George Reneau

George McKinley Reneau (May 18, 1902 – June 5, 1938) was an American blind street musician who became one of country music's earliest recording artists. Known as "The Blind Musician of the Smoky Mountains", Reneau recorded more than 50 songs on the Vocalion and Edison labels in the mid-1920s. While he is credited on his early recordings as a solo artist on vocals, guitar and harmonica, the singing on many if not most of his songs was by an uncredited Gene Austin, a vaudville performer and Tin Pan Alley composer who would become one of the most successful recording artists of the era.

Birth and Death Data: Born 1901 (Jefferson County), Died 1933 (Knoxville)

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1924 - 1925

Roles Represented in DAHR: vocalist, guitar, harmonica

Notes: Often sub-credited as "The Blind Musician of the Smoky Mountains."

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

Recordings (Results 26-50 of 58 records)

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Brunswick 1501W-1503W 10-in. 10/16/1925 The two orphans George Reneau Male vocal solo, with guitar and harmonica instrumentalist, guitar, harmonica, vocalist  
Edison 9727 10-in. 9/22/1924 Lonesome road blues Blue Ridge Duo Male vocal solo, with guitar and harmonica instrumentalist, guitar, harmonica  
Edison 9728 10-in. 9/22/1924 Blue Ridge blues Blue Ridge Duo Male vocal solo, with guitar and harmonica instrumentalist, guitar, harmonica  
Edison 9729 10-in. 9/22/1924 Turkey in the straw Blue Ridge Duo Male vocal solo, with guitar and harmonica instrumentalist, guitar, harmonica  
Edison 9730 10-in. 9/23/1924 Little brown jug Blue Ridge Duo Male vocal solo, with guitar and harmonica instrumentalist, guitar, harmonica  
Edison 9731 10-in. 9/23/1924 You will never miss your mother until she is gone Blue Ridge Duo Male vocal solo, with guitar and harmonica instrumentalist, guitar, harmonica  
Edison 9732 10-in. 9/23/1924 Arkansas traveler (Breakdown) Blue Ridge Duo Male vocal solo, with guitar and harmonica instrumentalist, guitar, harmonica  
Edison 9735 10-in. 9/24/1924 Life's railway to heaven Blue Ridge Duo Male vocal solo, with guitar and harmonica instrumentalist, guitar, harmonica  
Edison 9736 10-in. 9/24/1924 Susie Ann Blue Ridge Duo Male vocal solo, with guitar and harmonica instrumentalist, guitar, harmonica  
Vocalion 13054 10-in. Apr. 1924 Wreck on the Southern ‘97 George Reneau Male vocal solo, with guitar and harmonica instrumentalist, guitar, harmonica, vocalist  
Vocalion 13058 10-in. Apr. 1924 Lonesome road blues George Reneau Male vocal solo, with guitar and harmonica instrumentalist, guitar, harmonica, vocalist  
Vocalion 13061 10-in. Apr. 1924 Little brown jug George Reneau Male vocal solo, with guitar and harmonica instrumentalist, guitar, harmonica, vocalist  
Vocalion 13069 10-in. Apr. 1924 You will never miss your mother till she’s gone George Reneau Male vocal solo, with guitar and harmonica instrumentalist, guitar, harmonica, vocalist  
Vocalion 13072 10-in. Apr. 1924 Turkey in the straw George Reneau Male vocal solo, with guitar and harmonica instrumentalist, guitar, harmonica, vocalist  
Vocalion 13076 10-in. April 1924 Life's railway to heaven George Reneau Male vocal solo, with guitar and harmonica instrumentalist, guitar, harmonica, vocalist  
Vocalion 13079 10-in. Apr. 1924 Casey Jones George Reneau Male vocal solo, with guitar and harmonica instrumentalist, guitar, harmonica, vocalist  
Vocalion 13112 10-in. Apr. 1924 Susie Ann George Reneau Male vocal solo, with guitar and harmonica instrumentalist, guitar, harmonica, vocalist  
Vocalion 13114 10-in. May 1924 Blue Ridge blues George Reneau Male vocal solo, with guitar and harmonica instrumentalist, guitar, harmonica, vocalist  
Vocalion 13116 10-in. Apr. 1924 When you and I were young, Maggie George Reneau Male vocal solo, with guitar and harmonica instrumentalist, guitar, harmonica, vocalist  
Vocalion 13120 10-in. Apr. 1924 Here rattler here George Reneau Male vocal solo, with guitar and harmonica instrumentalist, guitar, harmonica, vocalist  
Vocalion 13122 10-in. Apr. 1924 Arkansas traveler George Reneau Male vocal solo, with guitar and harmonica instrumentalist, guitar, harmonica, vocalist  
Vocalion 13666-13667 10-in. 9/10/1924 Red Wing George Reneau Male vocal solo, with guitar and harmonica vocalist  
Vocalion 13677-13678 10-in. 9/12/1924 Jesse James George Reneau Male vocal solo, with guitar and harmonica vocalist  
Vocalion 13679-13680 10-in. 9/12/1924 Birmingham George Reneau Male vocal solo, with guitar and harmonica vocalist  
Vocalion 13681-13682 10-in. 9/12/1924 New Market wreck George Reneau Male vocal solo, with guitar and harmonica vocalist  
(Results 26-50 of 58 records)

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Reneau, George," accessed April 25, 2024, https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/113118.

Reneau, George. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved April 25, 2024, from https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/113118.

"Reneau, George." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 25 April 2024.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

URI: https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/113118

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