Clarence Ashley
Clarence " Tom" Ashley (born 29 September 1895 in Bristol, Tennessee, † June 2, 1967 in Winston- Salem, North Carolina) was an American old-time and folk singer whose career in the mid -1920s began. His most famous song is Coo Coo Bird.
- 2.1 Singles
- 2.2 albums
Life
Childhood and beginnings
Clarence Ashley's ancestors came before 1800 from Europe to the U.S., where they first settled in Virginia and later in North Carolina. Ashley's mother, Rose- Belle, married 1894, Ashley's father George McCurry, who was at the time but already married to other women. When McCurry's polygamous lifestyle became known, he divorced his wife and moved back to her father, Enoch Ashley. Shortly thereafter, in 1895, her son Clarence Earle McCurry was born, who took the name of his mother and his grandfather soon.
Ashley was a lively child, so his grandfather gave him the nickname " Tommy Tiddy Waddy ", from the time just "Tom" was. As a young man he was generally known as Thomas Clarence Ashley known. 1899 the family moved to Bristol, Tennessee, to Mountain City. At eight, Ashley learned from his two aunts banjo to play and later learned the guitar. At 16 he joined a medicine show, which had stopped in Mountain City. Between 1911 and 1943 he moved every summer with this show through the country and entertained the people. Here he developed his African-American Sketch figure " Rastus ". Ashley painted himself to his face black to; this kind of comedy was called blackface, but today it is considered politically incorrect.
Career
1925-1933
Since then, Ashley had joined the Medicine Show, he earned his living with music. The rest of the year he played at events around North Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia with various musicians such as GB Grayson, the Greel Sisters and the Sisters Cook. At age 17, Ashley married the 14 -year-old Hettie Osborne, with which he land in Shouns, Tennessee bought.
Solo recordings made Ashley but only after he had made together with Byrd Moore and Clarence Green some recordings for Columbia Records. After a session of the Group in October 1929 Ashley played a few pieces, including Coo Coo Bird. After further recordings in New York Columbia offered him a contract, but declined from Ashley because he felt that the other band members should get one too.
1925 Ashley had the musician Doc Walsh met, with whom he played in the band The Carolina Tar Heels. This band recorded the 18 songs 1925-1932. 1931 Ashley made recordings with the Blue Ridge Mountain Entertainers and 1930-1933 Ashley played much with Gwen Foster and together with him he released several singles in the American Record Corporation. These were the last recordings for a long time. It is believed that Ashley due to the economic crisis after 1933 grossed no more singles.
Career break
The depression also made Ashley and his family to create. With music you could not earn more money and Ashley went for a short time to West Virginia, where he worked in a mine. After eight months, he returned to Tennessee and supported his family by small odd jobs and as a truck driver.
In the 1940s to improve things for Ashley. He was of Charlie Monroe for his band, the Kentucky Partners, hired and mimed also the comedian of the band. In the late 1940s a finger stiffened at his right due to an injury and Ashley were the banjo and the guitar. Nevertheless, he continued to attend Fiddler's Convention and gave his knowledge of the music you further to younger musicians.
Folk Revival
1960 Ashley met the folk promoter Ralph Rinzler. Rinzler was a great admirer of Ashley's recordings from the 1920s, which he had made under the name of Clarence Ashley, but Rinzler introduced as Tom Ashley. Rinzler asked if he knew Clarence Ashley and told him of his admiration. Ashley gave herself then to recognize and Rinzler could convince him to do it again some shots. In September, Ashley played with the assistance of guitarist Doc Watson some songs in his native city. He began to play the banjo and recorded two albums for Folkways Records. This was followed by a successful comeback and Ashley gained under the young folk audience great notoriety. An appearance in the New York Town 's Hall was recorded and released as an album; it was followed by other appearances in Chicago, Los Angeles and New York. With a new backing band, the guitarist Watson and Tex Isley included, it was commissioned in 1966 on a tour of England.
Death
Ashley planning a second tour in England, as in his cancer was diagnosed. He died on 2 June 1967 at the consequences of the disease. Ashley was buried near his home at the foot of a hill. His wife died in 1975 Hettie Ashley left three children: . Their sons JD († 1979) and Tommy and his daughter Eva († 2003).
Discography
Singles
Albums
- 2003: Greenback Dollar 1927-1933
- 2007: Clarence Ashley and Tex Isley