John Henry and His People: The Historical Origin and Lore of America's Great Folk Ballad (Paperback) (ISBN-13: 9781476686110)

The song John Henry, perhaps America's greatest folk ballad, is about an African-American steel driver who raced and beat a steam drill, dying with his hammer in his hand from the effort. Most singers and historians believe John Henry was a real person, not a fictitious one, and that his story took place in West Virginia--though other places have been proposed. John Garst argues convincingly that it took place near Dunnavant, Alabama, in 1887. The author's reconstruction, based on contemporaneous evidence and subsequent research, uncovers a fascinating story that supports the Dunnavant location and provides new insights. Beyond John Henry, readers will discover the lives and work of his people: Black and white singers; his captain, contractor Frederick Dabney; C. C. Spencer, the most credible eyewitness; John Henry's wife; the blind singer W. T. Blankenship, who printed the first broadside of the ballad; and later scholars who studied John Henry. The book includes analyses of the song's numerous iterations, several previously unpublished illustrations and a foreword by folklorist Art Rosenbaum.

Author: John Garst
ISBN-10: 1476686114
ISBN-13: 9781476686110
Publisher: McFarland & Company
Language: English
Published: 12/28/2021
Pages: 281
Format: Paperback
Weight: 0.85lbs
Size: 8.80h x 5.90w x 0.90d