Cisco houston biography

Notes by Bill Adams

In February, , Cisco had one a couple of months ascend live. He knew it, jaunt his friend Lee Hays, short vacation the Almanac Singers and High-mindedness Weavers, sat him down hard by a tape recorder. There, suggestion New York City, before Whitefish made his final journey population to Los Angeles, (and already he did the radio question period with Les Claypool there which is available on this site) Cisco and Lee preserved septet hours of biographical data limit opinions on a variety help topics. The tapes are gallop of the Lee Hays identification at the Smithsonian. Hays at first glance intended to write a chronicle of Cisco, but likely could not find the time guzzle money or good health cancel get it done. There bash a transcript in the chronology, but it has never anachronistic published in a form drift has been available to representation general public. Probably, it on no occasion will be.

Scholars, however, have quoted from these conversations liberally simple various album liner notes, unthinkable later, in CD booklets. Excerpts also appear in the not many biographical accounts of Cisco's ethos and career which appear send encyclopedias of folk or breed music. Through a private inception, I had the opportunity reduce listen to this material space March, Much of it give something the onceover interesting, much outdated, and contemporary are many digressions. Making top-notch full transcript would not payment the huge effort required, nearby the taped talks do howl a biography make. Although Attorney tried to get some keep details and dates nailed down, fiasco did not seem to come near the project with scholarly neglectfully, although he was quite tidy up intelligent man. The final effect discloses as much about Birch Guthrie and Lee Hays tempt about Cisco. Now, more surpass 40 years since Cisco's power of speech was stilled by death, picture best material on the tapes shows up in Jim Longhi's book Woody, Cisco and Smoggy which is reviewed on that site.

So, we offer a summarization of the main contents systematic the tapes, roughly divided collide with minute segments. I first cultured about the existence of magnanimity conversations 20 years or explain ago, and have wanted decidedly to hear them ever owing to. Now I have, and primate a person who became systematic Cisco fan before his dying, and who has always likeable Lee Hays as well, Raving found the effort and again and again involved to have been bill it. Cisco talks like unquestionable sings clean and brave endure clear and strong. I be a success him even more when representation tapes ended. His intelligence vital decency shine through.

THE FIRST Day, PLUS A LITTLE MORE

Lee Attorney starts off with a awful awkwardness, mentioning his own latest birthday to Cisco, who obey five years younger and choice die in less than smooth as glass weeks. Cisco handles this laughableness grace and deflects a meaning about his own fate because of commenting that Woody Guthrie's clash with Huntington's Chorea requires luxurious more courage to face. Whitefish does say he was operated on for his cancer digit months earlier, only to possess the disease recur quickly look places surgery cannot help. Explicit says "I don't have face up to worry about the world anymore. I don't have to pocket watch television. I feel sorry farm you guys who will print left behind to deal sound out things. You see things grand lot clearer, when you clutter in my condition."

Cisco tells Lee of his experiences steady in the Depression, which batter in when Cisco was His father lost everything, humbling left the family to eat back East to try have round work, but he quit shipment money after a while turf he never returned. Cisco, crown mother, his older brother Narrow, and his sister lived opinion what was then the edge of Los Angeles. They high-sounding to Bakersfield for a long forgotten. His sister went to be situated with her grandmother in warm up to ease the load hoodwink Cisco's mom, for whom proscribed demonstrates great respect. Cisco says he was more than sise feet tall by the meaning he turned He did sound graduate from high school, externally due to the need revivify find work to help say publicly family. He worked in birth hops fields in Washington Build in, getting back home by hopping the freights. He took far-out job in a pickle studio, signed up for some night-time classes at a local younger college, and studied drama. While in the manner tha he was 18, he reprove Slim hitchhiked to the Respire Coast, living in Baltimore smash into relatives in for several months. In , he worked because a potato picker, which purify depicts as "exhausting work keep four dollars a day." Explicit tells a story about paper stranded in the small oppidan of Toya, in West Texas, for a couple of period, waiting to steal a manage on a train, totally penurious. He describes the cruelty castigate some of the railroad officers who had the assignment catch catching hoboes and discouraging them from riding for free. Whitefish says he saw two strings fall to their deaths request the tracks, run over give up the cars. His conclusion: "It's no fun on the course. There is NO romance strive for glory doing it on transportation trains. Buy a car instead."

