Harry Taussig

Harry Taussig
Birth name	Harry Arthur Taussig
Born	March 31, 1941
Origin	Los Angeles
Genres	American Primitivism, folk
Occupation(s)	Professor
Instruments	Guitar
Years active	1960-67; 2012-present
Labels	Tompkins Square

Harry Arthur Taussig (alternately appearing as Harry Taussig, Arthur Taussig, or H. Arthur Taussig, born March 31, 1941) is an American physicist, biochemist, collage artist, photographer, film analyst, author, academic, and fingerstyle guitarist.

Taussig was born and raised in Los Angeles and attended school in Eagle Rock, California. In 1963 he graduated with a BS in physics from the University of California, Berkeley, where he also studied anthropology and music history. Inspired by blues instrumentalist Elizabeth Cotten and Mozart's requiem, Taussig took up banjo and 12-string guitar and performed on radio station KPFK’s “Midnight Special” folk music program.

In 1964 Taussig took a job as a physicist for Ford-Aeronutronics Corporation in Orange County and began studying art and photography with John Upton at Orange Coast College. In 1965 he recorded his first solo album, Fate is Only Once, under the name Harry Taussig. Played in a single 45-minute take, the record is partially improvised and, according to Taussig, full of mistakes. Issued on a private label, few copies of the original record existed, making it a collectors item for fans of American primitivism and fingerstyle guitar.

The following year Taussig recorded two songs for the compilation Contemporary Guitar: Spring '67 for John Fahey's Takoma label. The album featured similar American primitivists, including Fahey, Max Ochs, Robbie Basho and Bukka White. Taussig's only live performances during this period were informal sessions for friends. He taught guitar for some years and wrote several books on guitar and autoharp instruction for Oak Publications before retiring from music altogether.

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