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Frank Proffitt
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Key Information
Frank Noah Proffitt (June 1, 1913 – November 24, 1965)[1] was an Appalachian Old-time banjo player and ballad singer known for his role in the preservation and popularization of the folk song "Tom Dooley."
Proffitt was born in 1913 in Laurel Bloomery, Tennessee,[1] and raised in the Reese area of Watauga County, North Carolina. He worked a variety of jobs and lived on a farm with his wife and six children. He grew tobacco, did carpentry, and worked in a spark plug factory.[2] He was known for his skills as a luthier, making both banjos and dulcimers.[2][3]
In 1937, Frank Proffitt met folksong collectors Anne and Frank Warner[1] while they were searching for a dulcimer builder. This began a 30-year friendship between Proffitt and the Warners.[1] The couple collected Proffitt's songs and shared them with Alan Lomax, who included many of them, including the ballad "Tom Dooley," in his book, Folksong U.S.A. The Kingston Trio learned "Tom Dooley" from a recording by Warner and were eventually required to pay Frank Proffitt royalties for the use of the song.[3]
Proffitt recorded "Tom Dooley" and other ballad songs in 1961, on the album Frank Proffitt Sings Folk Songs, edited by Warner and issued by Folkways Records. A second set of Proffitt's recordings, Frank Proffitt of Reece NC: Traditional Songs and Ballads of Appalachia, was released in 1962,[3] and Proffitt performed at the 1963 Newport Folk Festival.[4] He also performed at the 1964 New York World's Fair, and recorded several more tracks released on the compilation album High Atmosphere: Ballads and Banjo Tunes from Virginia and North Carolina.[3]
Proffitt died in 1965, aged 52.[1] The Frank Proffitt Memorial Album was released by Folk Legacy Records in 1969, followed by a tribute album, Nothing Seems Better To Me: The Music of Frank Proffitt and North Carolina, was issued in 2000.[3]
Discography
[edit]- Frank Proffitt Sings Folk Songs, Folkways Records[5]
- Frank Proffitt of Reese NC, Folk-Legacy Records[6]
- Frank Proffitt Memorial Album, Folk Legacy[7]
- High Atmosphere: Ballads and Banjo Tunes from Virginia and North Carolina, Rounder Records[1]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e f Colin Larkin, ed. (1992). The Guinness Encyclopedia of Popular Music (First ed.). Guinness Publishing. pp. 2007/8. ISBN 0-85112-939-0.
- ^ a b Folk Legacy, Frank Proffitt bio Folk Legacy, Retrieved May 5, 2008
- ^ a b c d e Strong, Martin C. (2010). The Great Folk Discography: Pioneers and Early Legends. Edinburgh: Polygon Books. p. 244. ISBN 978-1-84697-141-9.
- ^ Frank Profitt Bio Folk Legacy. Retrieved May 5, 2008
- ^ Frank Proffitt Sings Folk Songs, Folkways Records, FW02360 1962 Retrieved on May 6, 2008
- ^ Frank Proffitt of Reese, NC CD-1 :American Folk Music, Music CD, Traditional Folk Music, Folklore, Sea Shanties, Folk Hymns, Folk Song, Folk Ballads Folk Legacy
- ^ Frank Proffitt – Memorial Album :American Folk Music, Music CD, Traditional Folk Music, Folklore, Sea Shanties, Folk Hymns, Folk Song, Folk Ballads Folk Legacy
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