Skillet Lickers

The Skillet Lickers were an old-time band from Georgia, United States.

When Gid Tanner teamed up with blind guitarist Riley Puckett and signed to Columbia in 1924, they created the label's earliest so-called "hillbilly" recording. Gid Tanner formed The Skillet Lickers in 1926. The first line-up was Gid Tanner, Riley Puckett, Clayton McMichen and Fate Norris. Between 1926 and 1931 they recorded 88 sides for Columbia, with 82 of them commercially issued. Later members were Lowe Stokes, Bert Layne, Hoke Rice, Arthur Tanner and Hoyt "Slim" Bryant. Their best-selling single was "Down Yonder", a hillbilly breakdown, in 1934 on RCA Victor. They disbanded in 1931, but reformed for occasional recordings after a couple of years with a changing line-up. "Back Up and Push" was another well-known recording. The Skillet Lickers, together with fellow North Georgians Fiddlin' John Carson and the Georgia Yellow Hammers, made Atlanta and North Georgia an early center of old-time string band music, especially the hard-driving fiddle-based style employed by each of these performers.

Birth and Death Data: Born Founded 1926

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1926 - 1934

Roles Represented in DAHR: Musical group

Notes: Leader, Gid Tanner.

= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.

Recordings (Results 101-111 of 111 records)

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Columbia W151027 10-in. 12/4/1930 Ricketts hornpipe Clayton McMichen ; Riley Puckett ; Skillet Lickers ; Gid Tanner String band, with vocal effects Musical group  
Columbia W151041 10-in. 12/5/1930 Hand me down my walking cane Clayton McMichen ; Riley Puckett ; Skillet Lickers ; Gid Tanner String band Musical group  
Columbia W151042 10-in. 12/5/1930 Bully of the town no. 2 Clayton McMichen ; Riley Puckett ; Skillet Lickers ; Gid Tanner String band, with male vocal solo Musical group  
Columbia W151043 10-in. 12/5/1930 Broken down gambler Clayton McMichen ; Riley Puckett ; Skillet Lickers ; Gid Tanner String band, with talking and vocal effects Musical group  
Columbia W151044 10-in. 12/5/1930 Possum up the gum stump Clayton McMichen ; Riley Puckett ; Skillet Lickers ; Gid Tanner String band Musical group  
Columbia W151916 10-in. 10/24/1931 Miss McLeod's reel Skillet Lickers ; Gid Tanner String band, with talking and vocal effects Musical group  
Columbia W151917 10-in. 10/24/1931 Four cent cotton Skillet Lickers ; Gid Tanner String band, with male vocal solo Musical group  
Columbia W151918 10-in. 10/24/1931 Molly put the kettle on Skillet Lickers ; Gid Tanner String band, with male vocal solo and talking Musical group  
Columbia W151919 10-in. 10/24/1931 Sleeping Lulu Skillet Lickers ; Gid Tanner String band, with talking Musical group  
Columbia W151920 10-in. 10/24/1931 McMichen's breakdown Clayton McMichen ; Riley Puckett ; Skillet Lickers ; Gid Tanner String band, with talking and vocal effects Musical group  
Columbia W151921 10-in. 10/24/1931 Whistlin' Rufus Skillet Lickers ; Gid Tanner String band, with whistling duet Musical group  
(Results 101-111 of 111 records)

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Skillet Lickers," accessed March 28, 2024, https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/106155.

Skillet Lickers. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved March 28, 2024, from https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/106155.

"Skillet Lickers." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 28 March 2024.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

URI: https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/106155

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