Sorry, I've been away since before 6:00 this morning (field trip to the Omaha Zoo in the rain - surprisingly fabulous day!) or I would have answered you sooner.
Yes, John Hartford was the lone banjo picker on Laugh-In, and played on the Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour (I think it was called), as well as the writer of Gentle On My Mind.
You may remember him better as the singer/songwriter of the classics "Boogie" (Hey Babe, Ya Wanna Boogie? Boogie woogie woogie with me...) and "Don't Leave Your Records in the Sun" (They'll warp and they won't be good for anyone...)
Back when ChattyK had that megathread on music history, I think I remember several GSers mentioning enjoying his music. That's why I started this thread.
John was a musician, songwriter, steamboat pilot, author, artist, disc jockey, calligrapher, dancer, folklorist, father, and historian. Luckily, he never needed a business card.
Born in New York on December 30, 1937, John Hartford grew up in St. Louis. At an early age, he fell in love with two things: music and the Mississippi River. They were passions that would last his lifetime, and their pursuit would be his life's passage.
He recorded over thirty albums, and was a featured guest on such pivotal records as Sweethearts of the Rodeo by the Byrds and Mudslide Slim by James Taylor. He was a frequent guest and contributor to The Glen Campbell Good Time Hour and The Smothers Brothers Show on CBS television. He added music and narration for Ken Burns' landmark Civil War series, and was an integral part of "Oh Brother Where Art Thou" and the "Down From The Mountain" concert tour.
In 1967, John's song, Gentle On My Mind earned four Grammy awards. Hartford would take home two awards that night, one as the writer and one for his own 'contemporary folk' recording of the song. The other two went to Glen Campbell who had heard Hartford's version on the radio and decided to record it. Campbell's rendition became an instant classic, and the song became one of the most recorded and performed songs of all time, covered by everyone from Elvis to Aretha.
Hartford often said that Gentle On My Mind bought his freedom. He used that freedom to explore his various creative curiosities, and was usually happy to take his friends along on the trip.
John Hartford became mentor and mystic for a generation of pickers, singers, and songwriters. His landmark record, Steampowered Aereoplane (1971) documented his work with Vassar Clements, Norman Blake, and Tut Taylor. Rooted firmly in tradition but sprouting at the top with hippie hair, the group's instrumental mastery and free-wheeling style bridged a musical gap between traditional bluegrass and a progressive new audience, making every song a cult favorite and every live performance the thing of legend. According to Sam Bush, "Without Aeroplane (and the Aereoplane band), there would be no 'newgrass' music."
In 1976, John won another Grammy award for his contemporary folk masterpiece, Mark Twang. The album featured another great set of quirky river-centric original songs, presented in stripped down arrangements, typically featuring only Hartford accompanying himself on banjo, fiddle, or guitar while tapping his feet on an ampl;ified sheet of plywood. The combination was magical, and would become his trademark sound for many years as a solo act.
Those summer days might find him piloting the Julia Belle Swain on her afternoon run, before entertaining the passengers at night. During festival season, his amazing instinct for single-handedly captivating an audience would often have him leaving the stage and leading a processional of joyful dancers through the grounds, like a fiddle-playing pied piper. As the showbill said, "He plays banjo, and fiddle, and guitar, and his head, and his feet, and with your mind."
Later in his career, he would revisit different ensemble configurations, recording and touring with his son, Jamie, and with various incarnations of the John Hartford String Band. At his house overlooking the Cumberland river, John continued to write, record, and fill his hours with music. Already a published author ("Steamboat in a Cornfield"), Hartford also developed an extensive manuscript on the life and music of fiddler, Ed Haley. In 2001, he was awarded a Grammy award for his immense contribution to the soundtrack of "Oh Brother Where Art Thou". His bittersweet appearance on the subsequent "Down From The Mountain" tour was immortalized in the concert film. He died on June 4, 2001.
For the 63 years that he danced among us, John Hartford was student, author, and incarnation of the American songbook. He was both innovator and preservationist, historian and history maker. He lives on in his lovely children and grandchildren, his legacy of music and song, and his legions.
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Tom Strange
who is/was this man? I'm not familiar... and why hasn't dmiller posted here?
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tonto
Didn't he used to play banjo on The Smother's Brother's show back in the 60's?
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Tom Strange
I thought that guys name was 'Dick Smothers'... (hmmm, he should've been a porn star)
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tonto
Maybe he was on the Glen Campbell show? (Now I'm embarrassed to admit that I watched old Glen back in the day).
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dmiller
John Hartford was the author/composer of *GENTLE ON MY MIND*,
A song made famous by Glenn Campbell. :)
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bowtwi
Sorry, I've been away since before 6:00 this morning (field trip to the Omaha Zoo in the rain - surprisingly fabulous day!) or I would have answered you sooner.
Yes, John Hartford was the lone banjo picker on Laugh-In, and played on the Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour (I think it was called), as well as the writer of Gentle On My Mind.
You may remember him better as the singer/songwriter of the classics "Boogie" (Hey Babe, Ya Wanna Boogie? Boogie woogie woogie with me...) and "Don't Leave Your Records in the Sun" (They'll warp and they won't be good for anyone...)
Back when ChattyK had that megathread on music history, I think I remember several GSers mentioning enjoying his music. That's why I started this thread.
Tomorrow after I've slept I'll post more.
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dmiller
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Tom Strange
Thanks. Sounds like a neat guy.
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dmiller
John was the salt of the earth. :)
He took time out from an autograph signing session, to show me how he tuned his banjo,
to the unique Bb tuning he used. :)
That was in Ashland, Wisconsin, about 5 years before he passed.
He and two or three others on stage ----
put on a concert like you wouldn't believe!!
The man was a legend!
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oilfieldmedic
...skippin' in the Mississippi dew
This is one of my favorites fro John...
I had the pleasure years ago to sit in with Doc & Merle Watson
Sounds like John (we've never met) was a true gentleman like Doc'
dmiller, thanks for your post...Bb tuning sounds interesting
John...aka Smokey...aka oilfieldmedic
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