Josh White: Jim Crow Blues

Josh White, like Leadbelly, was a country blues singer from the early part of the 20^th century who found new life and success as a part of the Sixties folk boom. White was born in Greenville, South Carolina, in 1915, and made his recording debut in 1932 with “Baby Won’t You Doodle-Doo-Doo.”

White recorded for a number of labels, including Perfect and Melotone, in the 1930s during his initial incarnation as a country blues performer. In the early forties, White’s music became some of the first African-American music to find acceptance among a white audience when he scored a million-selling single with his song, “One Meatball,” in 1944.

By the forties, White had become a civil rights leader and, in fact, became a close confidant of President Franklin D. Roosevelt. During the decade, White became the first African-American performer to perform at previously segregated clubs, and he later became the first folk/blues performer to appear on a U.S. postage stamp. White also appeared on Broadway as Blind Lemon Jefferson in the musical “John Henry.” White’s appearance on Broadway brought him to the attention of the New York City folk crowd, which at that time included Woody Guthrie, Leadbelly, and Burl Ives.

By the late fifties, White was a fixture in the folk revival and was recording more folk-oriented material. White continued performing in folk music festivals and touring the world up until his death in 1969.

The best collections of White’s music include “Chain Gang” (1940), “Blues and Ballads” (1946), and the great collection of civil rights tunes, “Southern Exposure: An Album of Jim Crow Blues Sung by Josh White” (1941).

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