Josh White
Joshua Daniel White (February 11, 1914 – September 5, 1969) was an American singer, guitarist, songwriter, actor and civil rights activist. He also recorded under the names Pinewood Tom and Tippy Barton in the 1930s. White grew up in the South during the 1920s and 1930s. He became a prominent race records artist, with a prolific output of recordings in genres including Piedmont blues, country blues, gospel music, and social protest songs. In 1931, White moved to New York, and within a decade his fame had spread widely. His repertoire expanded to include urban blues, jazz, traditional folk songs, and political protest songs, and he was in demand as an actor on radio, Broadway, and film. However, White's anti-segregationist and international human rights political stance presented in many of his recordings and in his speeches at rallies were subsequently used by McCarthyites as a pretext for labeling him a communist to slander and harass him. From 1947 through the mid-1960s, White was caught up in the anti-communist Red Scare, and as a consequence his career suffered. Nonetheless, White's musical style would go on to influence several generations of musical artists. In 2023, he was inducted in the Blues Hall of Fame. |
Birth and Death Data: Born Greenville, Died September 5, 1969 (Manhasset)
Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1929 - 1947
Roles Represented in DAHR: guitar, vocalist, speaker
= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.
Recordings (Results 1-25 of 166 records)
| Company | Matrix No. | Size | First Recording Date | Title | Primary Performer | Description | Role | Audio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Columbia | CO27414 | 10-in. | 6/4/1940 | Chain gang boun' | Carolinians ; Josh White | Male vocal chorus, with guitar | vocalist, instrumentalist, guitar | |
| Columbia | CO27415 | 10-in. | 6/4/1940 | Nine foot shovel | Carolinians ; Josh White | Male vocal chorus, with guitar | vocalist, instrumentalist, guitar | |
| Columbia | CO27416 | 10-in. | 6/4/1940 | Trouble | Carolinians ; Josh White | Male vocal chorus, with guitar | vocalist, instrumentalist, guitar | |
| Columbia | CO27417 | 10-in. | 6/4/1940 | Told my cap'n | Carolinians ; Josh White | Male vocal chorus, with guitar | vocalist, instrumentalist, guitar | |
| Columbia | CO27418 | 10-in. | 6/4/1940 | Goin' home, boys | Carolinians ; Josh White | Male vocal chorus, with guitar | vocalist, instrumentalist, guitar | |
| Columbia | CO27419 | 10-in. | 6/4/1940 | Cryin' who? cryin' you! | Carolinians ; Josh White | Male vocal chorus, with guitar | vocalist, instrumentalist, guitar | |
| Columbia | CO27420 | 10-in. | 6/4/1940 | Cryin' who? cryin' you! | Carolinians ; Josh White | Male vocal chorus, with guitar | vocalist, instrumentalist, guitar | |
| Columbia | CO27421 | 10-in. | 6/4/1940 | Jerry (Lord, dis timber got to roll) | Carolinians ; Josh White | Male vocal chorus, with guitar | vocalist, instrumentalist, guitar | |
| Columbia | CO27806 | 10-in. | 8/6/1940 | I don't care where dey bury my body | Carolinians ; Josh White | Male vocal chorus, with guitar | vocalist, instrumentalist, guitar | |
| Columbia | CO27807 | 10-in. | 8/6/1940 | Glory to his name | Carolinians ; Josh White | Male vocal chorus, with guitar | vocalist, instrumentalist, guitar | |
| Columbia | CO27808 | 10-in. | 8/6/1940 | Lord, have mercy | Carolinians ; Josh White | Male vocal chorus, with guitar | vocalist, instrumentalist, guitar | |
| Columbia | CO27809 | 10-in. | 8/6/1940 | King Jesus knows I'm comin' | Carolinians ; Josh White | Male vocal chorus, with guitar | vocalist, instrumentalist, guitar | |
| Columbia | CO27810 | 10-in. | 8/6/1940 | Moan, chillun, moan | Carolinians ; Josh White | Male vocal chorus, with guitar | vocalist, instrumentalist, guitar | |
| Columbia | CO27811 | 10-in. | 8/6/1940 | I wonder will my mother be on dat train | Carolinians ; Josh White | Male vocal chorus, with guitar | vocalist, instrumentalist, guitar | |
| Columbia | CO27812 | 10-in. | 8/6/1940 | Son in de mornin' | Carolinians ; Josh White | Male vocal chorus, with guitar | vocalist, instrumentalist, guitar | |
| Columbia | CO27813 | 10-in. | 8/6/1940 | I want Jesus to walk with me | Carolinians ; Josh White | Male vocal chorus, with guitar | vocalist, instrumentalist, guitar | |
| Columbia | 30482 | 10-in. | 5/16/1941 | I lay a-dreamin' | Josh White | Male vocal solo, with clarinet, guitar, string bass, and drums | vocalist, instrumentalist, guitar | |
| Columbia | 30483 | 10-in. | 5/16/1941 | Gotta go | Josh White | Male vocal solo, with clarinet, guitar, string bass, and drums | vocalist, instrumentalist, guitar | |
| Columbia | 30484 | 10-in. | 5/16/1941 | Eve's apple tree | Josh White | Male vocal solo, with clarinet, guitar, string bass, and drums | vocalist, instrumentalist, guitar | |
| Columbia | 30485 | 10-in. | 5/16/1941 | No good woman | Josh White | Male vocal solo, with clarinet, guitar, string bass, and drums | vocalist, instrumentalist, guitar | |
| Columbia | 30486 | 10-in. | 5/16/1941 | She's a married woman | Josh White | Male vocal solo, with clarinet, guitar, string bass, and drums | vocalist, instrumentalist, guitar | |
| Columbia | 30487 | 10-in. | 5/16/1941 | No good buddy | Josh White | Male vocal solo, with clarinet, guitar, string bass, and drums | vocalist, instrumentalist, guitar | |
| Gennett | 15555 | 10-in. | 9/6/1929 | Wang-wang harmonica blues | Carver Boys ; Josh White | Instrumental ensemble | instrumentalist, guitar | |
| Decca | 70561 | 10-in. | 3/23/1942 | Baby baby | Libby Holman | instrumentalist, guitar | ||
| Decca | 70562 | 10-in. | 3/23/1942 | Hansom Winsome Johnny ; Old smokey | Libby Holman | instrumentalist, guitar |
Citation
Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "White, Josh," accessed December 24, 2025, http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/210959.
White, Josh. (2025). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved December 24, 2025, from http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/210959.
"White, Josh." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2025. Web. 24 December 2025.
DAHR Persistent Identifier
External Sources
Wikipedia: Josh White
Discogs: Josh White
Allmusic: Josh White
Grove: Josh White
IMDb: Josh White
Britannica: Josh White
Linked Open Data Sources
LCNAR: White, Josh - https://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/n82090944
Wikidata: Josh White - https://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q956275
VIAF: https://viaf.org/viaf/17410229
MusicBrainz: Josh White - https://musicbrainz.org/artist/f0b3af36-a38b-4e5e-bf9a-d25ae11ca741
Fast: https://id.worldcat.org/fast/95113 - https://id.worldcat.org/fast/95113
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