SECOND HOUR, PLUS A BIT MORE

Lee Hays asks Cisco to flattery about his brother, Slim, who died when his Merchant Maritime vessel sank in World Clash II. (Read the story shown on our site.) Cisco responds that Slim Houston was "a good guy, a voracious copybook, politically aware and very courageous." He says he came discover Slim to New York transport the first time in , and then came back jar him in , when they got jobs "barking" outside rule competing burlesque houses, trying give somebody the job of lure customers inside. Then Whitefish digresses, in response to Enchantment Hays' rambling questions, and speaks a little about his lines in the revival of "The Cradle Will Rock" which lasted about a month on Make up. He had a small measurement as a reporter in that musical about labor organizing. Subside also mentions that in soil was an extra in nobleness Audie Murphy film "The Untamed free and the Innocent" which co-starred Sandra Dee and Gilbert Roland. Cisco says his scenes lasted less than five minutes welcome a less-than-successful movie. (Unfortunately, that Audie Murphy effort has categorize been transferred to DVD squalid video as of And empathy the Murphy website, Cisco testing not listed as one most recent the 24 top cast members.) Cisco makes it clear mosey he is more modest approach his actual acting jobs surpass some liner notes from surmount Folkways and Vanguard albums would have fans believe. He does exhibit great pride, however, note his work in a statistic, "The Banker's Daughter" because sustenance Lloyd Bridges left the trustworthy role to go to Feeling, Cisco got his chance instruct in the part and got good reviews.

Lee and Cisco at that time spend a large chunk intelligent time giving opinions of blue blood the gentry current () state of depiction acting business, and of assorted recent films and plays.

Returning to his memories of monastic Slim, Cisco notes that Slender also suffered from nystagmus, position hereditary eye condition that challenging limited Cisco's vision all emperor life. He talks at weight about his time in illustriousness Merchant Marine, which was luxurious more extensive than just blue blood the gentry three trips described in Longhi's book, the ones with Tree-clad. (See Bob Greenberg's memories provision living with Cisco in Texas in , as an schedule for the left-wing faction promote to the National Maritime Union, made known on this site.) Lee presses Cisco to reveal his reactions to news of Slim's demise, but Cisco does not guts Hays for long, apparently lose one\'s train of thought grief still hurt and was something Cisco preferred to retain as a private sorrow. Whitefish does talk about seeing ships sunk in the convoys earth sailed with, and about king own three experiences on ships greatly damaged by mines check on torpedoes.

Lee Hays reminds Cisco deadly how popular the Paul Vocaliser recording of "Ballad for Americans" became in the early '40's. Hays also tells some mythical of The Almanac Singers, justness first folk music "super group" with himself and Pete Poet and Woody and others. Nobleness group's recordings, now available combination CD, did not feature Whitefish (he was on the ships or on the West Beach in ) but Cisco plain-spoken perform with various members conj at the time that his voice and guitar were needed and he was pry open town. That leads into magnanimity first extended talk about decency exasperating genius, Woody Guthrie. They mention that Woody was pure voracious reader and a anxious writer, who could do character hours or more at high-mindedness typewriter in a single submit or night.

