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Tom Paley
Tom Paley
Tom Paley
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Key Information

Allan Thomas Paley (March 19, 1928 – September 30, 2017) was an American guitarist, banjo and fiddle player. He was best known for his work with the New Lost City Ramblers in the 1950s and 1960s.[1]

Biography

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Paley was born on March 19, 1928, and raised in New York City.[1][2] His parents were left-wing activists, and he grew up hearing spirituals and political songs. After moving with his mother to California for several years in his early teens, he returned to New York and began learning the guitar and banjo, and visiting clubs where singers such as Lead Belly and Josh White performed. He also began performing, both solo and with other musicians including Woody Guthrie, and booking performances for others.[3][4]

From September 1950 to May 1951 he was a graduate student in the mathematics department of Yale University. After one year he decided to be a musician rather than a mathematician.

In 1953 he recorded his first album Folk Songs of the Southern Appalachian Mountains, for Jac Holzman's then-new Elektra Records.[3] On May 25, 1958, Paley, John Cohen and Mike Seeger played together live on air for John Dildine's weekly folk music radio show on WASH-FM: this was the first appearance of what later became the New Lost City Ramblers.[2] Paley later said:[3]

When we formed The New Lost City Ramblers it was the kind of thing I'd been doing for quite a few years.... It didn't feel particularly revolutionary to me but I understood we had quite an impact on young people like Dylan.

Paley, both as a solo artist and as member of the New Lost City Ramblers, has been cited by many as a source and influence, among them Bob Dylan,[5] and The Grateful Dead.[6] He recorded nine albums as a member of the New Lost City Ramblers between 1958 and 1962.[7]

Paley left the band when Cohen and Seeger wanted the group to become more professional and Paley refused to sign statements about his political allegiances;[3] he was replaced by Tracy Schwarz. He formed another group, the Old Reliable String Band with Roy Berkeley and Artie Rose,[4] before leaving the United States in 1963, when he and his wife Claudia went to live in Sweden. They remained there until 1965 when they moved to England, where Paley had increasingly been working.[3][8]

Paley subsequently toured widely, in the UK, US, Scandinavia and elsewhere. He also performed as a member of the New Deal String Band, based in London, intermittently since the 1960s. After learning the fiddle, he released two albums of traditional Scandinavian music, On a Cold Winter Night (1993) and Svenska Låtar: Swedish Fiddle Tunes (1998), both recorded with his son Ben.[1] His collaboration with Bert Deivert, Beware Young Ladies!, was released in 2007.[1]

He was the honorary President of the Friends of American Old-Time Music and Dance (FOAOTMAD).[4] Another album, Roll on, Roll on, was released in 2012. He was interviewed on BBC Radio 4's Today programme on July 4, 2012, at the launch party of the new album. On September 30, 2017, Paley died in Brighton, England at the age of 89.[9]

Discography

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Solo

[edit]
  • Folksongs of the Southern Appalachian Mountains (1953)
  • Sue Cow (1969)
  • Hard Luck Papa. Old Time Picking Styles and Techniques (1976) Joe Locker appears uncredited
  • Stern Old Bachelor (1985)
  • Old Tom Moore and More (1991)

Collaborations

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Collaboration – Jean Ritchie, Oscar Brand, Tom Paley, Harry and Jeanie West.

  • Shivaree! (1955)

Collaboration – Jean Ritchie, Oscar Brand and Tom Paley.

  • Courtin's A Pleasure (1955)

The New Lost City Ramblers (John Cohen, Tom Paley, Mike Seeger).

  • The New Lost City Ramblers (1958)
  • The New Lost City Ramblers Volume II (1959)
  • Songs From The Depression (1959)
  • Old-Timey Songs For Children (1959)
  • The New Lost City Ramblers Volume 3 (1961)
  • Tom Paley, John Cohen, Mike Seeger sing songs of The New Lost City Ramblers (1961)
  • The New Lost City Ramblers (7-inch EP) (1961)
  • Earth Is Earth (as the New Lost City Bang Boys) (7-inch EP) (1961)
  • The New Lost City Ramblers Volume 4 (1962)
  • American Moonshine And Prohibition (1962)
  • The New Lost City Ramblers Volume 5 (1963)

Collaboration – Eric Weissberg, Tom Paley, Art Rosenbaum, Marshall Brickman.

