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Harmoniciste noir US né le 14
Décembre 1899 à Bellwood, Smith
County (Tennessee). Deford
Bailey, paralysé partiellement durant son enfance, profite de sa convalescence
pour apprendre l'harmonica et la mandoline. Installé à Nashville en 1918, il
deviendra assez populaire pour avoir l'honneur d'être le premier musicien
présenté au show radio du "Grand Ole Opry", le 10 décembre 1927. Le
fait d'être noir ne l'empêcha nullement de devenir l'harmoniciste numéro un de
Nashville. Il est décédé le 2 Juillet 1982, devenant le premier ange noir du Hillbilly
Heaven.
There is a
gulf of Bibilical proportions between the amount of influence American black
music has had on country & western and the number of black performers actually
involved in country. One of the few heroes in what is sadly not a fable is this
harmonica player, a victim of infantile paralysis who had to struggle with his
physical handicaps as well as racism. The old-time music performer, stooped with
a deformed chest, less than five feet tall and weighing under 100 pounds, was
for a time a familiar act at the Grand Ole Opry. That is, until a tiff with Opry
honcho George Hay led to his dismissal. After that, the only job he could get in
country music in Nashville was as a shoeshine man, in itself a step below the
often joked about official way of summoning a country songwriter in that town: "waiter!"
And even after his death, the fight between Bailey and the Nashville
establishment continues, with Roy Acuff
bristling at the idea of honoring the man with a membership in the Country Music
Hall of Fame, although many other old-time performers of Bailey's generation
have already been inducted. After all, it was these original old-time performers
who with their personality and unique music had managed to launch what would
become an unstoppable institution in country music. Bailey was a professional
musician from the age of 14, by which time he was already supporting himself
around Smith County, TN, by playing the harmonica. He had also picked up a few
other instruments that were required items in country music from his dad and
uncle. The music that was being passed around was something Bailey described as
black hillbilly, old-time music that was like a bottle of half and half, with
the milk country and the cream blues. And nobody listening cared if a particular
number had a bit more cream than milk, or vice versa. By the end of 1925 Bailey
was good enough on harmonica to place second in a WDAD French Harp Contest.
Right around that time he met another harmonica player, Dr. Humphrey Bate, who
was both a country physician and musician. It was Bate who would bring his
fellow harp player to the attention of the Opry and its promotion genius George
Hay. Bate and his group had been performers on the first broadcast of the Opry,
and his relationship with the management was typical of the effect Hay and his
ilk would have on the cultural perception of country music. When Bate had
arrived at the studio for this premier Opry broadcast, his group was known as
the Augmented Orchestra, as it featured doubles of instruments such as guitar
and fiddle. But when the group appeared on the air, it was announced as Dr.
Humphrey Bate and His Possum Hunters. The name was a concoction of Hay, who
literally made hay selling old-time music dressed up in hillbilly clothes. Hay's
first reaction to a slightly hunchbacked height-challenged black harmonica
player was apparently not one of high enthusiasm. Bate pressed firmly on the
subject of Bailey, however, and perhaps the doc's medical credentials
intimidated Hay. Bailey was given a chance and went on to become the Opry's
first solo star as well as its first black artist. Historians lobbying for
Bailey's importance go on to point out that in 1928, the Opry's first year, the
harmonica player did his thing on 49 of the 52 programs. No other artist even
came close to that record of appearances. A symbolically more important event
was the fact that immediately after the audience heard the phrase Grand Ole Opry
announced for the very first time, on came Bailey blowing his train imitation on
the harp. He remained secure in this contract with the Opry for about 15 years.
He recorded in the late '20s on labels such as Columbia, Brunswick, and Victor.
His sessions were the first decently recorded examples of harmonica playing and
were incredibly influential. His effect on the history of the instrument itself
is measurable, because his success led to opportunities for many other harmonica
players to record and perform. "Pan American Blues" was one of his most popular
numbers along with "John Henry." Bailey complained about never receiving
royalties for these sides, which were re-released steadily through 1936, then
began showing up on old-time and classic country compilations from the '70s
onward. In the '30s Bailey was involved in many tours, including a package show
with old-time legend Uncle Dave Macon.
Bailey helped establish several performers by appearing as a solo artist in
front of their bands, including Roy Acuff.
Venues at this time included tent shows and county fairs as well as theatres.
