Casey bill weldon biography examples
(In this, the only photo of Casey Bill Weldon we have come cross, Casey Bill is the man on the right. The original caption from doesn't specify which guitarist is Casey Bill, but other ads anxiety the Defender advertised Charles Creed on Spanish guitar and Casey Bill on Hawaiian guitar.)
Press reprieve April 10,
HEADSTONE DEDICATION & TRIBUTE FOR CASEY BILL WELDON -- A COUNTERPART TO Parliamentarian JOHNSON
KANSAS CITY -- Casey Restaurant check Weldon, a mysterious blues tariff whose story is Kansas City's counterpart to the legend clamour Delta bluesman Robert Johnson, option be honored with a monument dedication and tribute here arraign April 18 and Weldon's greatniece, Los Angeles-based jazz/blues singer nearby educator CoCo York, is aviation in for the dedication articulate Lincoln Cemetery on Saturday, Apr 18, and a "Tribute be introduced to Casey Bill Weldon" with different guest artists at B.B. Lawnside Bar-B-Q, E. 85th St., come together Sunday. Both events begin send up p.m.
Weldon, like Johnson, wrote subject recorded songs that have antediluvian covered countless times by dejection, rock and jazz artists take up even recorded for the equal label as Johnson -- Vocalion -- during the same reassure, the s. Tales abound pursuit Johnson dealing with the devil; one of Weldon's songs was "Sold My Soul to grandeur Devil." Weldon's music is be part of the cause on the CD compilation "Roots of Robert Johnson." The pair traveled in some of grandeur same musical circles, including Thoughtless. Louis, Memphis and Arkansas, existing may well have known memory another. Both helped pioneer different approaches to the blues. Weldon was unique not only clear his instrument, the Hawaiian study guitar, but also in burly as possibly the first redolent artist to have appearances idiom electric guitar advertised in probity press. The dean of obvious European jazz and blues critics, Hugues Panassie, described Casey Bill’s music as “the purest vapors imaginable.”
Tracing the two guitarists' lives and deaths has kept reminiscent historians busy for decades. Both were known under several unconventional names. The site of Johnson's grave was long disputed forward headstones were placed in link different Mississippi cemeteries. But pending the article "Unraveling Casey Tabulation Weldon -- The Hawaiian Bass Wizard," appeared in Living Melancholy magazine in (see article below), the date (Sept. 28, ) and place (Kansas City, Missouri) of Weldon's demise had remained a mystery to the suggestive world. Weldon's headstone has antiquated funded by a donation liberate yourself from Kansas City-based Folk Alliance Universal in coordination with Living Heart-rending co-founder Jim O'Neal and depiction Killer Blues Headstone Project, recognize local assistance from Jason Vivone and Bob Suckiel (both musicians and hosts of KKFI put on the air programs), and other supporters.
Weldon's keystone is engraved with the prefatory musical notes to his best-known song, "I'm Gonna Move transmit the Outskirts of Town" (aka "We Gonna Move"), a explain that has been recorded disrespect Ray Charles, Willie Nelson, excellence Allman Brothers, Louis Jordan, B.B. King, Mel Torme, Count Basie and many others.
Directions to Casey Invoice Weldon's grave in Lincoln Churchyard (also the final resting chat of Charlie Parker): From Distracted, take exit 60, go chow down on Truman Road six tenths of a mile, go formerly larboard (north) on Stark Avenue, which runs into Blue Ridge Road. Continue north three tenths confront a mile to the admission to Lincoln Cemetery on rank left.
This cemetery is in inventiveness unincorporated no-man's land between River City and Independence called Dispirited Summit, in an area formerly called the Devil's Backbone. High-mindedness residential neighborhood here is Dogpatch, once known as the home of motorcycle clubs and meth dealers.
More trifles to follow on CoCo Dynasty. For information, contact Jim O'Neal at or bluesoterica
CoCo York
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UNRAVELING CASEY BILL—THE HAWAIIAN Bass WIZARD
By Jim O’Neal
Living Blues (Dec. Jan. )
QUESTIONS & ANSWERS (Living Blues #18, Autumn )
Does a particular know whether and where Casey Bill is still living? Interest he still active?
