DeFord Bailey (December 14, 1899 – July 2, 1982) was an early
country musicCountry music is a blend of popular musical forms originally found in the Southern United States and the Appalachian Mountains...
star and the first
African AmericanAfrican Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have origins in any of the black populations of Africa. In the United States, the terms are generally used for Americans with at least partial Sub-Saharan African ancestry...
performer on the
Grand Ole OpryThe Grand Ole Opry is a weekly country music radio program and concert broadcast live on WSM radio in Nashville, Tennessee, every Friday and Saturday night, as well as Tuesdays and Thursdays from March through December...
. Bailey played several instruments but is best known for his
harmonicaThe harmonica is a free reed wind instrument which is played by blowing air into it or drawing air out by placing lips over individual holes or multiple holes. The pressure caused by blowing or drawing air into the reed chambers causes a reed or multiple reeds to vibrate up and down creating sound...
tunes. He was one of the few notable African-American stars in
country musicCountry music is a blend of popular musical forms originally found in the Southern United States and the Appalachian Mountains...
.
A grandson of slaves, Bailey was born in
Smith County, TennesseeSmith County is a county located in the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of 2000, the population was 17,712. Its county seat is Carthage.Smith County is part of the Nashville-Davidson–Murfreesboro–Franklin Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...
and moved to Nashville in 1925. His first documented radio appearance was June 19, 1926 on
WSMWSM is the callsign of a 50,000 watt AM radio station located in Nashville, Tennessee. Operating at 650 kHz, its clear channel signal can reach much of North America and various countries, especially late at night. It now bears the distinction of being the only clear channel station in the eastern...
in Nashville.
Bailey also had several records issued in 1927-1928, all of them harmonica solos.
DeFord Bailey (December 14, 1899 – July 2, 1982) was an early
country musicCountry music is a blend of popular musical forms originally found in the Southern United States and the Appalachian Mountains...
star and the first
African AmericanAfrican Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have origins in any of the black populations of Africa. In the United States, the terms are generally used for Americans with at least partial Sub-Saharan African ancestry...
performer on the
Grand Ole OpryThe Grand Ole Opry is a weekly country music radio program and concert broadcast live on WSM radio in Nashville, Tennessee, every Friday and Saturday night, as well as Tuesdays and Thursdays from March through December...
. Bailey played several instruments but is best known for his
harmonicaThe harmonica is a free reed wind instrument which is played by blowing air into it or drawing air out by placing lips over individual holes or multiple holes. The pressure caused by blowing or drawing air into the reed chambers causes a reed or multiple reeds to vibrate up and down creating sound...
tunes. He was one of the few notable African-American stars in
country musicCountry music is a blend of popular musical forms originally found in the Southern United States and the Appalachian Mountains...
.
Career
A grandson of slaves, Bailey was born in
Smith County, TennesseeSmith County is a county located in the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of 2000, the population was 17,712. Its county seat is Carthage.Smith County is part of the Nashville-Davidson–Murfreesboro–Franklin Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...
and moved to Nashville in 1925. His first documented radio appearance was June 19, 1926 on
WSMWSM is the callsign of a 50,000 watt AM radio station located in Nashville, Tennessee. Operating at 650 kHz, its clear channel signal can reach much of North America and various countries, especially late at night. It now bears the distinction of being the only clear channel station in the eastern...
in Nashville.
Bailey also had several records issued in 1927-1928, all of them harmonica solos. In 1927 he recorded eight sides for Brunswick records in New York City, while in 1928 he recorded eight sides for Victor Recording Company in Nashville, of which three were issued on several labels, including Victor, Bluebird and RCA. Emblematic of the ambiguity of Bailey's position as a recording artist is the fact his arguably greatest recording,
John Henry-People:* John Henry , the "steel-driving man", American folk hero* John Henry, Margrave of Moravia * John Henry , U.S. Senator from and Governor of Maryland...
, was released separately in both RCA's 'race' and 'hillbilly' series.
Bailey was a pioneer member of the WSM
Grand Ole OpryThe Grand Ole Opry is a weekly country music radio program and concert broadcast live on WSM radio in Nashville, Tennessee, every Friday and Saturday night, as well as Tuesdays and Thursdays from March through December...
, and one of its most popular performers, appearing on the program from 1927 to 1941. During this period he toured with many major country stars, including
Uncle Dave MaconUncle Dave Macon —also known as "The Dixie Dewdrop"—was an American banjo player, singer, songwriter, and comedian...
,
Bill MonroeWilliam Smith Monroe was an American musician who helped develop the style of music known as bluegrass, which takes its name from his band, the "Blue Grass Boys," named for Monroe's home state of Kentucky. Monroe's performing career spanned 60 years as a singer, instrumentalist, composer and...
, and
Roy AcuffRoy Claxton Acuff was an American country music singer, fiddler, and promoter. Known as the King of Country Music, Acuff is often credited with moving the genre from its early string band and "hoedown" format to the star singer-based format that helped make it internationally successful.Acuff...
. Like other black stars of his day traveling in the South and West, he faced many difficulties in finding food and accommodation because of the discriminatory
Jim Crow lawsThe Jim Crow laws were state and local laws in the United States enacted between 1876 and 1965. They mandated de jure segregation in all public facilities, with a supposedly "separate but equal" status for black Americans...
.
Bailey was fired by WSM in 1941 because of a licensing conflict with
BMIBroadcast Music, Inc. is one of three United States performing rights organizations, along with ASCAP and SESAC. It collects license fees on behalf of songwriters, composers, and music publishers and distributes them as royalties to those members whose works have been performed...
-ASCAP which prevented him from playing his best known tunes on the radio. This effectively ended his performance career, and he spent the rest of his life shining shoes, cutting hair, and renting out rooms in his home to make a living. Though he continued to play the harp, he almost never performed publicly. One of his rare appearances occurred in 1974, when he agreed to make one more appearance on the Opry. This became the occasion for the Opry's first annual Old Timers' Show.
In 2005, Nashville Public Television produced the documentary
"DeFord Bailey: A Legend Lost". The documentary was broadcast nationally through PBS. Later that year, thanks to his pioneering efforts, Bailey was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame on November 15, 2005. Joining him in the 2005 class were country-pop superstar
Glen CampbellGlen Travis Campbell is a Grammy and Dove Award-winning and two time Golden Globe-nominated American country pop singer, guitarist and occasional actor...
and the band
AlabamaAlabama is a Grammy Award-winning country music and southern rock band that originated in Fort Payne, Alabama, United States. In the late '60s, Randy Owen , and his cousin Teddy Gentry found they both enjoyed a common interest in music...
. On June 27, 2007, the DeFord Bailey Tribute Garden was dedicated at the
George Washington CarverGeorge Washington Carver , was an American scientist, botanist, educator and inventor whose studies and teaching revolutionized agriculture in the Southern United States...
Food Park in Nashville.
External links