Roscoe Holcomb
Roscoe Holcomb, (born as Roscoe Halcomb September 5, 1912 - died February 1… Read Full Bio ↴Roscoe Holcomb, (born as Roscoe Halcomb September 5, 1912 - died February 1, 1981) was an American singer, banjo player, and guitarist from Daisy, Kentucky. A prominent figure in Appalachian folk music, Holcomb was the inspiration for the term "high, lonesome sound," coined by folklorist and friend John Cohen. The term is now used to describe bluegrass singing, although Holcomb was not, strictly speaking, a bluegrass performer.
Holcomb's repertoire included old-time music, hymns, and blues ballads. He was a competent harmonica player, and sang many of his most memorable songs a cappella.
Holcomb sang in a falsetto deeply informed by the Old Regular Baptist vocal tradition. Bob Dylan, a fan of Holcomb, described his singing as possessing "an untamed sense of control." He was also admired by the Stanley Brothers, and Eric Clapton cited Holcomb as his favorite country musician.
A coal miner and farmer for much of his life, Holcomb was not recorded until 1958, after which his career as a professional musician was bolstered by the folk revival of the 1960s. Holcomb gave his last live performance in 1978. Holcomb, body wracked with asthma and emphysema, died in 1981 at the age of 68.
Discography
Mountain Music of Kentucky, Folkways Records and Service Corp., 1960 (reissued on Smithsonian Folkways in 1996, with other artists)
The Music of Roscoe Holcomb and Wade Ward, Folkways Records and Service Corp., 1962
Friends of Old Time Music, Folkways Records, 1964
The High Lonesome Sound, Folkways Records and Service Corp., 1965, (reissued on Smithsonian Folkways in 1998)
Close to Home, Folkways Records and Service Corp., 1975
There is No Eye: Music for Photographs, Smithsonian Folkways, 2001
Classic Mountain Songs from Smithsonian Folkways, Smithsonian Folkways, 2002
Classic Old-Time Music from Smithsonian Folkways, Smithsonian Folkways, 2003
Classic Blues from Smithsonian Folkways, Vol. 2, Smithsonian Folkways, 2003
An Untamed Sense of Control, Smithsonian Folkways, 2003
Back Roads to Cold Mountain, Smithsonian Folkways, 2004
Holcomb's repertoire included old-time music, hymns, and blues ballads. He was a competent harmonica player, and sang many of his most memorable songs a cappella.
Holcomb sang in a falsetto deeply informed by the Old Regular Baptist vocal tradition. Bob Dylan, a fan of Holcomb, described his singing as possessing "an untamed sense of control." He was also admired by the Stanley Brothers, and Eric Clapton cited Holcomb as his favorite country musician.
A coal miner and farmer for much of his life, Holcomb was not recorded until 1958, after which his career as a professional musician was bolstered by the folk revival of the 1960s. Holcomb gave his last live performance in 1978. Holcomb, body wracked with asthma and emphysema, died in 1981 at the age of 68.
Discography
Mountain Music of Kentucky, Folkways Records and Service Corp., 1960 (reissued on Smithsonian Folkways in 1996, with other artists)
The Music of Roscoe Holcomb and Wade Ward, Folkways Records and Service Corp., 1962
Friends of Old Time Music, Folkways Records, 1964
The High Lonesome Sound, Folkways Records and Service Corp., 1965, (reissued on Smithsonian Folkways in 1998)
Close to Home, Folkways Records and Service Corp., 1975
There is No Eye: Music for Photographs, Smithsonian Folkways, 2001
Classic Mountain Songs from Smithsonian Folkways, Smithsonian Folkways, 2002
Classic Old-Time Music from Smithsonian Folkways, Smithsonian Folkways, 2003
Classic Blues from Smithsonian Folkways, Vol. 2, Smithsonian Folkways, 2003
An Untamed Sense of Control, Smithsonian Folkways, 2003
Back Roads to Cold Mountain, Smithsonian Folkways, 2004
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Roscoe Holcomb Lyrics
Across The Rocky Mountain Across the rocky mountain I walked for miles and miles Acros…
Graveyard Blues I got up this morning, With the blues all around my…
I Am A Man Of Constant Sorrow I am a man of constant sorrow I have seen trouble…
I Wish I Was a Single Girl Again When I was single, Lord I dressed so fine Now that…
Little Bessie Hug me close, closer, dear mother Put your arms around me…
Moonshiner One gallon for a five dollar bill Some dark hollow and…
Swanno Mountain I'm going back to the Swanno Mountain Lordy that's my home,…