  • Folk Banjo Styles (1962)

Old Reliable String Band (Tom Paley, Roy Berkeley and Artie Rose).

  • The Old Reliable String Band (1962)

Collaboration – Tom Paley and Peggy Seeger with Claudia Paley.

  • Who's Going to Shoe Your Pretty Little Foot? Topic (1964) now available as a download.

In 2009 Girl on the Green Briar Shore, track sixteen from this album was included in Topic Records 70 year anniversary boxed set Three Score and Ten as track five on the seventh CD.

The New Deal String Band (Tom Paley, Joe Locker, Janet Kerr).

  • Down in the Willow (1969)

Cyril Tawney

  • Children's Songs From Devon And Cornwall (1969)
  • A Mayflower Garland (1970)

The New Deal String Band (Tom Paley, Joe Locker, Ben Paley).

  • Dealing a New Hand (from the Same Old Deck) (1999)

The Mysterious Redbirds (Tom Paley, James Reams, Bill Christophersen).

  • 1992-1998 (2000)

Collaboration – Tom and Ben Paley.

  • Svenska Låtar (1998)
  • On A Cold Winter Night (recorded 1989) (1993)
  • Paley & Son (Hornbeam Recordings, 2015)

Collaboration – Tom Paley with Barbara Lester and Ben Paley.

  • Heartsease (1991)
  • Separate Ways (1993)

Collaboration – Tom Paley, featuring Bert Deivert

  • Beware Young Ladies! (Gravitation 023, Sweden) (2007)

Tom Paley's Old-Time Moonshine Revue

  • "Roll On, Roll On" (Hornbeam Recordings, 2012)

References

[edit]
[edit]
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Tom Paley

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Tom Paley is an American folk musician, banjoist, guitarist, and singer known for his pioneering contributions to the old-time music revival of the 1950s and 1960s as a founding member of the New Lost City Ramblers. His virtuosic fingerstyle playing on banjo and guitar, along with his deep repertoire of pre-World War II American traditional songs, ballads, and tunes, helped bring rural Southern Appalachian and old-time country music to urban audiences during the folk revival. Described as witty, intellectual, and a masterful showman, Paley influenced prominent musicians including Bob Dylan, who praised the New Lost City Ramblers in his memoir, as well as Jerry Garcia and Ry Cooder, whom he taught finer points of acoustic guitar and banjo. Born in the Bronx, New York, Paley emerged in the New York folk scene of the 1940s and 1950s, where he performed with Woody Guthrie and Lead Belly at events such as union meetings and memorial concerts. In 1958, he co-founded the New Lost City Ramblers with Mike Seeger and John Cohen, a trio dedicated to authentically recreating 1920s and 1930s string band music; the group released influential albums on Folkways Records and performed widely until Paley's departure in 1962. He later pursued solo work, recorded with Peggy Seeger, formed the New Deal String Band, and incorporated Scandinavian traditional music into his repertoire. Paley relocated to England in the 1960s, where he remained an active performer and recording artist—often collaborating with his son Ben Paley—until his death in Brighton in 2017 at age 89.

Early Life

Family Background and Childhood

Tom Paley was born on March 19, 1928, in the Bronx, New York City, to David Paley, a newspaper editor at the New York Herald Tribune, and Sylvia Leichtling. His parents were left-wing activists who exposed him to spirituals, political songs, and workers' songs at left-wing gatherings in upstate New York during his childhood. Their relationship was marked by periods of separation, and in the early 1940s Paley relocated with his mother to California, where they lived for several years. He returned to New York City as a teenager. This upbringing in a politically engaged household sparked his early interest in folk music during childhood.

