11 times
before his death. Katie Webster is another favorite of mine. I also like a
lot of local artists, such as The Part-Time Blues Band (Charlotte, NC), Big
Al and The Heavyweights (Nashville, TN) and I was fortunate to be at Eric
Quincy Tate's reunion/anniversary party in Atlanta last summer (or fall). I
know this will rile up some of you, but I'm a big Allman Brothers Band fan,
including some of their related groups (Derek Trucks, Gov't Mule). Tab
Benoit, Deborah Coleman and others, but still, IMHO Dave Foraker is the most
under-rated performer in the southeast, and he gives better, more-consistent
shows than many of the other names I've listed.
Jerry Mack (currently on the road between Atlanta and Charleston, SC)