J. B. Long
Encyclopedia
James Baxter Long, Sr. was an American store manager, owner, and record company talent scout, responsible in the 1930s for discovering Fulton Allen ("Blind Boy Fuller
") and Gary Davis
, among other notable blues
musicians.
, North Carolina
to parents Henry Baxter Long and Minnie Swarigen Long. When he was three years old, his family moved to Hickory, North Carolina
, where he lived until he moved to eastern North Carolina circa 1926. Also in 1926, he married Elizabeth "Frankie" Mae Johnson.
By 1933, Long was working in Kinston, North Carolina
, as the manager of the regional chain, the United Dollar Store. During an interview in the 1970s, Long recalled:
It was also while he was in Kinston that he first began recruiting local music talent to make recordings. In early 1934, people began coming by his store asking for a song about a deadly wreck between a train and a car in nearby Lumberton, North Carolina
; Long found out that no such song existed, but received permission from the American Record Corporation
(whose records he was selling through the store) to have someone record the song. Long wrote the song, with the help of a local female journalist, and titled the song the Lumberton Wreck. He held a local talent contest for white musicians, and a group by the name of the Cauley Family from nearby Duplin County, North Carolina
won the contest, recording the song (and 23 others) in a three-day New York
recording session August 7-9, 1934. It was the only time Long recorded a white musician or group.
Long began recording African American
groups after holding a local talent contest for black musicians at the nearby Old Central Warehouse in June 1934. The winner of this first black contest was the Mitchell's Christian Singers
, a local Kinston gospel
quartet.
In late 1934, due to his success as the manager of the Kinston store, the United Dollar Store company transferred Long to Durham, North Carolina
, a larger, more important store.
In 1935, Long and his family moved to Burlington, North Carolina
, again as the manager of the United Dollar Store. He later became owner-operator of the Burlington Discount Department Store on West Davis Street. Also in 1935, Long was made the southern regional talent scout for the Columbia Recording Corporation
, a subsidiary of the Columbia Broadcasting Corporation. Several times a year he traveled with various musicians and bands that he had “discovered” to New York City
or Chicago
to make recordings of their songs. Not long afterwards, "the Reverend" Gary Davis was discovered by Long, and soon thereafter, Long arranged for Davis to make his first trip to New York City, where he recorded 15 sides between July 23 and July 26, 1935.
Perhaps his most famous talent discovery was Fulton Allen, Long bestowing on him the pseudonym "Blind Boy Fuller." Long is credited with helping to write several of Fuller's songs. In July 1937, Fuller travelled to New York City to record for the Decca
label; since he had never signed a contract with Long, Long bluffed Decca, telling Decca that he had an exclusive contract with Fuller. Because of this, Long made sure he had a signed contract with Fuller after that, which placed him under Long's permanent management.
In 1938, Blind Boy Fuller's friend and bandmate, washboard player George Washington (aka Bull City Red
), introduced Brownie McGhee
to Long. Because Fuller was unable to make the recording session, Long persuaded Columbia to give McGhee an audition. McGhee's first recording session was on August 6, 1940, lasted for two days, and produced 12 sides. Following Fuller's death in February 1941, Long promoted McGhee as “Blind Boy Fuller #2".
Regarding the common-held perception that Long exploited the musicians he represented, McGhee said:
In June 1939, Long was elected mayor of the city of Elon College
, North Carolina. Between 1952 and 1972, he served five terms as a member of the Alamance County Board of Commissioners.
He died February 25, 1975, and was buried in the Magnolia Cemetery, in Elon, North Carolina.
Blind Boy Fuller
Blind Boy Fuller was an American blues guitarist and vocalist. He was one of the most popular of the recorded Piedmont blues artists with rural Black Americans, a group that also included Blind Blake, Josh White, and Buddy Moss.-Life and career:Fulton Allen was born in Wadesboro, North Carolina,...