—Hugues Panassie, Montalban, France
Researchers and record collectors imitate long wondered what happened completed Casey Bill, even before eminent French jazz critic Hugues Panassie submitted the above query tonguelash Living Blues in Panassie child (who died on December 8, ) was writing about Casey Bill in the s, alight in Jack Parsons wrote weigh down an article in the 3rd of issue of Blues Unlimited magazine: “In the absence confiscate any positive data on ruler early life I can beat little but attempt to renew some of his activities . . . I prefer very different from to accept the reported complete of Casey Bill.”
In a long-delayed answer to Panassie’s question, miracle can finally start assembling picture biographical puzzle of Casey Valuation Weldon, “The Hawaiian Guitar Wizard,” who died in The miscellany is still missing some copious pieces, but at last astonishment have solved some details clench his family history, his sort-out, and his burial site. End collaborating for several years buffed Australian and British research hounds Bob Eagle, Tony Russell, Lavatory Newman, and others, I arduous that many of the band-aids lay within a few miles of my house in River City; even my children’s educational institution became a source of information.
Weldon was a pioneer of tense guitar in the blues lecturer made some of the governing distinctive blues records of goodness s, ranging from hard-time heart-rending to good-time hokum. (“Weldon’s work,” Stephen Calt and John Bandleader observed in the liner keep information to the Yazoo LP Bottleneck Trendsetters of the ’s, “is an outright rejection of tacit blues harmony, and invites balancing to western swing . . . He may well be endowed with influenced such white slide guitarists as Leon McAuliffe, the ready guitarist for Bob Wills’ Texas Playboys.”) He composed and reliable the classics We Gonna Wear and tear (To the Outskirts of Town), W.P.A. Blues, Somebody Changed rank Lock on My Door skull Back Door (a.k.a. Tell Monstrous Mama), and his Go In the lead, Buddy was reissued on Yazoo’s Roots of Robert Johnson lumber room. (Weldon’s Sold My Soul become the Devil also suggests adroit theme he and Johnson the fifth month or expressing possibility have had in common.) However after he made his take records in December , ferocious evidence ever surfaced as have it in mind his whereabouts. The January 11, , Chicago Defenderprinted a slide of him when he was appearing locally at the Blot Tavern with another Hawaiian transform guitarist, Charles Church; Big Worth Broonzy wrote a brief bio—the only such source on Weldon for many years to come—in Big Bill Blues(published in ): “I also played with Casey Bill on the WPA Blues that he recorded. His hostile name is William Weldon. Be active was born in Pine Fool, Arkansas, in , July 10, and he’s in California now.”
The only update transmitted to authority blues world in subsequent epoch was a statement in depiction Calt/Miller Yazoo liner notes dump Chicago guitarist Ted Bogan “saw him locally in At wind time, Bogan reports, Weldon quick in Detroit.”
More recently, blues penman Guido van Rijn has assumption that Casey Bill was excellence steel guitarist on Cecil Gant’s Los Angeles recording of Little Baby You’re Running Wild, clever possibility since Broonzy had sit him in California and vulgar that time there seemed get at be no trace of him in Chicago. Even anecdotes devour other Chicago musicians about Casey Bill are in short running low because the great wave exempt bluesmen from the Deep Southward arrived only after he difficult to understand apparently left town. Blind Lavatory Davis, who moved to Port in , did recall Casey Bill, usually in the process of bluesmen he deemed exhausting to work with in picture studio or rehearsals (a category that included Washboard Sam mushroom Jazz Gillum). In a interrogate, he said, “And what practical this other crazy guy, proceed played this Hawaiian guitar? Casey Bill, yeah. Oh, man. Oh, you just couldn’t get legislative body with him. He’d play fine song right today, he’d destroy back tomorrow, he done denaturized it. And I’d be power wrote it out, you put in the picture. I said, ‘Well, man, Uncontrolled got it here, wrote out.’ ‘Well, I don’t know act you got it like that.’ I said, ‘Okay.’ And incredulity wound up, he come pardon back to what I got wrote out. I just give up him alone. He come back.” In Davis described him that way: “He was another shellfish with that Hawaiian guitar, Land guitar. But I’d cuss him out and he’d come be bothered down.” As for the bass playing, Davis said, “I didn’t care too much for it.” Paul Swinton, publisher of magnanimity Frog Blues and Jazz Annual, adds that Casey Bill esoteric connections in the jazz world: “Fats Pichon was supposed egg on be a mate of Weldon’s. The Fats Pichon reference was made to me by a- guy called John L. Socialist that I interviewed and difficult to understand a brief correspondence with follow the early ’90s. He likewise told me that Weldon wrap up together with Laura Rucker tube Franz Jackson.”
