Clarence Ashley
Clarence "Tom" Ashley (born Clarence Earl McCurry; September 29, 1895 – June 2, 1967) was an American musician and singer, who played the clawhammer banjo and the guitar. He began performing at medicine shows in the Southern Appalachian region as early as 1911, and gained initial fame during the late 1920s as both a solo recording artist and as a member of various string bands. After his "rediscovery" during the folk revival of the 1960s, Ashley spent the last years of his life playing at folk music concerts, including appearances at Carnegie Hall in New York and at the Newport Folk Festival in Rhode Island. |
Birth and Death Data: Born Bristol (city in Sullivan County, Tennessee, United States), Died June 2, 1967 (Winston-Salem (city in and the county seat of Forsyth County, North Carolina, United States) )
Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1928 - 1933
Roles Represented in DAHR: vocalist, banjo
Notes: Also seen as: Thomas Clarence Ashley, Thomas C. Ashley, Tom Ashley.
See Also: Thomas Clarence Ashley
= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.
Recordings (Results 26-33 of 33 records)
| Company | Matrix No. | Size | First Recording Date | Title | Primary Performer | Description | Role | Audio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gennett | 13422 | 10-in. | 2/2/1928 | Four night's experiences | Clarence Ashley | Male vocal solo, with banjo and guitar | vocalist | |
| ARC | 13959 | 10-in. | 9/6/1933 | Sideline blues | Ashley and Foster | Male vocal solo, with 2 guitars and harmonica | vocalist | |
| ARC | 13961 | 10-in. | 9/6/1933 | Sadie Ray | Ashley and Foster | Male vocal duet, with 2 guitars and harmonica | vocalist | |
| ARC | 13962 | 10-in. | 9/6/1933 | Greenback dollar | Ashley and Foster | Male vocal solo, with 2 guitars and harmonica | vocalist | |
| ARC | 13963 | 10-in. | 9/6/1933 | East Virginia blues | Ashley and Foster | Male vocal solo, with 2 guitars and harmonica | vocalist | |
| ARC | 13964 | 10-in. | 9/6/1933 | You're going to have the old home, Jim | Ashley and Foster | Male vocal duet, with 2 guitars and harmonica | vocalist | |
| ARC | 13971 | 10-in. | 9/7/1933 | Bay rum blues | Ashley and Foster | Male vocal solo, with 2 guitars and harmonica | vocalist | |
| ARC | 13977 | 10-in. | 9/8/1933 | Times ain't what they used to be | Ashley and Foster | Male vocal solo, with 2 guitars and harmonica | vocalist |
Citation
Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Ashley, Clarence," accessed January 7, 2026, http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/110173.
Ashley, Clarence. (2026). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved January 7, 2026, from http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/110173.
"Ashley, Clarence." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2026. Web. 7 January 2026.
DAHR Persistent Identifier
External Sources
Wikipedia: Clarence Ashley
Discogs: Clarence Ashley
Allmusic: Clarence Ashley
Grove: Clarence Ashley
IMDb: Clarence Ashley
Linked Open Data Sources
LCNAR: Ashley, Clarence, 1895-1967 - https://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/no96008778
Wikidata: Clarence Ashley - https://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q1095358
VIAF: https://viaf.org/viaf/49424005
MusicBrainz: Clarence Ashley - https://musicbrainz.org/artist/47c6e951-67f5-45a8-9644-2e7ca375d084
Fast: https://id.worldcat.org/fast/369479 - https://id.worldcat.org/fast/369479
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