") and Gary Davis
Reverend Gary Davis
Reverend Gary Davis, also Blind Gary Davis, was an American blues and gospel singer and guitarist, who was also proficient on the banjo and harmonica...
, among other notable blues
Blues
Blues is the name given to both a musical form and a music genre that originated in African-American communities of primarily the "Deep South" of the United States at the end of the 19th century from spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts and chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads...
musicians.
Biography
Long was born in Mecklenburg CountyMecklenburg County, North Carolina
-Air:The county's primary commercial aviation airport is Charlotte Douglas International Airport in Charlotte.- Intercity rail :With twenty-five freight trains a day, Mecklenburg is a freight railroad transportation center, largely due to its place on the NS main line between Washington and Atlanta...
, North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
to parents Henry Baxter Long and Minnie Swarigen Long. When he was three years old, his family moved to Hickory, North Carolina
Hickory, North Carolina
Hickory is a city in Catawba County, North Carolina. Hickory has the 162nd largest urban area in the United States. As of the 2000 census, the Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 341,851, making it the 4th largest metropolitan area in North Carolina. The city's population was 37,222...
, where he lived until he moved to eastern North Carolina circa 1926. Also in 1926, he married Elizabeth "Frankie" Mae Johnson.
By 1933, Long was working in Kinston, North Carolina
Kinston, North Carolina
Kinston is a city in Lenoir County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 23,688 at the 2000 census. The population was estimated at 22,360 in 2008. It has been the county seat of Lenoir County since its formation in 1791 . Kinston is located in North Carolina's Inner Banks...
, as the manager of the regional chain, the United Dollar Store. During an interview in the 1970s, Long recalled:
I'd always loved music... down in Kinston, the farmers were coming in selling tobaco.... I got this old phonograph out and began to pile a few records in. The more I played, the more they stayed.... So from that basis on I ordered a few records and they [the United Dollar Store] began to buy 'em and sell 'em there. Everybody thought that the radios'd kill the record business, but I satisfied so many people that I went ahead and ordered more and more [records].
It was also while he was in Kinston that he first began recruiting local music talent to make recordings. In early 1934, people began coming by his store asking for a song about a deadly wreck between a train and a car in nearby Lumberton, North Carolina
Lumberton, North Carolina
Lumberton is a city in Robeson County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 20,795 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Robeson County. Lumberton, located in southern North Carolina's Inner Banks region, is located on the Lumber River...
; Long found out that no such song existed, but received permission from the American Record Corporation
American Record Corporation
ARC, the American Record Company, also referred to as American Record Corporation, or as ARC Records, was a United States based record company...
(whose records he was selling through the store) to have someone record the song. Long wrote the song, with the help of a local female journalist, and titled the song the Lumberton Wreck. He held a local talent contest for white musicians, and a group by the name of the Cauley Family from nearby Duplin County, North Carolina
Duplin County, North Carolina
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 49,063 people, 18,267 households, and 13,060 families residing in the county. The population density was 60 people per square mile . There were 20,520 housing units at an average density of 25 per square mile...
won the contest, recording the song (and 23 others) in a three-day New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
recording session August 7-9, 1934. It was the only time Long recorded a white musician or group.
Long began recording African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
groups after holding a local talent contest for black musicians at the nearby Old Central Warehouse in June 1934. The winner of this first black contest was the Mitchell's Christian Singers
Mitchell's Christian Singers
Mitchell's Christian Singers were an American gospel music group who recorded prolifically between 1934 and 1940.-Musical career:Formed in the early 1930s in Kinston, North Carolina, the group initially featured William Brown , Julius Davis , Louis "Panella" David and Lewis Herring , all former...
, a local Kinston gospel
Gospel
A gospel is an account, often written, that describes the life of Jesus of Nazareth. In a more general sense the term "gospel" may refer to the good news message of the New Testament. It is primarily used in reference to the four canonical gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John...
quartet.