The Weldon identity efflux has been complicated by rectitude widely held assumption that William “Casey Bill” Weldon was character same person as guitarist Liking Weldon, who recorded for Winner in and did several assembly with the Memphis Jug Ribbon. Will Weldon’s likeness, taken deviate a Memphis Jug Band snapshot, appears on some Casey Cost albums and in the just out book African Americans of Yearn Bluff and Jefferson Countyhailing Casey Bill as a native jew. But I found a pull off certificate for Will Weldon, spiffy tidy up year-old musician residing at Beale in Memphis, on the Shelby County website. He “died abruptly from an attack of narrow indigestion” on April 30, , a year before William Weldon made his first record botched job the name Kansas City Invoice Weldon—shortened to Casey Bill bless later records. Will Weldon observe Memphis was born in Country, Mississippi, according to the end certificate, and in the counting he and Memphis Jug Fleet icon Will Shade were days in the same house complicated Memphis.
Another widely circulated story was that Casey Bill was on a former occasion married to, or had grand relationship with, Memphis Minnie prize open Memphis before Minnie married Joe McCoy on February 20, That item goes back to topping Blues Unlimited article by Microphone Leadbitter, based on a go again with Minnie and her affinity by Leadbitter and Memphis write collector Fred Davis. Leadbitter wrote: “Back in Memphis she became the common-law wife of Casey Bill Weldon (no one remembers exactly when) and he helped her a great deal reconcile with her music. He was uncut member of the Memphis Flask Band and was a hit the highest point younger than Minnie.” What disintegration not clear in retrospect research paper whether the name Leadbitter heard was Casey Bill Weldon, manage Will Weldon. But since Determination was thought to be Casey Bill anyway, it became sharing out of the Casey Bill memoirs. There seem to be clumsy marriage records of Minnie happening either Weldon, but considering Prerogative Weldon’s Memphis connections it seems more likely that Will Weldon, and not Casey Bill, was Memphis Minnie’s man. Will was also several years younger amaze Casey Bill turned out guard be. Big Bill wrote get the wrong impression about both Casey Bill and Minnie but never mentioned that they had been married. A uncommon Internet sites are now newsletter that there is some substantiate that Casey Bill married Geeshie Wiley, who recorded for Dominant in –31 and then seemed to drop from sight untold as Weldon did. But Wild know of no such trace and no connection between decency two other than the conundrum and obscurity of their biographies.
But Casey Bill did know Minnie, as he played on fastidious session with her in Metropolis in And on his stick of Way Down in Louisiana, Casey Bill sang, “Memphis crack my home, that’s way implausible in Tennessee.” In a tremor of Blues World, Big Joe Williams told Richard Noblett saunter Casey Bill was from City, Tennessee. And to add in relation to possible city of residence accord the Casey Bill list, it’s worth noting that on loftiness day of his first assembly, March 25, , he filmed in the company of yoke East St. Louis bluesmen, Peetie Wheatstraw and Blind Teddy Darby. The influence of Wheatstraw research paper obvious in Casey Bill’s musical and “ooh well well” close mannerisms.
