In April 1924, Aunt Samantha Bumgarner and her collaborator
Eva Davis became the first women to record country music. At the same time, Bumgarner
and Davis became the first people to record five-string banjo. Summoned
by Columbia Records, the duo traveled from the mountains of western North
Carolina to New York, where they cut several sides together, and some solo
sides apiece. Neither artist would record again. While Davis refrained from
performances afterwards, Bumgarner established herself as one of the most influential
country musicians—fiddler, banjoist, singer—of her generation. She
passed away in 1960.
Born circa 1878 (or 1880) to a musically-inclined family, Bumgarner
(neé Biddix) nevertheless faced resistance when demonstrating an interest in
playing instruments. Her father finally allowed her to play a homemade banjo—a
gourd with a cat’s hide stretched over it and strings made of cotton thread slathered
in beeswax—before purchasing her a “10 cent” store banjo. Later, her husband Carse
bought her the first “devil’s box” (or fiddle) she ever owned. While her
ambitions may have challenged the “appropriateness of gender roles” at the time
(that is: only a man can fiddle Appalachian mountain music) it was probably
obvious that she possessed what the kids would call “mad talent.” Bumgarner
defeated many a male banjo player in winning contest after contest.
Given the respectful musician title “Aunt” at age 30, Bumgarner
would become a regular at Bascom Lamar Lunsford’s Mountain Dance and Folk Festival.
It was there that a young student, Pete Seeger, was inspired by Aunt Samantha
Bumgarner and her five-string clawhammer banjo technique. In 1939, Lunsford,
Bumgarner, and others appeared at a command
performance for King George VI and Queen Elizabeth, hosted by President
Franklin D. Roosevelt and his wife Eleanor. It’s funny to imagine English
royalty sitting there, squirming stoically, while Aunt Samantha Bumgarner might’ve
torn through a North Carolina dance number like “Big-Eyed Rabbit.”
Our Musicology Department has been working overtime on this
song and we’re proud to present the lyrics, below. My goodness: where to start?
The whirling pace—and rough elegance—of Bumgarner’s fiddle? The cool, yet not
inelastic anchoring of Davis’ banjo? How could we not discuss the clipped,
frenetic vernacular of Bumgarner’s vocals? And what of the song’s story? That
beloved rascal the big-eyed rabbit. Howling hound dogs. Threat of the old shotgun.
The regular “lord, lord” invocation of a deity. The concept of “getting’ there
now” which is mighty ticklish, given the song’s dizzying pace. Clearly, many
people were “rocking” well in advance of rock ‘n’ roll. Would your life be
better if you turned this tune up loud and hopped around? Why yes it would.
Samantha Bumgarner and Eva Davis
Samantha Bumgarner (fiddle,
vocals); Eva Davis (banjo)
Columbia Records
81710 129-D (New York, N.Y., 1924) 10-inch A-side b/w “Wild Bill Jones” [Notably,
“Wild Bill Jones” features only Davis.]
Rabbit oh rabbit done hear them hounds
Yes lord lord they’re gettin’ me around
Get there rabbit rabbit get there now
Yes lord lord I’m gettin’ there now
Rabbit oh rabbit your ears mighty red
Yes lord lord been jerkin’ [up afraid]
Get there rabbit rabbit get there now
Yes lord lord I’m gettin’ there now
You jump out and start to run
Shoot you down with my old shotgun
Get there rabbit rabbit get there now
Yes lord lord I’m gettin’ there now
Rabbit oh rabbit your foot’s mighty round
Yes lord lord make a hole in the ground
Get there rabbit rabbit get there now
Yes lord lord I’m gettin’ there now
Rabbit’s in the garden siftin’ sand
‘Fore tomorrow morning I’ll have him in my hand
Get there rabbit rabbit get there now
Yes lord lord I’m gettin’ there now
Rascal rascal hearin’ my dog
Yes lord lord I want [a call]
Get there rabbit rabbit get there now
Yes lord lord I’m gettin’ there now
sources of information
Appalachian History (.net) article
on Samantha Bumgarner
Banjo News article on
Samantha Bumgarner
Birthplace of Country Music article
on “Big-Eyed Rabbit”
Bluegrass Today article
on Samantha Bumgarner
Bufwack, Mary A., and Oermann, Robert K. Finding
Her Voice: Women in Country Music, 1800-2000. (Country Music
Foundation Press, 2003.)
Cloer, Tom. “Aunt Samantha
Bumgarner: Pioneer in Southern Music.” Pickens County Courier (July
10, 2013).
DAHR discography
for Samantha Bumgarner
DAHR discography
for Eva Davis
Hotaling, Lynn. “Samantha
Bumgarner was a musical pioneer.” The Sylva Herald (May 1, 2019).
Old Time Party article
on Samantha Bumgarner
WIRZ discography
for Samantha Bumgarner
Wolfe, Charles K. “Samantha Bumgarner: The Original Banjo
Pickin’ Girl.” Old Time Herald (Winter 1987-88), pp.6-9.
Wow -- an inspiration for Pete Seeger. I love clawhammer banjo; hope to pick one up some day. Very interesting!
ReplyDeleteHey Ted: yes, Seeger commented that he saw Bumgarner there and that she inspired him. She probably inspired scores of women musicians as well. I think you should pick up the banjo as soon as you can! That'd be fabulous to do a Fanoplane session with you on banjo! ----B.A.
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