Merle Travis
Merle Robert Travis (November 29, 1917 – October 20, 1983) was an American country and western singer, songwriter, and guitarist born in Rosewood, Kentucky, United States. His songs' lyrics often discussed both the lives and the economic exploitation of American coal miners. Among his many well-known songs are "Sixteen Tons," "Re-Enlistment Blues," "I am a Pilgrim," and "Dark as a Dungeon." However, it is his unique guitar style, still called Travis Picking by guitarists, as well as his interpretations of the rich musical traditions of his native Muhlenberg County, Kentucky, for which he is best known today. "Travis Picking" is a syncopated style of guitar fingerpicking rooted in ragtime music in which alternating chords and bass notes are plucked by the thumb while melodies are simultaneously plucked by the index finger. He was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1970 and elected to the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1977. |
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Birth and Death Data: Born November 29, 1917 (Muhlenberg County), Died October 19, 1983 (Tahlequah)
Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1937 - 1956
Roles Represented in DAHR: guitar, songwriter, lyricist
= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.
Recordings
Company | Matrix No. | Size | First Recording Date | Title | Primary Performer | Description | Role | Audio |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Victor | BS-014056 | 10-in. | 9/12/1937 | New steel guitar rag | Bill Boyd ; Cowboy Ramblers | String band, with drums | lyricist | |
Victor | D6VB-1982 | 10-in. | 12/17/1946 | Steel guitar rag | Golden West Cowboys ; Pee Wee King | Male vocal solo, with string band | lyricist | |
Victor | D6VB-2155 | 10-in. | 9/12/1946 | Divorce me C.O.D. | Four King Sisters | Female vocal quartet, with jazz/dance band | songwriter | |
Victor | D7VB-0442 | 10-in. | 1/29/1947 | So round, so firm, so fully packed | Riders of the Rio Grande ; Johnny Tyler | Male vocal solo, with string band | songwriter | |
Victor | D7VB-0592 | 10-in. | 7/7/1947 | Smoke, smoke, smoke (that cigarette) | Phil Harris ; Phil Harris Orchestra | Male vocal solo, with male vocal group and jazz/dance band | songwriter | |
Decca | L 9715 | 11/27/1956 | Ruby pearl | Jackie Lee Cochran | instrumentalist, guitar | |||
Decca | L 9716 | 11/27/1956 | Dear Mom and Dad | Jackie Lee Cochran | instrumentalist, guitar | |||
Decca | L 9717 | 11/27/1956 | For you baby | Jackie Lee Cochran | instrumentalist, guitar | |||
Decca | L 9718 | 11/27/1956 | Mama don't you think I know | Jackie Lee Cochran | instrumentalist, guitar |
Citation
Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Travis, Merle," accessed January 28, 2023, https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/105369.
Travis, Merle. (2023). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved January 28, 2023, from https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/105369.
"Travis, Merle." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2023. Web. 28 January 2023.
DAHR Persistent Identifier
Linked Open Data Sources
LCNAR: Travis, Merle - http://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/n86109519
Wikidata: Merle Travis - http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q1276598
VIAF: http://viaf.org/viaf/33145971352032331561
MusicBrainz: Merle Travis - https://musicbrainz.org/artist/13da4ed2-7344-49aa-aa73-004826896c5c
Wikipedia content provided under the terms of the Creative Commons BY-SA license
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