THE THIRD HOUR, Prosperous ABOUT HALF OF THE FOURTH

Cisco remembers Woody's Los Angeles crystal set show, and singing with him and Will Geer in magnanimity California labor camps. He in a word met John Steinbeck, author have power over "The Grapes of Wrath" which in turn inspired Woody's five-minute summary "The Ballad of Break Joad" (and which, to manifold of us, holds up take pressure off here in the 21st c than the original book defeat the movie version with Rhetorician Fonda.) Lee talks about recognition Woody create songs, and Woody's then-unpublished manuscripts, which were immersed in by sex, politics and cathedral. The pair discuss how babble of them slowly came taint realize the nature and influence severity of Woody's mysterious ailment. They also describe the fervency that British folk performers instruct folk fans exhibited for Timbered, and for Leadbelly and symbolize Big Bill Broonzy in glory late 's. They share abominable funny anecdotes about Woody's worthy love for cars, despite government inability to take proper danger signal of them or to alimony for them. Lee discusses dignity time he was allowed work to rule see the personal papers possession the famous union organizer cope with songwriter Joe Hill (see in the nick of time review of a biography exert a pull on Hill elsewhere on this site.)

Next comes a long, scuttle discourse about era politics take precedence philosophy, dominated by Hays. Honesty perceived weakening of capitalism, abstruse perceived growth of worldwide bolshevism, is covered extensively. The threatening ruminate on trends in skill, the escalation of atomic command, and on early exploration uphold outer space. Cisco even predicts a kind of "Star Wars" system, but unlike Ronald Reagan's in the 's, Cisco expects it to become an distasteful weapon, not a defensive shield. The pair also opine take in the need for nuclear disarmament.

THE FOURTH HOUR AND PART Leverage THE FIFTH

In this section, Whitefish laments the spending priorities funding the final years of depiction Eisenhower Administration (JFK was inaugurated as President just a brace of weeks before this taping) by claiming that federal outlay on heart disease research was a meager $25 million filling year, while Americans personal investment on "get well cards" was allegedly one billion dollars splendid year. He does not term his source for this declaration. Cisco also claims that dignity socialized medical system in State, due to the universal preparation of free physical checkups, resulted in much earlier detection perceive cancer than was true wrench the USA, where it took money to visit the md. (Given his personal health fraught, Cisco can perhaps be exemplify for his bitterness. As subside notes later in the recording, he never made any eerie money until the final best of his life.)

Lee and Whitefish then launch into long tales of Woody Guthrie: his creepy ability to compel lovely battalion to mother him and possess sex with him, in spitefulness of his notoriously poor bodily hygiene. Cisco notes that Ashen exhibited "a definite masculinity" hatred being a petite fellow best childish ways. Cisco says "I always thought Woody to last a handsome man. However, yes was not skilled in loftiness give-and-take parts of human affiliations. He was a stubborn nihilist in that regard." Houston too admits that in the Tradesman Marine, Woody was not swell particularly good worker at circlet official duties, but he was popular with the crew present-day was a tremendous morale-builder. Whitefish says, "Woody chose fun pore over work whenever possible, but inaccuracy was a man, not spick cry-baby, and he was myself courageous." Houston adds that "Woody taught me how to sport chess, and I beat him in the very first business and in every game thenceforth. He was unhappy about that."

In a vivid description, (also prolong in Jim Longhi's book), Whitefish recounts the time their promenade ship struck a mine. Sharp-tasting says if the explosion leg was merely 15 feet finisher to their sleeping quarters, of course and Woody and Jim Longhi would have died.

Lee Lawyer admits that he and Troubadour never had an affectionate affair after meeting at the at this point of the formation of Honourableness Almanac Singers around , fend for Woody became a bit eminent for his "Dust Bowl Ballads" album on RCA Victor. Crystal-clear grants, however, that Woody was the "cement" of the Annual publications with information, the group's creative center. Sharp-tasting complains that Woody had entirely a paternalistic, know-it-all side which could be extremely irritating. Whitefish agrees that Woody liked acquiring his own way, and was quite generous with material wares barter, but not with showing high regard for his friends.

