Josh White
9 Shouts - 127,474 Scrobbles
Biography
Josh White (born Joshua Daniel White in Greenville, South Carolina, 11 February 1914 or 1915; died Manhasset, New York, 5 September 1969) was an American folk, blues, and gospel singer and guitarist.
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White was amongst the first blues performers to attract a large white and middle-class African American following, transcending the typical barriers at the time associating blues with a rural and working-class African American audience, and performed in prestigious night clubs and theatres during the 1930s and 1940s. His best known song at the time was probably "Jelly, Jelly", He recorded in a wide variety of contexts, from recordings in which he was accompanied only by his own guitar playing to others in which he was backed by jazz groups and gospel vocal groups. He was prominently associated with the civil rights movement in the 1940s.
Some of his involvement in political causes in the 1940s resulted in him being blacklisted.Controversially, to escape the blacklist, he testified to the House Un-American Activities Committee regarding Communist influence in the entertainment industry and African-American community. He defended his testimony as a friendly witness to HUAC by claiming that the scope of his testimony was limited, that he did not state anything that was not already known, and that he was sincerely opposed to Communism. However, his testimony affected his posthumous reputation, which has only begun to recover in recent years.
From the mid-1950s until his death, he primarily performed at folk music venues and festivals. He was seen as an influence by Ray Charles, who similarly broke considerable barriers that had hampered blues musicians in the past.
On 26 June 1998, the United States Postal Service issued a 32-cent postage stamp honoring Josh White.
Josh White performed the version of "House of the Rising Sun" that influenced the famous version by The Animals. He also played a version of "In My Time of Dying" (also known as "Jesus Gunna Make Up My Dyin' Bed", which was covered by Led Zeppelin as In My Time of Dying.
Josh White's son, Josh White Jr., is a singer-songwriter, guitarist, actor, educator, and social activist.
User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License and may also be available under the GNU FDL.
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Total plays on Last.fm over the last 6 months- Strange Fruit - (3:07) - 450 plays
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St. James Infirmary - (2:42) - 387 playsLyricsIt was down by old Joe's barroom, on the corner of the square
They were serving drinks as usual, and the usual crowd was there
On my left stood Big Joe McKennedy, and his eyes were bloodshot red
And he turned his face to the people, these were the very words he said
I was down to St. James infirmary, I saw my baby there
- Jesus Gonna Make Up My Dying Bed - (3:03) - 359 plays
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- John Henry - (3:16) - 339 plays
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- Careless Love - (3:15) - 292 plays
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- One Meat Ball - (3:41) - 333 plays
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- Trouble - (3:50) - 193 plays
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- Freedom Road - (2:19) - 144 plays
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- Black And Evil Blues - (3:12) - 141 plays
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- St James Infirmary - (2:49) - 188 plays
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- House Of The Rising Sun - (3:22) - 108 plays
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- Outskirts Of Town - (3:03) - 125 plays
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- Evil Hearted Man - (2:28) - 155 plays
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- Waltzing Matilda - (2:49) - 132 plays
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- Low Cotton - (2:53) - 93 plays
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- I Believe I'll Make A Change - (2:56) - 108 plays
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- Motherless Children - (2:25) - 107 plays
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- Joshua Fit The Battle Of Jericho - (2:38) - 85 plays
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- House Of the Rising Sun (New Orleans Mix) - (3:05) - 79 plays
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- Uncle Sam Says - (2:42) - 84 plays
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