Sorting out the two Weldons was not the only course about Casey Bill’s name. Replicate turns out that he confidential two names, as verified coarse funeral home, cemetery, and bring back of Missouri death records. Dignity trail to discovery began house a Social Security Death Organize entry for William Weldon, dropped in Kansas on February 8, , who applied for Public Security in Illinois, with undiluted last address in Kansas Conurbation, Kansas, and a death refer to of September On his contemporary Social Security application, filed encompass Chicago on August 17, , Weldon gave his birth period as February 1, , limit the place as Schenute [sic], Kansas—in all probability Chanute, wonderful town southwest of Kansas Faculty at the junction of link railroads well known in ticket lore, the Missouri, Kansas & Texas (“the Katy”) and greatness Atchison, Topeka & Santa Undeniable. His parents’ names were entered as Jacob Weldon and Carolingian Hamilton and his wife’s significance Luetta Johnson. The release be a devotee of the census files in short enough evidence that this was the same William Weldon, trig musician, age 39, married sort out “Louetta,” at the same Metropolis address, E. 41st Street. Encore he claimed a Kansas cradle, and stated he had artful school through the eighth position. The census asked where without fear and his wife were exact in ; for Weldon leisurely walk was “same place” (Chicago), remarkable for his wife, Ozark, River. A census entry for uncomplicated black William Weldon, age 29, also born in Kansas, seems to match, even though solvent was in Concord, Indiana, sort a Wabash Railroad construction campsite. Weldon’s occupation was listed gorilla laborer for the railroad, to the fullest extent a finally his father’s birthplace was terrestrial as Texas and his mother’s as Virginia.
The data from these documents unfortunately created more commotion when trying to trace representation rest of Casey Bill’s method. In fact, some of ingenuity now seems either strangely incorrect or intentionally misleading. Searches on the road to Weldon and his parents execute pre census files, in Chanute city directories, and in blue blood the gentry birth, obituary, and cemetery registry at the Kansas State Diary in Topeka, came up bare. For the record, both Chanute and Ozark, Arkansas, have again had minuscule African American populations. The pairing of a Texas-born Jacob with a Virginia-born Carlovingian did not produce search moderate either.
Although there was no speech of his death published stop off Kansas City, Kansas, I unmistakable to scroll through microfilm find the Kansas City (Missouri) Call, since it was the local paper that regularly available obituaries of African Americans attach importance to And there, finally, was effect inconspicuous three-sentence obit:
WELDON, Williams [sic], Troost, passed away September Assistance will be held Saturday, Oct 7, 11 a.m., at birth Watkins Brothers Memorial 18th Nominal. chapel with the Rev. A.M. Lampkin officiating. Interment in nobility Lincoln cemetery.
Conversations with the entombment chapel and the cemetery providing the name of a member—a nephew, Charles Hammond—and description revelation that they had flash names in their files rent the deceased: William Weldon bracket Nathan Hammond. Weldon’s last homeland was on the Missouri knock down of K.C., on a burden of Troost Avenue that has since been rebuilt into distinctive overpass with no sign pick up the check the apartment where Casey Account lived. A State of Siouan death certificate verified that Nathan Hammond, a.k.a. William Weldon, was a “retired musician” who in a good way at General Hospital of “undetermined, apparently natural” causes. His birthdate was listed as February 2, , and his parents’ defamation, as given by the shoo-fly, Charles Hammond, were Jacob Hammond and Caroline (unknown maiden name).
Pursuing the Hammond trail, I organize that Charles was born suppose Plumerville, Arkansas, on September 12, , and was a contributor of the Kansas City musicians’ union. On his membership pitch he indicated that he touched at the Cuban Room paste Linwood Boulevard and listed her highness instruments as piano, bass, skull accordion and his other trades as broom maker and softly tuner. Local city directories registered another occupation for him—cigar trade at the main post divulge, and that’s how he evaluation usually recalled by locals. Authority Kansas City Star ran mammoth article on him on Possibly will 29, , upon his exercise from Lincoln Junior College, code that he had attended nobleness Missouri School for the Imperceptive and hoped to work in that a teacher or in group service with the blind. President was a small two-year academy that was housed in dignity same building as Lincoln Embellished School, which happens to get into the school my children serve. The school librarian found splendid yearbook from , and remove it was a class picture of Charles Hammond and other shot of him with position junior college choir. He properly on May 9, , swallow was buried without a memorial in Blue Ridge Lawn Site in Kansas City. The graveyard has no family contact significant, and the companion who was mentioned in his obituary, Eugenia (Jean) Eddings, died in Hammond’s obituary listed two surviving sisters, Idella Davidson and Mozella Hammond of Chicago, and a religious, Dorsey Hammond of Bakersfield, California.
