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| 25 new of 244 responses total. |
tpryan
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response 207 of 244:
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Jun 5 16:04 UTC 2001 |
I heard John Hartford passed away. Gentile on my mind and
all that. Saw him perform at The Ark a time or two. Impressive
to see him pick and sing and dance on a special 'soft shoe' board
that had a mic pickup on it.
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happyboy
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response 208 of 244:
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Jun 5 17:10 UTC 2001 |
last i heard he had been fighting cancer for YEARS
know any details?
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krj
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response 209 of 244:
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Jun 5 17:37 UTC 2001 |
resp:207 :: "Gentile on my Mind" sounds like one of those song parodies
Tim might collect.
Actually the John Hartford song which I think Tim needs the most
is "Good Old Fashioned Electric Washing Machine," from his first album
EARTHWORDS AND MUSIC, the album which also included "Gentle On My Mind."
That's a fave of mine; I have a beat-up old copy I got used. Unfortunately
the LPs from Hartford's earliest recording years, 1967-1970, have never
been reissued by RCA. Most of his work since 1971 is available.
John Hartford's web page is at http://www.johnhartford.com and I guess
he had made arrangements for it to be taken care of while he was ill,
because his death is mentioned there. Hartford's failing health had
been covered over several weeks in the rec.music.folk newsgroup --
always a bad sign -- but he must have had a recent rally because
the web page lists several upcoming live dates for him.
Unlike some performers who have faded away by the time they die,
Hartford had a flood of activity in his last decade. His web page
shows about 15 new CD releases since 1990; I know that I'd given up
trying to keep track of them. He was involved with the soundtrack
for the Coen Brothers film "O Brother, Where Art Thou" which was an
unexpected smash hit by country/folk standards -- last I heard, it had
sold 750,000 copies. Again according to his web site, John Hartford was
to emcee a Carnegie Hall concert with the "O Brother" artists on
June 13.
I only saw Hartford perform once; about 25 years ago at the Ten Pound
Fiddle coffeehouse at MSU. Memories are kind of distant, but I remember
liking him a lot.
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krj
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response 210 of 244:
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Jun 5 17:48 UTC 2001 |
(( I generally disapprove of entire reprints, but this was so good
that today I'll make an exception. ))
Newsgroups: rec.music.dylan,rec.music.folk
Subject: Re: John Hartford R.I.P.
Date: Mon, 4 Jun 2001 21:54:29 -0700
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Filed at 10:17 p.m. ET
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) -- John Hartford, a versatile and wry performer who
wrote the standard ``Gentle on My Mind'' and turned his back on Hollywood to
return to bluegrass music, died Monday at a hospital after a long battle
with cancer. He was 63.
The singer-songwriter, comedian, tap-clog dancer, television performer and
riverboat enthusiast had cancer for more than a decade. He died at about
4:45 p.m., said hospital spokesman Russ Gannon.
``Gentle on My Mind'' has been broadcast on radio or television more than 6
million times, according to Broadcast Music Incorporated, which collects
song royalties. It has been recorded more than 300 times, most prominently
by Glen Campbell in 1967.
Hartford's career rambled from Hollywood to Nashville, with stops writing
and performing on network television, thousands of shows at bluegrass clubs
and festivals, and stints as a licensed steamboat pilot on the Mississippi
River.
At the height of his fame in the early 1970s, Hartford reconsidered his
decision to take an offer to star in a detective series on CBS. Instead, he
returned to Nashville and resumed his career as an innovative, relatively
low-profile bluegrass singer-songwriter.
``I knew that if I did it, I would never live it down,'' Hartford said of
the television series in a 2000 interview. ``Because then when I went back
to music, people would start saying, `Oh, he didn't make it in acting so
he's gone country.'''
Born in New York City and raised in St. Louis, Hartford was enthralled as a
youngster by riverboats and bluegrass music, in particular that of Lester
Flatt and Earl Scruggs. He moved to Nashville in 1965, and his first album
``John Hartford Looks at Life'' was released the following year.
Hartford's version of ``Gentle on My Mind'' from second album ``Earthwords &
Music'' was a minor hit in 1967. The song is about a hobo whose mind is
eased by the thought of a former lover.
Hartford moved to California in 1968, landing a job writing and performing
on ``The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour.'' His went on to the cast of ``The
Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour.''
Returning to Nashville in 1971, Hartford released the landmark acoustic
album ``Aereo-Plain'' and continued to record until his death.
He was one of the performers on the hit soundtrack to the film ``O Brother,
Where Art Thou?''
^------
On the Net:
John Hartford site: http://www.techpublishing.com/hartford
(( krj adds: I didn't check that URL, the one I used was
http://www.johnhartford.com ))
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happyboy
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response 211 of 244:
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Jun 5 19:10 UTC 2001 |
<barry sits here and feels sad>...i got to meet him & his
wife for a sec once, real good down to earth people...i have
an autographed 8*10 from that time..."For Bubba, from John
Hartford" i literally grew up on his music...i use to have his
first album, it may still be at my folks house i dunno.
i saw him a few times at the ark but not for several years, last
time musta been shortly after he was diagnosed, he looked pretty
frail and was *balding*
i treasure his music...he instilled a deep and abiding love for
traditional southern rural music in me, and is the reason for
my playing the banjo.
i think my favorite show was one i saw him do with his son jamie
on mandolin. he kept on subtly teasing his boy and making him
blush. it was real nice.
last i had heard of his illness was about 3 or 4 years ago
maybe during an e-mail/banjo-L exchange i had with the GREAT
SONNY OSBORNE in which he said that "Brother John was fighting
the good fight" and "doing well"
it may seem odd, being a former punker and all, but john has
had a greater and deeper impact on me as a musical person than
beefheart, the pistols, dylan, or even bob marley...really
a deeper impact on me than any other musician.
i will miss him, and as brother pete seger would say:
"may he liven up the heavenly band!"