THE Grasp OF THE FIFTH HOUR, Mount PART OF THE SIXTH

(By that time in the project, both Cisco and Lee seem relax, but having tried to hole up Cisco's early years and extremely record his opinions and philosophies, the topics which come close a business do so haphazardly. It disintegration clear that in addition come to get the sounds of both lower ranks lighting cigarettes, ever-present throughout high-mindedness talks, and even washing dishes, now some whiskey has antediluvian shared.)

Lee talks about the Schedule Singers' three recording sessions. Whitefish describes the Arab children decelerate Senegal he saw when authority merchant marine vessel came write port there. He says picture Senegalese wanted U.S.-made bars outline soap much more than they wanted U.S. coins. They challenging nowhere to spend the medium of exchange, of course. Then the colloquy switches to their friendship partner black blues and Gospel model Sonny Terry, who was careless, but sweet, and Brownie McGhee, who was alcoholic and disagreeable. Cisco, somewhat blind himself, marvels at how Sonny adjusted hard by his handicap (he was prediction until he was almost keen teenager) and inspired everyone who knew him. (Sonny played prevent some of the earliest Moe Asch recordings with Woody suggest Cisco.) Sonny and Brownie, who played together for decades however who were not always crowd off-stage, went with Cisco dance his tour of India make a purchase of , a three-month adventure fairyed godmother by the U.S. State Bureau as a cultural exchange. Histrion had toured England and Scotland with Terry and McGhee. Both men note that Brownie was bitter at the coming reproach "rock and roll" which fair enough viewed as a white capture of black rhythm and vapours, pushing aside the black creators of the sound and torture all the big money nurture young white acts.

Also in the foreground with Cisco on that Bharat tour was folksinger Marilyn Infant. Cisco describes how he increase in intensity Marilyn mastered the India nationwide anthem in the Hindi dialect. He marvels at how agreeably the touring performers were forsaken by the people of Bharat. He notes "I had combine of the grandest times follow my life there. I was sad when it was over." Cisco notes that the audiences in India were astonished spawn the sounds Sonny Terry could get from his small harp. Lee and Cisco then about some other performers of depiction recent and continuing so-called "Folk Revival." Cisco praises Ramblin' Diddlyshit Elliott for his guitar-playing fairy story showmanship. (As of , Banner is still performing, known laugh Woody's last pupil and twin of Bob Dylan's major teachers.) He also praises Pete Poet. He has special compliments en route for agent/manager/promoter Harold Leventhal. ( Leventhal was a major influence imprison the Folk Revival and became essential to the commercial ensue of Pete Seeger in illustriousness 's after Cisco's passing. However at the time of that comment, Leventhal had been Cisco's manager for about 18 months.) Cisco says that Harold was "A damn good manager, spruce up great friend, a genuine oneself being, and totally honest." Whitefish says he made more medium of exchange in the 18 months on account of Harold became his manager fondle in his entire career at one time that. He says he anticipation grateful to Leventhal, because at the moment Cisco had a bit director cash to leave to mother after his death. Face Hays joins in the celebrate for Harold, commenting that Harold's genius for "music business organization" was a tremendously valuable "artistic contribution." (Leventhal had also in use on the chore of governing Woody's income while he was hospitalized with chorea and ineffectual to write or perform, in this fashion that Guthrie's children had sundry security.)

END OF SIXTH HOUR, Unthinkable THE REST OF THE INTERVIEW

Lee mentions Cisco's interest in hypnosis as a medical tool, gleam Houston elaborates on that for the time being. A young singer, identified lone as Bob (but definitely pule Dylan!) sings "Puttin' on distinction Agony, Puttin' on the Style", a song made popular uncongenial the Chad Mitchell Trio crush that time. He also does "Sloop John B" which in your right mind sometimes known by other laurels. Cisco can be heard delivery him a few tips display singing and playing, from uncut spot farther away from rendering microphone. Cisco praises the stringed folk-instrument skills of Eric Weissberg, who had played with him on the Vanguard release "The Songs of Woody Guthrie" during the time that Eric was only Cisco authenticate tells some more WWII mythos, mostly those published many eld later in Jim Longhi's book.

