I'm pretty sure the guy behind Dock Boggs' peghead is the very fine Don Stover. He was from Raleigh County West Virginia, and played bluegrass with the Lilly Brothers and Bill Monroe and on his own. Incredible musician. Is the picture from Newport Folk Festival?
@MusicMan20061210 I think it actually is old Doc Watson. Someone else pointed that out to me some time ago, and I concur. Given the time period in which that picture was taken, it's not too much of a stretch that Doc Watson would have been in the audience. Thanks for commenting!
@rbseaver i dont know if someone has already said this but.. i think this picture is from newport folk fest and doc use to sit on the stage some. doc also covered "country blues". i would imagine that its him also.
Apologies for the stupid question but I assume the photo is of Dock? The only photo I have seen of him is the one of him sitting on a chair with banjo and looking very tall and gaunt.
This is not a stupid question at all, and I'm happy to answer. The photo included with this video is of an older Dock Boggs from the 1960's. The photo to which you refer is one of his early portraits, presumably from the late 1920's.
@MrMikemccabe I thought the same thing. If you research his life a bit you will see why he might have changed shape. He was a bit of a sinner back in his skinny days... I have to admit I have been there ;-)
Here's a funny story. Over 40 years ago, I was used to travel around the mountains and collect songs. Well, I was staying with Doc and his wife. The doorbell rang. Doc asked me if I would see who it was. I went to the door and there stood Mike Seeger. I said to Mike, "sorry Mike, I got here first" and closed the door. Mike and I had been friends for a few yesrs before that. We laugh to this day about that time with Doc.
There's too much snobbery in music. It's right to know the history so you can understand its development. However, it seems all too often it degenerates into a competition to see who can like the oldest, most obscure proponent of the art when all that actually matters is whether the music is good. And this is pretty well fooking superb by the way.
I can't remember who said it, but I'll paraphrase them: "There are only two types of music: good music and bad music". I'm not familiar with the competition to which you refer, but given people's tendencies to try to outdo one another, I don't doubt it exists. Thanks for the comment; your points are valid.
Yeah....I think you're right. Some folks do try to impress by championing old, obscure music. Mayybe somebody would would think I'm one of them, but I truly love Doc Bogg's music. Same with Roscoe Holcolm. I realize other people don't appreciate it, and that's OK I suppose. But it does something deep inside me I just can't explain. It sound sooooo good....timeless.
Agreed, and well said. Thank you! I think the fascination with skin color comes from the notion that blues was strictly the music of one race. If one is married to that notion, then it becomes fascinating when a person of another race "sounds" like the other. When I heard Jimmie Rodgers for the first time and, later, Dock Boggs, my ideas about who "owned" blues, country, etc... changed completely.
Totally agree with ya JosephNScott. Stupid to talk about skin color when it comes to blues music. Blues was evolved from different forms of older music some of which was native American in origin, some which was British and Irish and some which was African.
Here's some old "white" blues I like even better than Boggs: "Bound Steel Blues" Bill Shepherd "Blues In A Bottle" Prince Albert Hunt "Railroad Blues" Sam McGee "Slow Wicked Blues" Darby & Tarlton "Train Whistle Blues" Emry Arthur "Ash Can Blues" Cliff Carlisle "Johnson City Blues" Clarence Green "Haunted Road Blues" Tom Ashley "Worried Blues" Frank Hutchison "Louisburg Blues" Uncle Bunt Stephens "Moatsville Blues" Moatsville String Ticklers "Alcoholic Blues" Louisiana Five
Thanks for the list, man! Sam McGee is great, and I love Cliff Carlisle as well. I've got one of his albums, and love it. One of my favorite Carlisle songs is "Shanghai Rooster Yodel". I may actually sing that one and post it soon. Thanks for the comment and the great list. I'll look into these folks; I'm always looking to expand!
I think it transcends race. He's one of the best blues musicians I've heard, period. Back in those days, whites and blacks got together and they all shared music and lyrics. The distinction between white and black was very gray. Blues was blues, not matter who was singing it. Thanks for watching, and for commenting. I hope to get some more of this old time stuff up soon!
his voice reminds me alot of charley patton on this recording.
