Y2804

American Music - Folk Singers

Josh White

Collins Cover Announcement 

Folk Musicians

Legends of American Music Series

Sonny Terry lost his sight in two childhood accidents. With his activities limited because of being blind, he learned to play the harmonica.

Blessed with natural talent and a willingness to practice constantly, his career blossomed, and he teamed up with other folk musicians including Leadbelly and Brownie McGhee. All through the 1940's, he traveled the folk club circuit, and his "whoopin' style" on the blues harmonica made Sonny one of the most popular folk musicians in the country.

Josh White played for the Roosevelts in the White House and toured Europe in the 1950's and early 1960's. As the son of a preacher, he had come from a deeply religious family, and his earliest recordings were spirituals. Soon, however, he was recording blues using the name of Pinewood Tom.

As his skill at playing the guitar grew, he appeared at night clubs in Chicago and New York City. National prominence followed. He became well known as an interpreter of American folk songs. He once said, "I was a folk singer long before I knew what it was called." He composed and sang songs of ordinary people expressing their joys and sorrows as well as their grievances and hopes. Josh White was truly one of the great American folk singers.

In closing, let me again stress to you how beautiful these hand painted Collins Covers will be. The portraits are done as usual by brush with watercolors, but the backgrounds are created by a combination of brush and sponge paint application. The visual impact is terrific, and these two (plus Woody Guthrie and Leadbelly offered previously) will be very welcome additions to your Collins collection.

I'm pleased to present folk singers Sonny Terry (Y2803) and Josh White (Y2804) at $12.25 each.