John Hartford
| John Hartford | |
|---|---|
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Hartford at MerleFest, 2000
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | John Cowan Harford |
| Born |
December 30, 1937 New York City, New York |
| Origin | St. Louis, Missouri |
| Died | June 4, 2001 (aged 63) Nashville, Tennessee |
| Genres | Bluegrass, country, folk |
| Occupation(s) | Singer-songwriter, instrumentalist, dancer, towboat and steamboat pilot |
| Instruments | Banjo, fiddle, guitar, mandolin, vocals |
| Years active | 1953–2001 |
| Labels | RCA, Warner Bros., Flying Fish, Rounder, Small Dog a'Barkin' |
| Associated acts | Glen Campbell, The Dillards, Jamie Hartford, Down from the Mountain tour, John Hartford String Band |
| Website | www |
John Cowan Hartford (December 30, 1937 – June 4, 2001) was an American folk, country and bluegrass composer and musician known for his mastery of the fiddle and banjo, as well as for his witty lyrics, unique vocal style, and extensive knowledge of Mississippi River lore. His most successful song is "Gentle on My Mind" which won three Grammy Awards and was listed in "BMI's Top 100 Songs of the Century". Hartford performed with a variety of ensembles throughout his career, and is perhaps best known for his solo performances where he would interchange the guitar, banjo, and fiddle from song to song. He also invented his own shuffle tap dance move, and clogged on an amplified piece of plywood while he played and sang.
John Hartford was the great-great-great-grandson of Karl von Rotteck and the great-great-grandson of James Overton Broadhead. His grandfather, Edwin Marvin Hartford, was a first cousin to Tennessee Williams.
Harford (he would change his name to Hartford later in life at the behest of Chet Atkins) was born on December 30, 1937 in New York City to parents Dr. Carl and Mary Harford. He spent his childhood in St. Louis, Missouri. There he was exposed to the influence that would shape much of his career and music—the Mississippi River. From the time he got his first job on the river, at age 16, Hartford was on, around, or singing about the river.
His early musical influences came from the broadcasts of the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, and included Earl Scruggs, nominal inventor of the three-finger bluegrass style of banjo playing. Hartford said often that the first time he heard Earl Scruggs pick the banjo changed his life. By age 13, Hartford was an accomplished old-time fiddler and banjo player, and he soon learned to play guitar and mandolin as well. Hartford formed his first bluegrass band while still in high school at John Burroughs School.
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Wikipedia