GUSSIE L.DAVIS
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Gussie Lord Davis (December 3, 1863 – October 18, 1899) was an African-American songwriter born in Dayton, Ohio. Davis was one of America's earliest successful African-American music artists, the first Black songwriter to become famous on Tin Pan Alley as a composer of popular music.
Gussie Davis received musical training at the Nelson Musical College in Cincinnati, Ohio, where his application was rejected due to his color. Instead, he worked as a janitor at a low wage in exchange for private lessons. His first song was published in 1880, "We Sat Beneath the Maple on the Hill"; Davis published it himself, paying a local printer $20, and sold enough copies to make his money back plus a little more. He continued his songwriting efforts with increasing success, publishing many songs and attracting attention, including that of Cincinnati publisher and would-be lyricist, George Propheter.
In 1886, when Propheter branched out his business to New York and Tin Pan Alley, Davis went with him. He worked steadily, performing as well as writing songs, and making a name for himself. By 1895, he was sufficiently well-known to be selected to compete in a contest sponsored by the New York World to find the ten best songwriters in the nation; he placed second with his song, "Send Back the Picture and the Ring", and won a prize of $500 in gold. He performed as a pianist in venues such as Bergen Star Concerts and toured with minstrel groups including his own Davis Operatic and Plantation Minstrels.
Davis wrote a variety of musical forms, including sentimental ballads, comic minstrel songs, art songs, and choral music. He was best known in his own time for his "tear-jerkers". One of these was "Fatal Wedding" (1893), his first national hit; Davis composed the music, a waltz, while the words are credited to William H. Windom, a well-known ballad singer. Another tear-jerker was "In the Baggage Coach Ahead", Davis's most commercially successful composition, selling over a million copies. The success of "In the Baggage Coach" was fueled by the popular female vaudeville singer, Imogene Comer, who made it part of her regular repertoire.
At the time of his death, Gussie Davis had published more than three hundred songs and certainly left more in manuscript.
Selected songs
"We Sat Beneath The Maple on The Hill" (1880)
"Light House by The Sea" (1886)
"Little Footsteps in The Snow" (1886)
"Wait Till The Tide Comes In" (1887), words by George Propheter
"Why Does Papa Stay So Late?" (1889)
"Fatal Wedding" (1893), words by William H. Windom
"Only a Bowery Boy" (1894), words by Charles B. Ward
"Down in Poverty Row" (1895), music by Arthur Trevelyan
"In The Baggage Coach Ahead" (1896)
"She Waited at The Altar in Vain" (1897)
"My Creole Sue" (1898)
Also notable is Davis's "Irene, Good Night" (1886), which entered the folk song repertoire, albeit significantly altered, as "Goodnight, Irene" in Negro Folk Songs as Sung by Lead Belly (1936).
Wikipedia
sung by Vernon Dalhart
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De lluny, la història més interessant sobre la cançó popular nord-americana, " Goodnight Irene ", prové del pioner folk-blues Huddie Ledbetter (conegut com Leadbelly) .
En 1925, Leadbelly va rebre un perdó del governador de Texas després de ser condemnat per assassinat. Havia escrit una cançó en la seva pròpia defensa i el perdó li va alleujar una condemna prèvia.
Leadbelly es va trobar empresonat una vegada més en 1930, aquesta vegada per intent d'assassinat a Louisiana. Afortunadament per a ell, però, els recol·lectors de cançons populars John i Alan Lomax es van trobar amb ell mentre que Leadbelly estava en una colla de cadenes. La parella va recollir cançons populars per a un arxiu de Library of Congress i va quedar immediatament atrapada per la veu de tenor de Leadbelly i el repertori impressionant de cançons.
Leadbelly va cantar " Goodnight Irene " per a John Lomax. El folklorista va portar la cançó al governador, que va alliberar a Leadbelly amb la condició que estigués sota l'atenció de Lomax. El músic, per descomptat, es va convertir en un dels artistes afroamericans més influents de la història. Tot va ser gràcies a " Goodnight Irene ".
La cançó, però, no va ser escrita per Leadbelly.
Els seus orígens es remunten a una cançó de Gussie L. Davis el 1889, un any després que Leadbelly va néixer a Louisiana. Leadbelly va dir que va aprendre la cançó del seu oncle.
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