Jessespade1 1 month ago
Id like to know who is playing the guitar?
lewisldurham 2 months ago
Can listen to this stuff all day every day, it's real music.
fngrpkn06 3 months ago
I'm pretty sure the guy behind Dock Boggs' peghead is the very fine Don Stover. He was from Raleigh County West Virginia, and played bluegrass with the Lilly Brothers and Bill Monroe and on his own. Incredible musician. Is the picture from Newport Folk Festival?
GuyPowell54 3 months ago
Dock's timing is superb in this piece. Thanks for post!
Canoe571 5 months ago
I like Dock Boggs!
9lontoonieful1 10 months ago 2
no thats dock boggs i actuall hav a cd of him it came with a biography with that exact picture
turkeylegz09 1 year ago
Was this actually originally recorded in 1927?
hermygagala 1 year ago 3
Almost looks like Doc Watson in the audience,behind the peghead
MusicMan20061210 1 year ago 6
@MusicMan20061210 I think it actually is old Doc Watson. Someone else pointed that out to me some time ago, and I concur. Given the time period in which that picture was taken, it's not too much of a stretch that Doc Watson would have been in the audience. Thanks for commenting!
rbseaver 1 year ago 3
@rbseaver i dont know if someone has already said this but.. i think this picture is from newport folk fest and doc use to sit on the stage some. doc also covered "country blues". i would imagine that its him also.
thebetterhalf37 7 months ago
@MusicMan20061210 uncanny
two greatest of the time
TheMahagoni 9 months ago
thanks for posting the worl can never have enough Doc Bloggs
howlin32 1 year ago 2
@howlin32 There really isn't such thing as too much Dock Boggs, is there?
rbseaver 1 year ago 2
He's definately the greatest white blues singer he was real talented with the banjo too... producing complex sounds
busessuck1 1 year ago
If I had not see his picture I would swear this was a black man
MrJaybozo 1 year ago
I like this dude! Hes always drunk when he records and you can sure hear it! Thanks for posting this song or I never would be able to apreciate it!
gnarlyTHRASHER 1 year ago
most of my family are from norton and most of them new dock very well!
edisonphonographfan 1 year ago
This is good stuff!
adamsfancy3 1 year ago
Amazing voice its mesmerizing i love it
carolynan 1 year ago 5
@carolynan It is exactly as you describe it -- mesmerizing!! Thank you for stopping by :-)
rbseaver 1 year ago 2
Mike Seeger, rip, I will miss him--but look what he did for us
foxx2222 2 years ago
Apologies for the stupid question but I assume the photo is of Dock? The only photo I have seen of him is the one of him sitting on a chair with banjo and looking very tall and gaunt.
MrMikemccabe 2 years ago
This is not a stupid question at all, and I'm happy to answer. The photo included with this video is of an older Dock Boggs from the 1960's. The photo to which you refer is one of his early portraits, presumably from the late 1920's.
rbseaver 2 years ago
@MrMikemccabe I thought the same thing. If you research his life a bit you will see why he might have changed shape. He was a bit of a sinner back in his skinny days... I have to admit I have been there ;-)
azairborne 1 year ago
No substitute for this cat. With most musicians, you can say, "well, it's similar to so and so..." Not with Boggs.
billyshake 2 years ago 2
I agree with that statement 100%. He's one of a kind. Thanks for the insight and taking the time to comment! Boggs was brilliant.
rbseaver 2 years ago
@billyshake
This is similar to alot of old time blues players from that time.
RastafariPoet 1 year ago
I luvs ya Unc !! Tru n tru........
muzzajg 2 years ago
Wonderful banjo style
doubleotwentyone 2 years ago
Couldn't agree more! Thank you for watching and sharing your thoughts.
rbseaver 2 years ago
Here's a funny story. Over 40 years ago, I was used to travel around the mountains and collect songs. Well, I was staying with Doc and his wife. The doorbell rang. Doc asked me if I would see who it was. I went to the door and there stood Mike Seeger. I said to Mike, "sorry Mike, I got here first" and closed the door. Mike and I had been friends for a few yesrs before that. We laugh to this day about that time with Doc.
fredcoonbanjo 2 years ago 4
Fred, thanks for sharing this story. Very cool to have been involved in that historic moment.
