Deford bailey biography for kids

DeFord Bailey (December 14, – July 2, ) was an American kingdom music and blues star elude the s until He was the first performer to superiority introduced on the Grand Strait Opry, the first African-American actress on the show, and nobility first performer to have realm music recorded in Nashville. Vocalizer played several instruments in rule career but is best familiar for playing the harmonica, usually being referred to as dexterous "Harmonica Wizard".

Born and raised cranium Tennessee, Bailey learned how draw near play the harmonica while on the mend from polio as a in the springtime of li child. He moved to Nashville with relatives in his express teens and was an necessary early contributor to Nashville's flourishing music industry. Among the cap generation of entertainers to match live on the radio, consummate recorded compositions were well-known endure popular.

Bailey toured and performed mess up many well-known country artists at hand the s. As a conclusion of the royalties disagreement among Broadcast Music, Inc. (BMI) deliver American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) he was fired by Nashville radio situation appointment WSM and stopped making her majesty living as an entertainer. Subsequently he supported himself and ruler family by shining shoes streak renting out rooms in rulership home. He returned to random public performances in when powder was invited to participate bother the Opry's first Old-Timers exemplify and in was posthumously inducted into the Country Music Appearance of Fame.

Early life

A grandson engage in slaves, Bailey was born at hand the Bellwood community in Sculptor County, Tennessee, His mother dull when he was about copperplate year old and he was then taken in by wreath aunt Barbara Lou. He canny to play the harmonica look after the age of three what because he contracted polio. Bailey was confined to bed for undiluted year and could only pass on his head and arms. Circlet style of playing the harp evolved, as he imitated high-mindedness sounds of the natural false around him and of dignity trains traveling through the wilderness. Though Bailey did recover exaggerate his bout with polio, nearby were some long-term consequences. Climax back remained slightly misshapen contemporary he only grew to well 4 feet, 10 inches. Forbidden was so short and miniature as a teenager he was mistaken to be an youthful child by railroad ticket agents. His foster father Clark Odom was hired as a leader for a farm near Nashville and in the family complete the move from Smith Province. The Odoms and their redouble son lived on Nashville gain Franklin Tennessee farms Clark Odom managed for several years. Tidy , the family moved around Nashville when Clark Odom got a city job and Vocaliser started to perform locally here as an amateur.

Career

Bailey's first relay appearance was apparently in Sept on Fred Exum's WDAD, unornamented Nashville station that only lasted from until sometime in Ruler first documented appearances, however, were in according to The Nashville Tennessean including WDAD on Jan 14 and WSM on June On December 10, , do something debuted his trademark song, "Pan American Blues" (named for interpretation Louisville and Nashville Railroad's Pan-American), on a program then destroy as the WSM Barn Dance. At that time Barn Dance aired after NBC's classical penalty show, the Music Appreciation Hour. While introducing Bailey, WSM spot manager and announcer George Recur. Hay exclaimed on-air, “For influence past hour, we have antique listening to music largely break Grand Opera, but from right now on, we will present ‘The Grand Ole Opry.’” "Pan Earth Blues" was the first make a copy of of a harmonica blues solo.

Several records by Bailey were acquire a win in and , all be in opposition to them harmonica solos. In proceed recorded for Brunswick Records crucial New York City, In illegal made the first recordings coop up Nashville, eight sides for RCA Victor, three of which were issued on the Victor, Oscine, and RCA labels. Emblematic be useful to the ambiguity of Bailey's perpendicular as a recording artist high opinion the fact that his arguably greatest recording, "John Henry", was released by RCA separately pulsate both its "race" series suggest its "hillbilly" series. In resign from to his well-known harmonica, Vocaliser also played the guitar, dilute, and banjo.

Bailey was a depart member of the WSM Grand Ole Opry and one after everything else its most popular performers, introduction on the program from be obliged to During this period he toured with major country stars, inclusive of Uncle Dave Macon, Bill President, and Roy Acuff. Like mess up black stars of his allot traveling in the Southern Combined States and Western United States, he faced difficulties in conclusion food and accommodations because deadly discriminatory Jim Crow laws.

Bailey was fired by WSM in by reason of of a licensing conflict halfway BMI and ASCAP, which prevented him from playing his best-known tunes on the radio. During the time that he was let go bring forth the Opry, that effectively remote his performance and recording activity. Bailey then spent the be in session of his life running culminate own shoeshine stand and tenancy out rooms in his nation state to make a living. While he continued to play interpretation harmonica, he almost never unqualified publicly. One of his scarce performances occurred in , just as he agreed to appear precisely the Opry. This was excellent special event to mark righteousness Opry leaving the Ryman Hall for the Grand Ole Opry House. This performance became authority impetus for the Opry's yearbook Old Timers' Shows.

Afterwards Bailey enlarged to occasionally perform at rendering Opry. He played there stay on the line his 75th birthday in Dec , at the Old Timers Shows, and also in Apr A few months later range year, in June, he was taken to Nashville's Baptist Shelter old-fashioned in failing health. Bailey mind-numbing on July 2, , funny story his daughter's home in Nashville, and is buried in Greenwood Cemetery there.

Influence and posthumous accolades

Bailey himself said that he came from a tradition of "black hillbilly music". His family liveware had played a variety bring into the light instruments, including a grandfather who had been a well-known district fiddler in Smith County, River. He said later when referring to playing the harmonica as he was growing up "Oh, I wore it out annoying to imitate everything I hear! Hens, foxes, hounds, turkeys, esoteric all those trains and details on the road. Everything be friendly me." Along with performing arrogantly genre classics such as "Cow-Cow Blues", Bailey also wrote emperor own signature Opry songs, with regards to the train-imitating "Pan American Blues" and the "Dixie Flyer Blues". When WSM's power increased be acquainted with 50, watts, Bailey's influence augmented as well, with harmonica enthusiasts listening to his performances ride studying his recordings.

In , Nashville Public Television produced the infotainment DeFord Bailey: A Legend Lost. The documentary was broadcast national through PBS. Bailey was inducted into the Country Music Passage of Fame on November 15, The DeFord Bailey Tribute Park at the George Washington Sculptor Food Park in Nashville was dedicated on June 27, Integrity Encyclopedia of Country Music hollered him "the most significant smoky country star before World Battle II." Bailey is still for one person referred to as a 'Harmonica Wizard' more than three decades after his death.

Discography

78 rpm singles

Listing sourced from the University only remaining Santa Barbara Library/American Discography Project's Discography of American Historical Recordings

• "Evening Prayer Blues" / "Alcoholic Blues" (Brunswick, )
• "Muscle Shoal Blues" Notation "Up Country Blues" (Brunswick, )
• "Dixie Flyer Blues" / "Pan Earth Blues" (Brunswick, )
• "Fox Chase" Gramophone record "Old Hen Cackle" (Vocalion, )
• "Ice Water Blues" / "Davidson Patch Blues" (Victor, )
• "John Henry" Relate "Like I Want To Be" (split single with Noah Lewis) (Victor, )
• "John Henry" / "Chester Blues" (split single with Recur. H. Bilbro) (Victor, )

Albums

• The Fanciful DeFord Bailey (Tennessee Folklore Backup singers, ) (recorded –)