Alan Lomax
A well-known and well-read folklorist, Alan Lomax (b. 15 January 1915, Austin, Texas, USA), travelled with his father, John A. Lomax (b. John Avery Lomax, 23 September 1875, Goodman, Mississippi, USA, d. 26 January 1948, Greenville, Mississippi, USA), on field recording trips during the '30s, collecting folk songs and tunes from various States in the USA. They collected songs for the Library of Congress Archive for which Woody Guthrie was later recorded. Until that time, John Lomax had been an administrator at college, who had collected cowboy songs, including Home On The Range, as a hobby. As a result of the Depression and crash of the '30s, John Lomax, now jobless, started collecting folk songs and material on a full-time basis. By the time Alan was 23 years old he was assistant director of the Archive of Folk Song at the Library of Congress. The Lomaxes met a number of singers, who were later to become almost household names, including Huddie ‘ Leadbelly’ Ledbetter, and Muddy Waters. Leadbelly was discovered in a Louisiana prison, but John Lomax managed to obtain his release, employing him as a chauffeur. Lomax later took him to New York where he performed to college audiences. In 1934, John Lomax became honorary consultant and head of the Library of Congress archive of folk song. Alan Lomax travelled to Britain during the '50s and collaborated with Ewan MacColl on the radio series BALLADS AND BLUES. Lomax later returned to the USA to conduct field recordings in the southern States. The results were subsequently released on Atlantic Records as part of a series called Southern Folk Heritage. John and Alan Lomax were also responsible for collecting a number of the songs of the Ritchie Family of Kentucky. In addition to his many other activities, Alan Lomax was still a fine performer in his own right, as can be heard on TEXAS FOLK SONGS, which contains the standards Ain't No More Cane On The Brazo's and Billy Barlow. ALAN LOMAX SINGS GREAT AMERICAN BALLADS, on HMV, included Guy Carawan (banjo), and Nick Wheatstraw (guitar). It featured such classics as Frankie, Darlin Corey’ and Git Along Little Doggies. The latter song had been recorded by John Lomax in 1908, and originates from an Irish ballad, converted and adapted by cowboys. After World War II, Alan was the Director of Folk Music for Decca, and then he worked for the Office of War Information from 1943-44 and then for the Army's Special Services Section until 1945. As a singer, Alan had performed both in the USA and Britain. Twelve years of research culminated in CANTOMETRICS, a set of seven cassettes with a book.