Featuring Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee.

Woody Guthrie's FBI Files: http://web.ncf.ca/fl512/woody_guthrie/

Songs featuring the story of John Henry have been sung by many blues, folk, and rock musicians, such as: Leadbelly, Take This Hammer, Sonny Terry & Brownie McGhee, Paul Robeson, Mississippi John Hurt, Woody Guthrie, Merle Travis, Pete Seeger, Wookiefoot, Big Bill Broonzy, Laura Veirs, Josh White, Odetta, Johnny Cash, Ramblin' Jack Elliott, Doc Watson, Fred McDowell, Pink Anderson, John Renbourn, John Fahey, Harry Belafonte, Roberta Flack, Dave Van Ronk, The Gun Club, Little Jimmy Dickens, Bill Wood, John Jacob Niles, Joe Bonamassa, Tangle Eye, Justin Townes Earle, Drive-By Truckersand Those Poor Bastards.

Matthew Sabatella did a John Henry song called "This Old Hammer". Several versions have become standards among bluegrass musicians. Specifically, John Henry Brown is the main character in the song "Walk on Boy" recorded by both Doc Watson and the Rice Brothers. Dave Dudley wrote his own variation called "John Henry". Legendary country singer Johnny Cash wrote and performed "The Legend Of John Henry's Hammer". This is one of many requested songs he performed at his concert in Folsom Prison, California in 1968.

Northern Ireland band 'The Helfire Club' referenced the plight of John Henry in their song "Dead Man's Funk." The Shane Daniel album Yours Truly contains a song called "The Spirit of John Henry." Daniel said this song was about the name John Henry not being used in modern songs. The Supremes recorded a song in 1967 entitled "Treat Me Nice John Henry" which explains a girl's love for John Henry growing and growing and begging for him to be nice to her. Tom T. Hall performed a song called "More About John Henry", which explored John Henry's personal life. During the 1990s, Atlanta based band 'Burnin' Pork Truck' included "John Henry" in every performance. Most recently, Bruce Springsteen performs "John Henry" with a folk band on his 2006 album We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions. It was translated into Norwegian as "Jon Henry" in 1973 by Odd Børretzen.

Van Morrison recorded a rock version of the folk song on his 1998 album The Philosopher's Stone. Henry Thomas also recorded a version of the song. Indie rock/Alt-country group Songs: Ohia released the song "John Henry Split My Heart" on their 2003 album Magnolia Electric Co., and fellow alt-country group Drive-By Truckers released the song "The Day John Henry Died" on their 2004 album The Dirty South. The Smothers Brothers have also used the "John Henry" song as part of their folk satire routine. Canadian group "Cuff The Duke" have a hit song titled "The Ballad of Poor John Henry", while New York art-metal collective The Book of Knots just released a song titled just "The Ballad of John Henry" on their new album, 'Traineater.'

American composer Aaron Copland arranged the traditional "John Henry" for orchestra or chamber orchestra in 1940, a composition that appears on the soundtrack for the Spike Lee film He Got Game (1998), among other recordings.

Jerry Lee Lewis recorded the song as well in 1960. "Smokey and the Bandit's" opening theme says, "You've heard about the legend of Jesse James, and John Henry just to mention some names." With lyrics "...thinking how happy John Henry was that he fell down and died," Gillian Welch, makes reference in album "Time (The Revelator)" song Elvis Presley Blues. Jeffrey Foucault makes reference to several legends and folk heroes including John Henry in the song "Secretariat" on the album "Miles From the Lightning".

American Blues Rock virtuoso Joe Bonamassa released an album in 2009 entitled "The Ballad Of John Henry". The title track of the record sports lyrics like "Who Killed John Henry... In the battle of sinners and saints" and "Give me the hammer that killed John Henry... 'cause it won't kill me no more."

Finally, a British folk-punk band, The Cropdusters, from Hampshire, also recorded a song called "John Henry" in the 1980s. Buck 65 also makes reference to "the hammer that killed John Henry" in the song "Rough House Blues." There is also a southern metal band located in Wichita Falls, Texas called "John Henry vs. The Machine." John McCutcheon sings about John Henry's partner in the song "Greatest Story Never Told".

Steve Earle also refers to John Henry in the song "Steve's Hammer (For Pete)" on his 2007 album "Washington Square Serenade".

MF DOOM references John Henry in the track "Batty Boyz" off his 2009 release "Born Like This" rapping "He work harder than a steam engine like John Henry, Turn dirt to dollars like Don Henley". (less info)