Alvin Blaine wrote:I saw a documentary on the Carter Family and they said that when they went to Bristol TN to record, it was the first time they had ever been more than 50 miles from where they were born. Much of America was like that 100 years ago, but after WWII almost half the country was living in a state other than the one they were born in.
Alvin,
Whoever did that documentary didn't do their geography....According to Wikipedia, The Carter Family's home was Maces Spring, VA.... which is only about 25 miles from Bristol, TN..... so they still were not "50 miles" from home. Do the mapquest if you doubt it. I expect even a 25 mile trip was a challenge in those days.
I also read that they were paid $50 per song on that first Ralph Peer session. To me, that seems like a lot of money for 1927.
Alvin Blaine wrote:I saw a documentary on the Carter Family and they said that when they went to Bristol TN to record, it was the first time they had ever been more than 50 miles from where they were born. Much of America was like that 100 years ago, but after WWII almost half the country was living in a state other than the one they were born in.
Rick Campbell wrote:
Alvin,
Whoever did that documentary didn't do their geography....According to Wikipedia, The Carter Family's home was Maces Spring, VA.... which is only about 25 miles from Bristol, TN..... so they still were not "50 miles" from home. Do the mapquest if you doubt it. I expect even a 25 mile trip was a challenge in those days.
I also read that they were paid $50 per song on that first Ralph Peer session. To me, that seems like a lot of money for 1927.
Maybe it was 25, but it just felt like 50 to 'em, or their mule got lost on the way to the session.
Alvin your first post was quite pertinent
i would add that after WWII, even if apartheid /segregation was in full swing, black & white musicians finally got to play together
