| Contents |
King of the mountaineer musicians: Fiddlin' John Carson -- Rough and rowdy ways: Charlie Poole and the North Carolina Ramblers -- Cain't make a living at a cotton mill: Dave McCarn -- A blessing to people: the Dixon Brothers, Howard and Dorsey -- Epilogue -- Appendix A. Directory of southern textile workers who made hillbilly recordings, 1923-1942 ; Appendix B. Discography of southern textile workers' commercial recordings, 1923-1942 ; Reissued on CD. |
| Abstract |
Contrary to popular belief, the roots of American country music do not lie solely on southern farms or in mountain hollows. Rather, much of this music recorded before World War II emerged from the bustling cities and towns of the Piedmont South. No group contributed more to the commercialization of early country music than southern factory workers. This book explores the origins and development of this music in the Piedmont's mill villages. The author offers vivid portraits of a colorful cast of Piedmont millhand musicians, including Fiddlin' John Carson, Charlie Poole, Dave McCarn, and the Dixon Brothers, and considers the impact that urban living, industrial work, and mass culture had on their lives and music. Drawing on a broad range of sources, including rare 78-rpm recordings and unpublished interviews, the author reveals how the country music recorded between 1922 and 1942 was just as modern as the jazz music of the same era. This book celebrates the Piedmont millhand fiddlers, guitarists, and banjo pickers who combined the collective memories of the rural countryside with the upheavals of urban-industrial life to create a distinctive American music that spoke to the changing realities of the twentieth-century South. |
| General note | "A Caravan book"--Title page verso. |
| Bibliography note | Includes bibliographical references (pages 365-392), discography (pages 393-397), and index. |
| LCCN | 2008013451 |
| ISBN | 9780807832257 (cloth : alk. paper) |
| ISBN | 0807832251 (cloth : alk. paper) |