I also checked out some of your banjo videos, and loved them. The old clawhammer style is great. I'll be watching some more in the coming days.
rbseaver 2 years ago
Looks like Doc Watson in the background just over the neck of the banjo...?
banjoman5424 2 years ago
Nice catch, and I think you're right. I never even noticed that! Thanks for pointing it out.
rbseaver 2 years ago
This has been flagged as spam show
If you want to hear a great blues singer, you must check out Angel Blue's Stormy Monday, it's awesome.
Search Angel Blue Stormy Monday, and you will be WOWed
oldpinkfloyd69 2 years ago
There's too much snobbery in music. It's right to know the history so you can understand its development. However, it seems all too often it degenerates into a competition to see who can like the oldest, most obscure proponent of the art when all that actually matters is whether the music is good. And this is pretty well fooking superb by the way.
mcfcderry 3 years ago 23
I can't remember who said it, but I'll paraphrase them: "There are only two types of music: good music and bad music". I'm not familiar with the competition to which you refer, but given people's tendencies to try to outdo one another, I don't doubt it exists. Thanks for the comment; your points are valid.
rbseaver 3 years ago
think that was duke ellington
thesaudiagenda 3 years ago
i thought the two types was country and western
christofersk8s 2 years ago
naa ,it was rhytm & blues
tubeyrself 2 years ago
Yeah....I think you're right. Some folks do try to impress by championing old, obscure music. Mayybe somebody would would think I'm one of them, but I truly love Doc Bogg's music. Same with Roscoe Holcolm. I realize other people don't appreciate it, and that's OK I suppose. But it does something deep inside me I just can't explain. It sound sooooo good....timeless.
banjite 3 years ago 3
Amen! Old Time snobs buzz off!
coljdwilx 2 years ago 2
@mcfcderry NO just NO
thunderthighsable 7 months ago
Why is anyone talking about his skin tone at all anyways? If you are REALLY listening to his music you shouldn't even notice his color.
I wouldn't care if Dock Boggs was green with yellow dots and orange stripes. He is Wonderful.
CAandRB 3 years ago 9
Agreed, and well said. Thank you! I think the fascination with skin color comes from the notion that blues was strictly the music of one race. If one is married to that notion, then it becomes fascinating when a person of another race "sounds" like the other. When I heard Jimmie Rodgers for the first time and, later, Dock Boggs, my ideas about who "owned" blues, country, etc... changed completely.
rbseaver 3 years ago
Harry Smith wouldn't tell people whether the musician was white or black, its irrelevant
dusty5292 2 years ago
"Why is anyone talking about his skin tone at all anyways?" It's relevant to how music styles interrelated in a segregated era.
JosephNScott 3 years ago
Totally agree with ya JosephNScott. Stupid to talk about skin color when it comes to blues music. Blues was evolved from different forms of older music some of which was native American in origin, some which was British and Irish and some which was African.
ChevyLS1Power 2 years ago
@ChevyLS1Power TOTES!
porkupine73 1 year ago
JosephNScott 3 years ago
Thanks for the list, man! Sam McGee is great, and I love Cliff Carlisle as well. I've got one of his albums, and love it. One of my favorite Carlisle songs is "Shanghai Rooster Yodel". I may actually sing that one and post it soon. Thanks for the comment and the great list. I'll look into these folks; I'm always looking to expand!
rbseaver 3 years ago
definately best white blues musician
williestratton 3 years ago
I think it transcends race. He's one of the best blues musicians I've heard, period. Back in those days, whites and blacks got together and they all shared music and lyrics. The distinction between white and black was very gray. Blues was blues, not matter who was singing it. Thanks for watching, and for commenting. I hope to get some more of this old time stuff up soon!
rbseaver 3 years ago