Creator

Fieldworker/Collector

Subject

Geographic Term

Music Tracks

Description

One audio cassette. Recorded at his home. Born in Dupont, just south of St. Augustine, on 4 July. His mother ran a jook joint, where he was first exposed to music and dance. He hoboed, played street music, worked for railways, and played at nightclubs in South Florida. In the interviews, he discusses jook joints; writing songs; working in New York; playing the washboard and the ukulele; and plays various songs, some wellknown, others his own compositions. This interview was an exploratory interview for the Florida Folk Festival, and was expanded by Jan Rosenberg the following month. The tape speed is a little fast, noticeable in the higher pitch of their voices approximately half way through the tape. Side two is blank. In 1956, he made a recording with Pete Seeger and Sonny Terry called Washboard Country Band. In 1992, he won the Florida Folk Heritage Award.