Book ? ?The Life and times of Mississippi John Hurt?.
I have occasionally reported information on a book that I am writing on 'The Life and Times of Mississippi John Hurt', with Mary Frances Hurt, John?s grand-daughter. Neil Harpe is providing illustrations. I figured that those of you who are interested might like to have an update.
I have been researching this book for two and a half years. My day job kept getting in the way, so the only sensible thing to do was to give up the day job! Apart from earning enough to keep wood on the fire and food in our bellies, I am working more or less full time on the book now. It is a huge piece of work and I had not realised until a recent stock-take how much information I had gathered.
As many of you will be aware John Hurt the person was even more remarkable than John Hurt the musician! I feel that it is important to reflect this, so the book has evolved and expanded into something of a social history covering the settlement of African-Americans and their music in Mississippi and the evolution of John?s special brand of music, incorporating elements of work songs, ragtime, spirituals and blues. It will include a consideration of his early musical influences and perhaps equally interestingly, the local music that did not appear to influence him!
I have pieced together many facts and anecdotes about life in the Mississippi hill country around the early part of the last century, and during the twenties to the sixties and have established a huge library on Mississippi history! The book will cover, apart from his music, the issues that occupied John?s life such as his work, family, and friends as well as local and global events eg WW1 (I recently located John?s original draft registration card), and the great Mississippi flood of 1927, a year before he made the trip to Memphis to make those first memorable recordings. The impacts of racism and the story of the civil rights movement influenced much of every day life and this will also feature.
Numerous old friends and family of John?s from around Carroll County, MS have helped me by patiently allowing me to record conversations with them. Similarly many of the people who knew John during the period of his rediscovery between 1963 and 1966, including some involved in the recording of those first Piedmont records, have been so helpful.
The development of my close friendship with Mary Frances Hurt, John?s grand-daughter has been perhaps the greatest privilege of this adventure and Mary has provided valuable information on the Hurt family genealogy and wonderful and touching anecdotes of her childhood in Mississippi.
Much secondary information has been gathered from transcriptions of interviews with John and from record sleeves, etc. I have also gleaned much material from information posted on this and other forums (especially from john4y). Outfidel is working on a discography that will be included in the book. I will make every effort to fully acknowledge every piece of information, no matter how small. So, if you have important information that you feel should be in this book, and you want a mention, please let me know
I can only provide a short summary here but I hope that it is of some interest. It is a truly amazing story and I feel so privileged to be telling it; and what a journey of discovery!
Delta Dan
7 March 2006
I have occasionally reported information on a book that I am writing on 'The Life and Times of Mississippi John Hurt', with Mary Frances Hurt, John?s grand-daughter. Neil Harpe is providing illustrations. I figured that those of you who are interested might like to have an update.
I have been researching this book for two and a half years. My day job kept getting in the way, so the only sensible thing to do was to give up the day job! Apart from earning enough to keep wood on the fire and food in our bellies, I am working more or less full time on the book now. It is a huge piece of work and I had not realised until a recent stock-take how much information I had gathered.
As many of you will be aware John Hurt the person was even more remarkable than John Hurt the musician! I feel that it is important to reflect this, so the book has evolved and expanded into something of a social history covering the settlement of African-Americans and their music in Mississippi and the evolution of John?s special brand of music, incorporating elements of work songs, ragtime, spirituals and blues. It will include a consideration of his early musical influences and perhaps equally interestingly, the local music that did not appear to influence him!
I have pieced together many facts and anecdotes about life in the Mississippi hill country around the early part of the last century, and during the twenties to the sixties and have established a huge library on Mississippi history! The book will cover, apart from his music, the issues that occupied John?s life such as his work, family, and friends as well as local and global events eg WW1 (I recently located John?s original draft registration card), and the great Mississippi flood of 1927, a year before he made the trip to Memphis to make those first memorable recordings. The impacts of racism and the story of the civil rights movement influenced much of every day life and this will also feature.
Numerous old friends and family of John?s from around Carroll County, MS have helped me by patiently allowing me to record conversations with them. Similarly many of the people who knew John during the period of his rediscovery between 1963 and 1966, including some involved in the recording of those first Piedmont records, have been so helpful.
The development of my close friendship with Mary Frances Hurt, John?s grand-daughter has been perhaps the greatest privilege of this adventure and Mary has provided valuable information on the Hurt family genealogy and wonderful and touching anecdotes of her childhood in Mississippi.
Much secondary information has been gathered from transcriptions of interviews with John and from record sleeves, etc. I have also gleaned much material from information posted on this and other forums (especially from john4y). Outfidel is working on a discography that will be included in the book. I will make every effort to fully acknowledge every piece of information, no matter how small. So, if you have important information that you feel should be in this book, and you want a mention, please let me know
I can only provide a short summary here but I hope that it is of some interest. It is a truly amazing story and I feel so privileged to be telling it; and what a journey of discovery!
Delta Dan
7 March 2006