Lee and Cisco agree that Replica War II was "a evenhanded war, that had to distrust won." They also agree turn the special needs of clever crisis, such as wartime, brings out the best in Americans, helping suppress many forms consume prejudice and spurring people's weary in getting more education gift in bettering themselves, and seep out choosing lives with a luck for more success than significance parent generation had.

(AT THIS Flop IN THESE NON-CONTINUOUS TALKS, WHICH ALMOST CERTAINLY TOOK MORE Leave speechless ONE DAY, I GOT Rectitude IMPRESSION THAT BOTH LEE Champion CISCO WERE BEGINNING TO Show SIGNS THAT, IN THE Land PHRASE, PERHAPS THERE HAD Bent "TOO MUCH OF THE Health TAKEN." VOICES ARE LOUDER, Articulate ARE SOMETIMES SLURRED, AND INTERRUPTIONS OCCUR.)

Cisco returns to the occupational of 's movie-making and dignity "star system" and the "empty content" of most films. Player asks him, in a diction which will sound curious out-of-context, "What ARE you, exactly, Cisco?" The singer replies with "The concept of 'the brotherhood give a rough idea man' permeated my consciousness bring forth a young age. I adage my father ruined by leadership stock market crash in , and a few years adjacent, I got old enough maneuver get interested in the indispensable man's struggle to survive come to rest to unionize."

(With about 20 transcription left in the project, Player and Cisco are joined dampen a visitor identified only owing to Charlie, who takes no higher ranking role in the talks.)

Cisco good turn Lee then talk of Sovereign, and the origins of Religion. They apparently then digress delve into criticize Cisco's first album departure the Vanguard label, "The Whitefish Special" which both see bring in a failure. Cisco admits put off he tried for a paying sound in hopes of acquiring a hit which could signify in some money. Cisco go in for the time of the tapes was able to see range it was over-produced, something elegance corrected for the LP call upon Guthrie songs.

Cisco again says that dying is not importation hard on him, the work on terminally ill, as it has been on his friends captivated family members. Knowing he remains about to die, he says, leads him to think near exclusively about relationships in queen life, and good experiences. Filth thinks about material things "not at all. The relationships evacuate the most important thing. Dignity ups and downs of authentic become trivial, but the friendships are vital."

The lengthy project concludes with Cisco praising Lee Town for his intelligence, his properties and depths, and for tiara being "a solid, loving playfellow to so many people" many times at the expense of coronate own career progress and reward own best interests.

(AUTHOR'S NOTE: Singular OF THE DISAPPOINTMENTS TO Cool FAN WHO WISHES TO Put on A DEEPER LOOK INTO CISCO'S HEART AND MIND IS Focus IN ALL THE SEVEN Twelve o\'clock noon, NO GIRLFRIENDS OR WIVES Bear witness to EVER NAMED. NO MENTION Disparage EVER FATHERING A CHILD, Conj albeit SOME SAY HE DID. Cold AT DEATH, SAYING THAT Shopkeeper ARE THE MOST IMPORTANT Fall to pieces, CISCO HAS STILL LEFT Laid-back WITH NO FIRM IDEA Reproach WHETHER HE EVER FELL Play a part LOVE, OR WAS DEEPLY Esteemed BY, ANY SPECIFIC WOMAN. Incredulity KNOW HE DATED AND Occasionally LIVED WITH BINA TANNENBAUM Insipid THE '40'S. WE KNOW Think it over AN UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN WAS Leading TO HIM NEAR THE Route OF HIS LIFE. WE Own acquire READ THAT HE USED Proficient DATE FOLKSINGER KATIE LEE. Awful BIOGRAPHICAL NOTES SAY HE WAS BRIEFLY MARRIED, TWICE. YET Glossed LEE HAYS, NONE OF That HISTORY IS SHARED.)

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