"Walk Right In" Gus Cannon Documentary Cannon's Jug Stompers

[writerrad]

My remarks should be read in reverse order. I have spent the last 2 years doing in dept research on Gus Cannon. anyone who actually knew him or who has unissued recordings or video of him should contact me at writerrad@aol.com. I am working on several scholarly and banjo oriented publications and presentations on him

[writerrad]

Cannon worked as a handiman in the 1950s and early 1960s. He looked for opportunities as the revival started by his health tended to make it harder and he had standards about his own dignity. Frankly the white blues revivalists werent interested in him as a banjo player and so little footage of his playing exists, and few people bvothered to ask him about his playing.

[writerrad]

The medicine show busines fell aprt in the 1930s, but he continued to get some music work playing for rich white people and college frat parties or just busking in the streets in Memphis. He was quite old, born in 1883 and did not record until he was 44. He really represented a whole generation of Black finger style banjoists who came out of the ragtime era who played raggy music and blues on the five string banjo

[writerrad]

He never worked as a full time musician. However from about 1914 to around 1932-33 he would work from late spring to the fall on medicine shows that traveled across the South and mid west and became a major attraction with them, living in Memphis after 1918. In Memphis he worked as a plumber's assistant, gigging mainly in the country to the North or in Arkansas on weekends. He may have also moved back to Mississippi for a time in the 1930s or 1940s.

[writerrad]

As his health and particularly his hands deteriorated, the clawhamer declined into a kind of general strumming, particularly as he tended to lose his finger nails. His 1927-1930 recordings used a version of classic or guitar banjo using four fingers with each finger assigned to a string like a classic guitarist, and the pinkie for tremelos. He also played old time clawhamer and two finger, but not on those records

[writerrad]

Cannon died in 1979. Cannon could identify five different banjo styles that he played, but I can identify at least two other banjo styles he played in addition to what he could describe. In the 1960s and 1970s without a band, he would usually play leads on his songs from the early 20th century with finger style lead, but relying on rolls pretty much unlike his 1920s recordings, and then do the accompaniment of his vocals with a kind of clawhammer,

[eslubin]

he ain't no 100

[jessupar]

@eslubin he recorded in the 1920-1930's. add some 70 years to his age then and you've got his age in this video.

[busessuck1]

@jessupar well actually this was probably shot in the mid 70s so he'd be somewhere in his 70s-90s

[MightyAlz]

I love Gus Cannon. I mean, he's completely insane and most of his records are also completely insane...

[lynettekomidar]

made my day!!

[The14weed]

Awesome Thank you

[curvy71]

wow he lived along life

[writerrad]

Cannon's entire career ended with the depression. He began gigging around 1897 began working medicine shows around 1914 and stopped working medicine shows in 1930. H

[tomthefunky]

He was from Memphis.

[Desdemona202]

COOOL!

[NoRosesForMe]

God Bless you Gus. Lord walk with you and keep you in our hearts and minds. Sounds crazy to some but,,.,,,amen.

[ratherockjournalist]

Gus Cannon had written and recorded a song called "Walk Right In" in 1930. Erik Darling heard the record over 30 years later and along with some friends, recorded it as The Rooftop Singers. Cannon was 79 years old at the time and had been living in a tiny trackside house, heated by coal. His financial situation improved dramatically when newly recorded song caught on across America and went to number one in January, 1963

[friendofthedevil]

hmm...looks like he is picking as well as using clawhammer. Interesting.

[jessupar]

Holy shit. he's 100 there? he only looks about 60 - 75

[tastybitepizza]

i think he's 100 near the start of the video

[JosephNScott]

"i think he's 100 near the start of the video" He gave his age as 41 in the 1930 census, which would make him about 90 when he died in 1979.

[14nitetripper]

Very, very, very cool!!!

[Signzit]

Wow this is so cool!

thanks supro