In late 1934, due to his success as the manager of the Kinston store, the United Dollar Store company transferred Long to Durham, North Carolina
Durham, North Carolina
Durham is a city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. It is the county seat of Durham County and also extends into Wake County. It is the fifth-largest city in the state, and the 85th-largest in the United States by population, with 228,330 residents as of the 2010 United States census...
, a larger, more important store.
In 1935, Long and his family moved to Burlington, North Carolina
Burlington, North Carolina
Burlington is a city in Alamance and Guilford counties in the U.S. state of North Carolina. It is the principal city of the Burlington, North Carolina Metropolitan Statistical Area which encompasses all of Alamance County, in which most of the city is located. The population was 49,963 at the 2010...
, again as the manager of the United Dollar Store. He later became owner-operator of the Burlington Discount Department Store on West Davis Street. Also in 1935, Long was made the southern regional talent scout for the Columbia Recording Corporation
Columbia Records
Columbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
, a subsidiary of the Columbia Broadcasting Corporation. Several times a year he traveled with various musicians and bands that he had “discovered” to New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
or Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
to make recordings of their songs. Not long afterwards, "the Reverend" Gary Davis was discovered by Long, and soon thereafter, Long arranged for Davis to make his first trip to New York City, where he recorded 15 sides between July 23 and July 26, 1935.
Perhaps his most famous talent discovery was Fulton Allen, Long bestowing on him the pseudonym "Blind Boy Fuller." Long is credited with helping to write several of Fuller's songs. In July 1937, Fuller travelled to New York City to record for the Decca
Decca Records
Decca Records began as a British record label established in 1929 by Edward Lewis. Its U.S. label was established in late 1934; however, owing to World War II, the link with the British company was broken for several decades....
label; since he had never signed a contract with Long, Long bluffed Decca, telling Decca that he had an exclusive contract with Fuller. Because of this, Long made sure he had a signed contract with Fuller after that, which placed him under Long's permanent management.
In 1938, Blind Boy Fuller's friend and bandmate, washboard player George Washington (aka Bull City Red
Bull City Red
Bull City Red was an American, Piedmont blues guitarist, singer, and predominately washboard player, most associated with Blind Boy Fuller and the Reverend Gary Davis...
), introduced Brownie McGhee
Brownie McGhee
Walter Brown McGhee was a Piedmont blues singer and guitarist, best known for his collaborations with the harmonica player Sonny Terry.-Life and career:...
to Long. Because Fuller was unable to make the recording session, Long persuaded Columbia to give McGhee an audition. McGhee's first recording session was on August 6, 1940, lasted for two days, and produced 12 sides. Following Fuller's death in February 1941, Long promoted McGhee as “Blind Boy Fuller #2".
Regarding the common-held perception that Long exploited the musicians he represented, McGhee said:
A lot of people give J.B. Long a hard time, but I don't give J.B. Long a hard time. I thought he was a marvelous fellow. He may not have given me every dime I was supposed to get, but how much did I know I was supposed to get? He saw some talent, he saw some quality involved and he used his ingenuity to get me on record, so automatically I owe him a vote of thanks for gettin' Brownie McGhee alive. Long made it possible for me to get on records, so what little money he did take from me, if any at all, he was entitled to it. He didn't take something from me. He made it possible for me to get something for myself if I was intelligent enough to go on and do it and not stop and sit down. And that's what I mean: Anybody blazes a path to a highway that never end, you should appreciate 'em some.
In June 1939, Long was elected mayor of the city of Elon College
Elon, North Carolina
Elon is a town in Alamance County, North Carolina, United States. It is part of the Burlington, North Carolina Metropolitan Statistical Area. The current population estimate is 7,060. The town of Elon is home to Elon University. The town was called "Elon College" until the college known as Elon...
, North Carolina. Between 1952 and 1972, he served five terms as a member of the Alamance County Board of Commissioners.
He died February 25, 1975, and was buried in the Magnolia Cemetery, in Elon, North Carolina.
External links
- Site of the United Department Stores building in Durham, North Carolina — via Open Durham