/cues: "Let Him Go On Mama"
prolly his COOLEST song ever.
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tpryan
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response 212 of 244:
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Jun 5 23:58 UTC 2001 |
I got three authographed CDs from one of the shows I did see.
One, "A John Hartform Anthology" or "Me oh My, How the Time Does Fly"
is a re-recording of this most known and personal favorites. It's
on Flying Fish and might also be available at Borders. Blue Plate Music
put out a John Hartford Live from Mountain Stage' CD last year. Oh
, I didn't mention, his authograph has to be the best in music, as they
look like part of the CD package.
He also joined with David Grisman and Mike Seeger to put out a
CD called "Retrograss", taking tunes like Chuck Berry's "Maybelline"
and making it sound like it came from the 1910's, not the 1950's. That
one I did find at Borders on Acoustic Disc. Try dawgnet.com.
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happyboy
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response 213 of 244:
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Jun 6 13:28 UTC 2001 |
that cd is a hoot.
the anthology has some versions of songs that are improvements
the version of *gentle* i like better as well as the version of
*boogie* which is a more interesting version that the one on
"Areo-Plain"
i was lissening to a fine cd with my gal last night
that i reccommend to any readers which was released
in 93/94
"The Walls We Bounce Off Of"
tim, you'd really enjoy the "All Collision All Explosion Song"
i wonder if Dr. D. has heard it?
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tpryan
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response 214 of 244:
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Jun 6 16:14 UTC 2001 |
Yep, Dr. D has played "All Collision.." "Boogie" and "..Washing
Machine".
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albaugh
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response 215 of 244:
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Jun 7 07:44 UTC 2001 |
Meaning no disrespect out of ignorance, but was it Hartford or Glen Campbell
that made the Gentle on My Mind "famous"?
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gelinas
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response 216 of 244:
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Jun 7 15:42 UTC 2001 |
Glen Campbell's was the only version I can remember hearing.
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happyboy
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response 217 of 244:
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Jun 7 18:03 UTC 2001 |
campbell made it famous.
hartford made it beautiful.
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albaugh
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response 218 of 244:
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Jun 7 22:22 UTC 2001 |
Can you explain the latter statement?
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happyboy
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response 219 of 244:
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Jun 8 16:33 UTC 2001 |
yes, but i won't, stupidhead.
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albaugh
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response 220 of 244:
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Jun 10 06:49 UTC 2001 |
how helpful...
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tpryan
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response 221 of 244:
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Jun 10 16:41 UTC 2001 |
I only recently learned at bangur is a different type of
banjo, not a different pronunciation.
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happyboy
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response 222 of 244:
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Jun 11 12:52 UTC 2001 |
we players refers to them all thu same.
i call mine a banjer.
are you talking about an old-time gourd-banjer?
those are really cool, i've played them a few times
although the whole fret-less experience was difficult
for my playin style.
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tpryan
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response 223 of 244:
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Jun 12 21:52 UTC 2001 |
I seen a bangur that is like guitar with a banjo head/sounder.
banjo body with a guitar fret. Strung and plays like a guitar, plays
a banjo sound.
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happyboy
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response 224 of 244:
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Jun 12 23:38 UTC 2001 |
a banjo-guitar.
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krj
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response 225 of 244:
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Jun 14 06:04 UTC 2001 |
NPR note #1: On Wednesday, "All Things Considered" ran a feature about a
documentary film about the musicians who performed for the film
"O Brother Where Art Thou?" Director D.A. Pennebaker said that the
real star of that film was John Hartford. The film is called
"Down From The Mountain."
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happyboy
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response 226 of 244:
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Jun 14 17:49 UTC 2001 |
i cant wait to see it.
i rediscovered my old wore out tape of
aereoplane, i last played it over a year ago.
i went out and got it on cd, also my sister gave me a
copy of his lat 60's comp :gentle on mmy mind and other
originals"
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bmoran
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response 227 of 244:
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Jun 23 02:30 UTC 2001 |
Some unknown blues guy quit playing down here and went to the club in the
sky. J.L. Hooker I believe was his name. Couldn't spell very well, they
say he had a hit with "Boogie Chillin'" back in the late 40's. Some
'Modern' rockers said they were inspired by him. (What a voice!)
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tpryan
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response 228 of 244:
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Jun 23 13:44 UTC 2001 |
/tpryan lights a single candle.
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happyboy
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response 229 of 244:
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Jun 23 16:59 UTC 2001 |
john hartford
john lee hooker
carrol o'connor
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krj
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response 230 of 244:
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Jun 23 18:51 UTC 2001 |
Carroll O'Connor, of course, has a place in musical history for his
vocal performance on the theme song from "All In The Family."
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dbratman
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response 231 of 244:
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Jun 24 12:22 UTC 2001 |
... a song which has usurped the title "Those Were the Days", and I
often wonder if I'm the only person who remembers another song with
that title, popularized by Mary Hopkin in the 60s ...
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