Early Musical Influences and Beginnings

Paley returned to New York in his early teens after a period in California and began teaching himself guitar and banjo, drawn to the sounds of traditional American folk and country music. He frequented clubs and performances where he heard and encountered key figures such as Lead Belly and Josh White, whose styles deeply shaped his approach to stringed instruments and song interpretation. During this time, he joined American Youth for Democracy, a left-wing organization that hosted square dances, where he participated actively by playing his instruments at their social events and gatherings. In the late 1940s, Paley took part in informal performances and occasional bookings alongside musicians including Woody Guthrie, gaining hands-on experience in the evolving folk scene. He regularly attended the Sunday afternoon folk song sessions in Washington Square Park, often gathering beforehand at Pete Seeger's nearby home in Greenwich Village with other enthusiasts to share tunes and ideas. These experiences immersed him in the communal, revivalist spirit of the era and honed his skills on banjo and guitar through direct engagement with the music and its practitioners.

Education and Entry into Professional Music

Academic Pursuits

Tom Paley received his bachelor's degree from City College of New York in 1950. He then pursued graduate studies in mathematics at Yale University, earning a master's degree in 1953. He later combined teaching mathematics with his musical pursuits during the 1950s.

First Recordings and Folk Scene Involvement

Tom Paley made his recorded debut with the solo album Folk Songs of the Southern Appalachian Mountains, released in 1953 on Elektra Records. The record featured his banjo and guitar interpretations of traditional Appalachian songs and established him as an early figure in the folk revival movement then emerging in New York City. During the early 1950s, Paley immersed himself in the city's vibrant folk scene, participating in hootenannies and securing performance bookings through union affiliations. He backed Oscar Brand on WNYC radio broadcasts and performed at the 1950 Lead Belly memorial concert. In 1955, Paley collaborated with Jean Ritchie and Oscar Brand on two albums: Shivaree!, which also included Harry and Jeanie West, and Courtin's A Pleasure. These projects highlighted his contributions to ensemble folk recordings and further integrated him into the New York folk community during this formative period.

The New Lost City Ramblers

Formation and Role

The New Lost City Ramblers formed in 1958 in New York City as a trio consisting of Tom Paley, John Cohen, and Mike Seeger, with the shared goal of reviving pre-war old-time string band music from the American South. The group specialized in repertoire from the 1920s and 1930s, focusing on Appalachian old-time country, fiddle tunes, and blues, performing in authentic styles drawn from rural Southern traditions. Their first public appearance occurred on May 25, 1958, when they played a half-hour set on John Dildine's weekly folk music radio show on WASH-FM in Washington, D.C., marking the debut of the lineup that would define the ensemble's early sound. Tom Paley contributed as a multi-instrumentalist and vocalist, playing guitar and banjo while singing lead and harmony parts that closely emulated the authentic styles of 1930s-era acts such as J.E. Mainer’s Mountaineers, Roy Acuff, and the Carter Family. This approach helped introduce urban folk revival audiences to Depression-era rural music traditions through precise recreations of old-time techniques and repertoire. Building on his prior solo performances in the folk scene, Paley brought technical skill and historical knowledge to the group's mission of preserving and presenting pre-war Southern string band music in its original forms.

Key Recordings and Performances

In their first four years (1958–1962) with the original trio, the New Lost City Ramblers released nine Folkways LPs and two EPs. These included The New Lost City Ramblers (1958), Volume II (1960), Songs From The Depression (1959), Old-Timey Songs For Children (1959), Volume 3 (1961), Volume 4 (1962), and American Moonshine And Prohibition (1962). The group's recordings featured authentic recreations of southern mountain string band music, early bluegrass, and topical songs from the pre-war era, drawing from 78 rpm records and Library of Congress field recordings rather than contemporary polished folk styles. Albums such as Songs From The Depression highlighted material from the 1930s economic crisis, while others like Old-Timey Songs For Children and American Moonshine And Prohibition presented traditional Appalachian and prohibition-era narratives, preserving regional styles and repertories for broader listeners. The Ramblers played a key role in the urban folk revival by introducing Depression-era rural southern music to northern audiences in New York and college campuses across the country. Their work helped bridge rural traditions with the emerging folk scene, influencing younger musicians through accurate emulation of instrumentation and vocal styles from the American South. During this period, the group performed at over 150 engagements, including folk festivals, urban clubs, and campus concerts, bringing old-time music to new listeners and facilitating appearances by traditional rural artists at northern venues.

