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Ronnie - Posted - 07/23/2008: 10:58:37
I have been asked to try to find out what information I can about this group. Mr. Johnson was supposedly from my Jackson, TN area and performed during the mid 20th century. Any information about Mr. Johnson, the band or any living relatives would be deeply appreciated.
Information requested by Bill Nowlin of Rounder Records. bnowlin@rounder.com Thank ypu!!
www.bobbythompsonbanjo.com
KLandreth - Posted - 07/23/2008: 11:33:09
Hack Johnson was from Scotts Hill, TN. I have an early Johnson Brothers Songbook (Hack and Clyde Johnson) from WNOX in Knoxville that may interest you. I think Hack moved to WPTF in Raleigh NC a bit later as Hack Johnson and the Tennesseans.
You will also be interested in the early Hack Johnson and the Tennesseeans 78s that are on this recently released set of CDs...
JSP-77110 Authentic Rare Bluegrass
http://www.countysales.com/php-bin/...next_id=5337
The Hack Johnson cuts on CD #4 in this set were recorded in the early 50s and feature a young Allen Shelton on banjo!!!...these cuts are GREAT and are alone worth the price of this CD box set.
If you like your bluegrass with a little grit...this is THE CD set to own. I listened to all 100 cuts on a recent driving trip and loved every inch of them. Phooey on modern slick bluegrass...this stuff will put the short hairs on the back of your neck at full attention.
Ken Landreth
Edited by - KLandreth on 07/24/2008 04:58:34
The Hammer - Posted - 07/23/2008: 11:58:13
AMEN! Ken is right - this is a great set of early Bluegrass CDs.
Dave Hamm
flange5st - Posted - 07/23/2008: 12:38:04
............I had a 45 record that came out of a juke box of Hack Johnson..........the two cuts are Home Sweet Home and the Crazy Banjo Melody............incredible banjo playing by Allen Shelton, especially on the Crazy tune..........I belive that Curley Howard, who used to be a DJ here in Winston-Salem ( WKBX) played sock rythmn guitar on those cuts.........good stuff for sure........peace
.........lay the thumb to the five string.........
fgodbey - Posted - 07/25/2008: 08:29:40
Cool photo, Ken; here's another image, snared from an auction that I lost <sigh>
--Frank
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btw, Ronnie, I sent this one to Bill several months ago, but I expect it's too small to use.
KLandreth - Posted - 07/25/2008: 10:25:20
FRANK....You lost this one...with an Allen Shelton signature!!! Tell me it isn't so.
My songbook is on the way to Bill now...we were having trouble sending HR scans through cyberspace...so I just sent him the songbook. This songbook appears to be from just after WWII...1946 or 1947...and has Johnnie Whisnant on banjo, Roy Myers (the armless musician) on guitar, and Willy G. Brewster (later of the Brewster Brothers) on mandolin.
Who got the songbook on eBay...I'd love to see it.
Ken
Edited by - KLandreth on 07/25/2008 12:12:26
fgodbey - Posted - 07/25/2008: 22:14:56
Alas, it's worse than you think... the back of the book was signed by Hack Johnson, Roy Russell and someone whose last name was Howard (can't make out the first name.) Hack also wrote "Best wishes... W.P.T.F. Raleigh N.C., 5:45am, 1:30pm" I don't know who won the auction; I can't find the you-lost-it message (I save everything!) so it could be that by the time I saw it the bidding had gone out of reach. fwiw, by the date on the saved images, the listing/sale was in mid-Feb 2006.
Oh well, can't win 'em all.
--Cheers, Frank
