[Magdalen] RIP Fred Hellerman, 89.

[Charles Wohlers]

Wikipedia acknowledges antecedents, but, in its present form, the source is 
Lead Belly. On their LP's, the Weavers credit Lead Belly as the author.

Chad Wohlers
Woodbury, VT USA
chadwohl at satucket.com



-----Original Message----- 
From: Sibyl Smirl
Sent: Saturday, September 03, 2016 5:44 PM
To: magdalen at herberthouse.org
Subject: Re: [Magdalen] RIP Fred Hellerman, 89.

Are you certain that it was _written_ by Leadbelly?  He was the first to
record it, but it's usually referred to as a folk song, that is, one
that's been around well before the advent of recorded music.  I wonder
when the first sheet music or songbook including it was published....

On 9/3/16 12:13 PM, Charles Wohlers wrote:
> "Goodnight Irene" was written by Huddie Ledbetter (Leadbelly), in the
> 1930's. It was popularized by the Weavers when they issued it as a
> single ~1950.
>
> Chad Wohlers
> who just acquired a "treasure trove" of 78's, some >100 yrs. old - but
> no "Goodnight Irene"
> Woodbury, VT USA
> chadwohl at satucket.com
>
>
> -----Original Message----- From: Sibyl Smirl
> Sent: Saturday, September 03, 2016 11:49 AM
> To: magdalen at herberthouse.org
> Subject: Re: [Magdalen] RIP Fred Hellerman, 89.
>
> Bands always used to do "Goodnight Irene" as their last song of the last
> set, even just instrumental, to clue people to get it together and go
> home from wherever they were, even things like community "sings" that
> didn't have a professional band, and music variety programs on radio
> before television.  You were probably familiar with it subliminally even
> before you learned to talk.  It was around before there were recordings.
>
>


-- 
Sibyl Smirl
I will take no bull from your house!  Psalms 50:9a
mailto:polycarpa3 at ckt.net