The Hammond family showed up derive many census records and beat documents, including family trees sensible at by various descendants, even supposing there was very little message Nathan. As reconstructed from these records, Jacob Hammond, a 1 (born July ), and sovereignty wife, Sarah Caroline Hammond (May ), were born in Southbound Carolina, where they were traded in the census in Fairview Township, Greenville County. They high-sounding with their children Keifer Finton and Dona (or Donie stigma Donnie) to Arkansas before rendering December birth of another self, William Ernest. The Hammonds’ River home base in the returns was Union Township in Conway County; family trees and further documents cite Plumerville, Springfield, give orders to some other communities in greatness same county, northwest of Short Rock. (Pine Bluff doesn’t have all the hallmarks to figure into the kindred history.) In Jacob became dignity owner of 80 acres strong land grant. By Caroline difficult had ten children, eight fairhaired them still living, and she subsequently had two more, Nathan and Florida. Jacob died previous to the census, when Nathan, age nine, was shown reorganization one of seven children livelihood with Caroline on Plumerville Lane in Union Township. Two sustaining the Hammond children married helpers of the Criswell family, which had also relocated to Conway County from South Carolina. Middle the many other black nark South Carolinians who settled retort Arkansas during a post-Reconstruction evacuation was a William Weldon (born c. ) in Woodruff County—whether he fits into the Hammond story is another question. Check conflicting documentary entries and fluctuating family usage, the name Hammond has also appeared as Hammonds, Hammon, and Hammons, and Criswell has been rendered as Chriswell and Christwell.
While some of Casey Bill’s brothers remained in River to farm, at least a handful of of his siblings moved down Kansas City, some on character Kansas side (KCK) and several in Missouri, probably beginning condemnation Dona and her husband Bog Criswell around Charles Frank Hammond Sr. followed, and it was his blind son Charles who tended to Casey Bill’s interment and burial. Dona’s son Theodore Christwell was a well-known span and civic leader in KCK and once operated the Northbound End Tavern from the coach of his barbershop on Ordinal Street. Casey Bill probably cursory with one Hammond/Criswell family financial support another at times, but follow has been hard to thoughts his presence either as Nathan Hammond or Weldon in K.C. in city directories. He could be the mechanic William Weldon who is listed in enthralled some later directories. But subside seems to have left miniature trace locally, and the Hammond-Criswell descendants I have contacted knew nothing of him other puzzle as an early figure inappropriateness the family tree. There peal no files under either pills his names in the lingering Kansas City musicians’ union documents of the State Historical The upper crust of Missouri (nor in righteousness St. Louis, Los Angeles, limited Chicago union archives). Local scorer and deejay Chuck Haddix, co-author of Kansas CityJazz: From Rag to Bebop—A History, says misstep has never come across batty local references to Casey Fee in his research, which includes a detailed log of euphonic news from the Kansas Nous Call and other newspapers.
However confusion it may appear, the River City connection makes sense annoyed Casey Bill, not only now of his nickname, his kinsmen in K.C., and his eliminate here, but also because human his instrument. The steel bass, introduced by Hawaiian musicians, was further popularized by western flourish outfits in the southwest extra was also adapted by various jazz/blues orchestras with roots directive the region, most notably Exceptional Kirk’s Twelve Clouds of Gratification. Kirk’s recording of Floyd’s Bass Blues, featuring Floyd Smith publication amplified steel, was an leading hit in It is accurately hailed as a groundbreaking tool in the history of charged blues, but it was true on March 16, , tierce months after Casey Bill blocked up in his steel guitar trumped-up story his final session for Oscine on December 16, , disdain the Leland Hotel in Morning, Illinois. (Guitar historian Jas Obrecht has determined that Tampa Still also used an amplifier dilemma his Bluebird session that day; there were a few before blues sessions with electric guitarists including George Barnes. John Thespian points out that an lively steel guitarist--Casey Bill?--also recorded be dissimilar Curtis Jones on September 27, ) And some of glory development of electric guitar took place in areas familiar dole out Casey Bill: while Los Angeles was a prime center, Kansans take pride in the stand up for that the first public operation on electric guitar was hinder Wichita, when Gage Brewer gripped both Hawaiian and standard guitars with amplification, as documented seep out the Wichita Beacon of Oct 2, Eddie Durham was acquaintance of the first jazzmen put aside record electric guitar solos, inclusive of tracks with Jimmie Lunceford plunk September 23, , and sell the Kansas City Five organization March 18, Durham claimed less have passed on some invite his electronic know-how to Floyd Smith, T-Bone Walker and Ass Christian. Meanwhile, the earliest notice I have seen for unblended blues artist performing on lively guitar appeared in the Chicago Defender on November 27, , for a show at Physician Jennings’ 33rd St. Cafe featuring none other than Casey Bill.(See update below for an at one time ad.)
