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Home » Browse partner collections » African American Museum and Library at Oakland

Interview with Brownie McGhee [Tape #008]

African American Museum and Library at Oakland
Permalink: https://californiarevealed.org/islandora/object/cavpp%3A14826
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Note to User

Background noise and hiss as on original tape. Begins and ends abruptly.

Title

Interview with Brownie McGhee [Tape #008]

Finding Aid Title

Brownie McGhee Papers

Date Created

1994-05-25

Description

Side A description: Silence [00:00]; Moving as a child, jukebox [00:15]; Dancehall in house, bootlegging, Police chief Jim Broyles raid [02:11]; Bootlegging case dismissed by judge [06:00]; Judge convinces him to leave town [07:50]; Moves to North Carolina, New York [08:35]; Police confiscate his car because of bootlegging [10:38]; Travels to West Virginia to play music in the coal fields [15:15]; Moves to Winston-Salem, North Carolina, meets Jordan Webb and J.B. Long [17:09]; Outbreak of World War II, Blind Boy Fuller No. 2 [23:33]; Recorded with Big Bill Broonzy as Brother George and His Sanctified Singers [25:08]; Takes portrait with big black hat for album cover [26:53]; J.B. Long gives him Blind Boy Fuller’s guitar [29:40]; Breaks with J.B. Long and Columbia Records, signs with Decca Records [30:20]; Never played in nightclubs in New York City [32:15]; Moves out of Lead Belly’s apartment to Harlem, manager Nick Ray [33:28]; He was too rough to play in nightclubs [34:08]; Manager goes to war, moves in with cousin in Connecticut [35:40]; Woody Guthrie, Sonny and Brownie in play written by Guthrie [36:40]; Moves to Harlem, plays on the street and in liquor joints [39:47]; Sonny Terry joins him in Harlem, two play together on the street as a duet [41:00] Side B description: Silence [00:00]; Sonny Terry starts singing, learning to play together [00:07]; Identity as folk-blues musicians [06:10]; Sonny cast in Broadway play Finian’s Rainbow, joins musicians union [07:04]; Sonny records hit song, “Tuesday hoppin’ n’ hollerin’” [09:37]; Union musician as member of Local 802 [11:36]; Performing with Jack Dupree, Brownie McGhee and His Jook Blockbusters [13:10]; Playing on Lennox Ave. night Franklin Delano Roosevelt died [15:08]; Jukeboxes and records hurting business for live musicians [16:38]; Herman Lubinski, Savoy Records, drinking in recording studio [22:15]; Brownie McGhee and His Mighty Rockers [32:20]; Sticks McGhee’s song, “Drinkin’ wine spo-dee-dee”, Atlantic Records [35:40]; Contract with Okeh Records, J.B. Long [45:00]

Creator

McGhee, Brownie

Interviewer

Wright, Leslie Ann

Interviewee

McGhee, Brownie

Genre

Oral histories

Media Type

Sound

Format

Audio cassette

Number of Parts

1 Tape of 1

Copyright Statement

Copyrighted. Rights are owned by the African American Museum & Library at Oakland. Transmission or reproduction of materials protected by copyright beyond that allowed by fair use requires the written permission of the Copyright Holder. In addition, the reproduction of some materials may be restricted by terms of gift or purchase agreements, donor restrictions, privacy and publicity rights, licensing and trademarks. Works not in the public domain cannot be commercially exploited without permission of the copyright owner. Responsibility for any use rests exclusively with the user.

Country of Creation

US

Source Institution

African American Museum and Library at Oakland

Source Institution Contact Information

African American Museum and Library at Oakland, 659 14th Street, Oakland, CA, 94612, US, Telephone: (510) 637-0198, email: aamlo@oaklandlibrary.org, http://www.oaklandlibrary.org/locations/african-american-museum-library-...

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