Not Laura Foster This is the fifth post in a series on “Tom Dooley” and related songs. The first post discusses some of the facts behind the story that inspired the song. The following three posts “Hang down your head, … Continue reading →
Neil Young This our fourth post so far on the familiar murder ballad “Tom Dooley.” –The first post discusses some of the history behind the song. –The second post discusses the history of the song itself, from regional to international … Continue reading →
Arthel Lane “Doc” Watson This is our third post this week on “Tom Dooley.” You can read the first here and the second here. Introduction My heart sank just a little after reading in John Edward Fletcher’s book about the … Continue reading →
G.B. Grayson and Henry Whitter [This is the second post this week on “Tom Dooley.” The first post gives the basics of the underlying story.] Hardly a fiddler or a banjo picker in our county… “I’ll tell you all Verlee and I … Continue reading →
Confederate soldier “Not having the fear of God before his eyes…” The Jurors for the State upon their oath presented that Thomas Dula, late of the County of Wilkes, not having the fear of God before his eyes, … Continue reading →
Arthel Lane “Doc” Watson (March 3, 1923 – May 29, 2012) If there are patron saints for this blog, Doc Watson is one of them, at least for me. With apologies to my dad, who was the acoustic guitar player with … Continue reading →
This week’s installment is a decidedly American contribution to the genre, and one not completely shrouded in the mists of history, but only partly so. The events of “Omie Wise” can be pinned down to a known historical event—the drowning … Continue reading →
