Tuesday, August 10, 2010

Devil Went Down To Georgia


Born in Fannin County in March of 1868, Pioneer hillbilly fiddler John Carson made his way out of the North Georgia Mountains to Atlanta. Where when he wasn't working in the cotton mills, painting houses, or making moonshine, he made a living playin' and passin' the hat. Startin' 'bout 1913, the annual fiddlers' conventions at the City Auditorium in downtown Atlanta drew large crowds of listeners and John became a principal figure at annual fiddlers' convention, seven times being named Fiddler Champion of Georgia. In April 1922 WSB, the south's first Radio station went on air. Now short time later, September I believe, Fiddlin' John Carson walk in to its studios. He announced to engineer Lambdin Kay, "that he would like to have a try at the newfangled contraption." Kay could see no reason not to, so he obliged him. Fiddlin' John performed "Little Old Log Cabin in the Lane." This was the first of what we know today as "country music" to be broadcast by radio. How much did he make for this historic broadcast you ask? A snort from Lambdin Kay's bottle of whiskey! The folks at WSB liked him so much, that they gave him the only regularly scheduled 10pm-radio program in the country (making him the Johnny Carson of his time). WSB's signal carried into 38 states, Canada and Cuba. His wide spread popularity inspired Atlanta furniture dealer, Polk Brockman, to persuade OKeh records president Ralph Peer to bring his recording equipment to Atlanta to record Fiddlin' John.
So it came to be that on June 14, 1923, Peer brought his recording equipment to a vacant building on Nassau Street in Atlanta and John cut two sides, "Little Old Log Cabin" and "The Old Hen Cackled and the Rooster's going to Crow." Making it the first country music recording and arguably the beginning of the country music industry. Peer deemed the cuts to be "pluperful awful" but agreed to press five hundred on a blank label for Brockman's personal use. At the next Fiddler's convention, Fiddlin' John hawked them from the stage and Brockman promptly sold every disc. Seeing that Americans disagreed with him, Peer immediately rushed into a major pressing on the OKeh label making it the first hit in the history country music. He invited Carson to New York to record twelve more sides. Carson remarking on his newfound success said; "I'll have to quit making moonshine and start making records."
I would like to sidetrack for a moment here and say a few words about music man Ralph Peer. Growing up with the record industry, 35-year-old Kansas City native Peer, Pioneered the new technique of on-location recording. This is the technique; He would simple roll into a Southern town and contact the local Victor dealers, music storeowners, and radio station operators to locate local talent. Then he would record them on the spot for $50 a selection plus royalties of about 2 1/2 cents per side. Now if you are a fan of the Andy Griffith Show, like me, you will remember when the National Records man came rolling into town. To stay with the Andy Griffith Show a little longer. Remember those crazy songs the Darling clan played, like; "Tear up your old clothes for rags" or "Slimy River Bottom" and you can't forget "Keep your money in your shoe and it won't get wet." Not that one Paw, it makes me cry! Fiddlin' John had some just as wild, like; "It's A Shame to Whip Your Wife On Sunday", "Who Bit The Wart Off Grandma's Nose", "Whatcha Gonna Do When Your Licker Gives Out?" "Ain't No Bugs On Me", and my favorite "You Can't Get Milk From A Cow Named Ben." Back to Fiddlin' John, he hit the road and toured as a member of The Virginia Reelers. Later his daughter, Rosa Lee, toured with him. Over time a comedy routine emerged out of the banter between Carson and Moonshine Kate (Rosa Lee's stage name) in which he was the "moonshine reprobate and she was the sassy, snuff-dipping mountain gal" who usually ended up out-wisecracking her father. Sort of a hillbilly Sonny & Cher. They traveled as far as Mexico and Canada in their Model T Ford. Fiddlin' John Carson and his daughter,"Moonshine Kate", were the first stars, despite this fact little of the fame and none of the fortunes produced in the country music industry were ever theirs.
Music legend Charlie Daniel took his inspiration for his hit; "Devil Went Down To Georgia" from Poet Stephen Vincent Benet 1920's poem: The Mountain Whippoorwill (Or, How Hill-Billy Jim Won the Great Fiddlers' Prize). It Described the Atlanta Fiddlers' Convention, the year young Lowe Stokes defeated Fiddlin' John Carson for the Fiddling Championship. In Carson's own youth, he beat Tenn. Gov. Bob Taylor in a contest. Carson, in a sense, plays both parts in this tale. He also sawed his on version.
But his star faded and by the '40s he was working as lift operator in Atlanta, where he died Dec. 11,1949.

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