Blind Alfred Reed

"Blind " Alfred Reed ( born June 15, 1880 in Floyd, Virginia; † January 17, 1956 ) was an American Old-time musicians. Reed was known for his protest songs that commented on the current situation of the 1920s.

Life

Early years

About his childhood or youth is not much known. Alfred Reed was born in Floyd, Virginia. He was blind from birth, so he was later nicknamed " blind". Reed grew up in a conservative family and got early on given a fiddle, which he mastered soon.

Career

While Reed played on a 1927 Fiddler's Convention in Tennessee, he was discovered by producer Ralph Peer. Peer heard how he recited the song Wreck of the Virginian, and asked Reed if he was interested in recording on record. Peer had gone with a mobile studio to Bristol, where he sought new talent. On this day also played Jimmie Rodgers and the Carter Family, the first superstars of country music, her first pieces a. Reed was joined in this recording by his son Arville on the guitar. They played a total of four title: You Must Unload, I Mean To Live For Jesus, The Wreck of the Virginian and Walking in the Way of Jesus.

After the so-called Bristol Session Reed took over the following years further on plates. Two of his most famous pieces are How Can a Poor Man Stand Search Times and Live and Why Do You Bob Your Hair, Girls?, From which also a second part was recorded. Both pieces were self- written and acted by the current events of the time. The latter had especially a very conservative theme to content: Reed here criticized the way women at that time did the hair, and what is not appropriate immoral in his eyes. How Can a man standing in Search Times and Live, however, commented on the poor economic situation in the U.S., due to the world economic crisis. Reed is therefore regarded as one of the first protest singer, especially since the composing his own pieces in the hillbilly music of the time was very rare.

After 1929 Reed gave up his career. The rest of his life spent Reed in Sumner County, Tennessee, and in Mercer County, West Virginia. Reed died in 1956; he was starved. He was born in Elgood, West Virginia, buried. 2007 Blind Alfred Reed was inducted into the West Virginia Music Hall of Fame and in the same year took well-known musicians such as Little Jimmy Dickens and Tim O'Brien Album Always Lift Him Up: A Tribute to Blind Alfred Reed to which 19 pieces of reed contains, sung by other artists.

Discography

The chronology of his later publications Victor is unclear.

• The Wreck of the Virginian ( alt. take )
• Walking in the Way with Jesus ( alt. take )
• The Railroader
• Bonnie Little Girl

Swell