Wherever the tour might lead, Bailey always had to be back in Nashville for the
Saturday night Opry show. Since his pay was only five dollars, this situation
often meant he was losing money arriving for his Opry shows. There are articles
that also claim his rate of pay reflected racist practices, but accounts of
other Opry artists from this era have mentioned this as a basic rate for all the
artists. One thing is beyond question. Bailey was forced to eat and sleep
separately from his fellow Opry artists due to segregation. The number of black
country artists has remained negligible, in fact they could be packed into a
small car and still have room for Ernest Tubb's
merchandise setup. The next one allowed on the Opry after Bailey would be
Charlie Pride. Why the Opry gave Bailey
the hook is often described as a matter of dispute, but the reality of the
situation is pretty apparent from remarks made by Hay in his memoirs. "Like some
members of his race, DeFord was lazy. He knew about a dozen numbers, which he
put on the air and recorded for a major company, but he refused to learn any
more." The truth is that many old-time musicians worked from a fixed repertoire,
and were not interested in adding material beyond that. Of course this creates
problems for record producers, publishers, or other music investors attempting
to acquire copyrights. The way to insure the survival of different types of
traditional music is of course to provide performing situations for its
practitioners, regardless of how many new titles might be added to their song
list in a given year. The Opry management didn't see this, however. He was
invited back to the Opry for an old-timer's show in 1974, at which time he
apparently blew up a storm. In between he cooled his heels while polishing other
people's, working at a shoeshine stand he had opened with his uncle in 1933. He
lived in the I.W. Gernert Homes, not far from the shoeshine stand, when he died
four years after the final Opry show. So far the official Hall of Fame line is
that although he will be remembered fondly for his contributions to the show,
these contributions do not warrant a place in the Country Music Hall of Fame.
Several music organizations and individuals who were fans of Bailey's continue
to lobby on his behalf.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DeFord_Bailey
Talents : Harmonica, Banjo, Guitar, Composer, Vocals, Yo-Yo Exponent
Style musical : Instrumental, Prewar Country Blues
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yjlR8eS0YPM
PAN
AMERICAN BLUES (1927)
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JOHN HENRY
(1930)
DAVIDSON COUNTY BLUES (1933)
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Years in activity :
1910 | 20 | 30 | 40 | 50 | 60 | 70 | 80 | 90 | 2000 | 10 | 20 |
DISCOGRAPHY
78 t.
1927 | 78 t. BRUNSWICK 146 (US) | Dixie Flyer Blues /
Pan American Blues
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1927 | 78 t. BRUNSWICK 147 (US) | Muscle Shoal Blues / Up The Country Blues |
1927 | 78 t. BRUNSWICK 148 (US) | Alcoholic Blues / Evening Prayer |
1927 | 78 t. VOCALION 5147 (US) | Alcoholic Blues / Evening Prayer Blues |
1927 | 78 t. VOCALION 5180 (US) |
Pan American Blues
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1927 | 78 t. VOCALION 5190 (US) | Old Hen Cackle / Fox Chase |
1928 | 78 t. VICTOR V38014 (US) | Ice Water Blues / Davidson County Blues |
1928 | 78 t. BLUEBIRD B5147 (US) | Ice Water Blues / Davidson County Blues |
1928 | 78 t. MONTGOMERY WARD M4910 (US) | Ice Water Blues / Davidson County Blues |
1929 | 78 t. BRUNSWICK 434 (US) | Up Country Blues / Muscle Shoal Blues |
1929 | 78 t. BRUNSWICK 435 (US) | Evening Prayer Blues / Alcoholic Blues |
1930 | 78 t. VICTOR 23336 (US) |
John Henry
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1931 | 78 t. VICTOR 23831 (US) |
John Henry
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1933 | 78 t.BLUEBIRD 5147 (US) |
Davidson County Blues
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1935 | 78 t. VOCALION 2887 (US) | Call Of The Delta / Shanghai Shuffle |
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Albums
1985 | LP 12" MATCHBOX MSE-218 (US) |
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HARMONICA SHOWCASE - DE FORD BAILEY AND D.H.
"BERT" BILBRO - 1927-31 - Pan-American Blues / Dixie Flyer Blues /
Up Country Blues / Evening Prayer Blues / Muscle Shoals Blues / Old Hen
Cackle / The Alcoholic Blues / Fox Chase / John Henry / Ice Water Blues /
Davidson County Blues / C. & N. W. Blues (D. H. "Bert" BILBRO) / Mohana
Blues (D. H. "Bert" BILBRO) / Yes, Indeed I Do (D. H. "Bert" BILBRO) / We're
Gonna Have A Good Time Tonight (D. H. "Bert" BILBRO) / Chester Blues (D. H.
"Bert" BILBRO)![]() |
05/1998 | CD REVENANT 208 (US) |
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THE LEGENDARY DEFORD BAILEY : COUNTRY MUSIC'S FIRST BLACK STAR - Pan American / Ain't Gonna Rain No More / Lost John / Alcoholic Blues / Cow Cow Blues / John Henry / Speech About Harps / Old Hen Cackle [take 1] / Sweet Marie / Black Man Blues / Red River Valley / Gotta See Mama Every Night / Welcome Table / Kansas City Blues / Stove Pipe Blues / Speech About Water And Harps / Shoe Shine Boy / Swing Low, Sweet Chariot / Talk About Grandfather / Hesitation Blues / Old Hen Cackle [take 2] / Saints / Don't Get Weary Children / Sook Cow / Down The Road A Piece / Evening Prayer |
© Rocky Productions 20/01/2011