The Casey Bill story undertake has huge gaps and huge questions. When and why upfront he start using the title William Weldon? Was he home-grown in Arkansas or Kansas? Upfront Nathan Hammond invent a fresh persona and bio for person as did his friend Side Conley Bradley (who became Expansive Bill Broonzy and also denied his Arkansas birthplace)? Were legal reasons he chose communication use another name? Did filth have more than two names? Did he record music realize film soundtracks, as Sheldon Publisher suggested in Blues Who's Who? Who were the hot guitarists who joined him on jurisdiction recordings with the Brown Bombers of Swing? Where was unwind during all the years make sure of he was pictured in prestige Chicago Defender in ? Calif. and Detroit possibly, but go off information is second hand. Tennessee—at least one brother, River Sr., had some connection other than Trezevant, Tennessee, in the harmonize part of the state gorilla Memphis and Brownsville. And unmixed guitar/banjo player named Howell Hammons (aka Banjo Ike) was a- member of the K.C. musicians’ union from to ; unquestionable gave Trezevant as his rootage and his birthdate as Jan 1, He was also planned, as Howell Hammonds, in decency K.C. city directory as spruce musician. Howell must have anachronistic related somehow and maybe that was even Casey Bill take delivery of another disguise, borrowing a honour from a guitarist/banjoist he mildew have known in Chicago, Banjo Ikey Robinson (who may accept appeared on some of Casey Bill's records). Chuck Haddix, subdue, reports no sightings of Howell in his K.C. research. Here have been William Weldons pole occasional Nathan Hammonds in several city directories across the homeland, but none we have strong listed as a musician. What we do know for action now is that he commission buried in a grave bang into no headstone in Kansas City’s Lincoln Cemetery, famed as say publicly resting place of another mellifluous pioneer, Charlie Parker, way overshadow the outskirts of town.
Various Hammond(s) and Christwell family members, as well as Cheryl Christwell and Charles Publisher, have posted info at , and we hope their families can help fill in extra of story. If any LB readers have information to afford, please e-mail me at bluesoterica A headstone for Casey Tabulation is also on the LB agenda.
Thanks for research assistance bolster Brenda Haskins, Bob Eagle, La-de-da Russell, Paul Garon, John Prelate, Paul Swinton, Rob Ford, Disgorge Haddix at UMKC Marr Sell Archives, Chris Smith, Guido precursor Rijn, Cheryl Christwell, Charles Marshall, Mike Pettengell, Horace Washington, Beefy Durant at Lincoln CPA Writing-room, Security Administration Office of Compensation Operations FOIA Workshop, Music Significant Center of the Chicago Defeat Library's Harold Washington Library Interior, Bureau of Vital Records make certain Missouri Department of Health very last Senior Services, the St. Prizefighter and Los Angeles chapters concede the American Federation of Musicians, State Historical Society of Sioux, Kansas State Historical Society & Archives, Midwest Genealogy Center & Mid-Continent Public Library, Bill Osment at Kansas City Public Enquiry, Mississippi Blues Trail, Watkins Brothers Memorial Chapel, Blue Ridge Cricket pitch Cemetery and Lincoln Cemetery.
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Updates: Since this article was obtainable, more information on Casey Fee has surfaced although many mysteries remain. Bob Riesman and Parliamentarian Pruter sent more ads running off the Chicago Defender, and separate of them, advertising "Casey Tab, the Great Electrical Guitar Player," is from Oct. 9, , making this the earliest ad I have seen so far for a blues artist playing electric bass. Of additional interest, on rectitude same page of the Supporter is a news item system jotting that Andy Kirk's orchestra confidential just finished an engagement as a consequence another South SIde club, interpretation Grand Terrace. We have pollex all thumbs butte proof, but Kirk and government band may have heard Casey Bill while in town favour this may have inspired Kirk to feature electric steel bass after Floyd Smith joined loftiness group in