Departure from the Group

Tom Paley departed from the New Lost City Ramblers in 1962 amid disagreements over the group's future direction and political pressures. John Cohen and Mike Seeger sought to transform the band into a full-time professional commitment, whereas Paley preferred to maintain his teaching career alongside music. The tensions escalated when Paley refused to sign a statement affirming his political allegiances, which had been demanded for a television booking after accusations of communist affiliations surfaced. Paley, who was never a member of the Communist Party, viewed the requirement as an unwarranted intrusion into his private beliefs, stating that it was "none of the network’s business." This refusal led to the loss of the television opportunity and angered his bandmates. Following Paley's exit, Tracy Schwarz replaced him in the group.

Career in Europe

Relocation to Sweden and England

In early 1963, Tom Paley relocated to Sweden with his wife Claudia, motivated by the escalating Vietnam War and his admiration for Ingmar Bergman's films. This move allowed him to leave the United States amid growing opposition to the conflict and an interest in Swedish cinema. The couple later moved to London, England, in 1965, where Paley was assisted by folk musicians Ewan MacColl and Peggy Seeger in establishing himself in the British folk scene. This transition marked his permanent settlement in Europe following his departure from the New Lost City Ramblers.

Musical Projects and Collaborations

After relocating to England in 1965, Tom Paley formed the New Deal String Band in early 1966 with fellow American expatriate Joe Locker and a series of British fiddlers, including Bobby Campbell, Janet Kerr, and later Robin Arzonie. The group specialized in traditional American folk music from the New Deal era and performed extensively at UK folk clubs, festivals such as Cambridge Folk Festival, and on BBC radio, while releasing the LP Down In The Willow on Argo Records during its initial active years. The band went through periods of inactivity due to personal commitments but was revived in the mid-1990s, now featuring Paley's son Ben Paley as the fiddler after he had honed his skills in North Carolina. This reformed lineup performed at major UK and Scandinavian festivals, undertook a month-long tour of the American Midwest, and released the CD Dealing A New Hand (from the Same Old Deck) in 1999. Paley took up the fiddle himself and collaborated with his son Ben on two albums of traditional Scandinavian music: On a Cold Winter Night (1993) and Svenska Låtar: Swedish Fiddle Tunes (1998). His earlier collaborations included the 1964 album Who's Going to Shoe Your Pretty Little Foot? Who's Going to Glove Your Hand? with Peggy Seeger and Claudia Paley, released on Topic Records. He later worked with Bert Deivert on the 2007 album Beware Young Ladies!.

Later Albums and Activities

In his later years based in Europe, Tom Paley continued to record and perform, issuing a series of solo albums that upheld his commitment to traditional American folk and old-time music. His solo releases during this period included Sue Cow in 1969, Hard Luck Papa in 1976, Stern Old Bachelor in 1985, and Old Tom Moore and More in 1991. Paley increasingly collaborated with his son Ben Paley, a fiddler, on later projects. In 2012, he released Roll On, Roll On – Tom Paley’s Old-Time Moonshine Revue on Hornbeam Recordings, an album that featured Paley's original song “Roll On, Roll On” alongside traditional material. This was followed in 2015 by Paley & Son, also on Hornbeam, which included guest contributions from steel guitarist BJ Cole and singer Cerys Matthews. Even into his eighties, Paley remained active as a performer at London venues such as the Shakespeare’s Head pub, sustaining his engagement with live folk music audiences.

Media and Broadcast Appearances

Television Performances

Tom Paley made occasional television appearances as a performer and as himself, primarily in the context of folk music programming during the 1960s and 1970s. He appeared as himself in two episodes of The Hoot'nanny Show in 1964, contributing to the era's televised folk revival showcases. In 1971, he featured as himself in one episode of the series Search. He also received performer credit for one episode of Alistair Cooke's America in 1972, where he provided musical contributions to the historical documentary series. An earlier planned television appearance with the New Lost City Ramblers was canceled when Paley refused to sign a statement regarding his political allegiances, after being accused of communist affiliations. Paley later stated he had never been a member of the Communist Party but maintained it was none of the network's business. This incident reflected the political pressures of the time and factored into his departure from the group, as detailed elsewhere in sections on his band tenure and activism.

Soundtrack Contributions

Tom Paley contributed to the soundtrack of the 1975 documentary film Brother Can You Spare a Dime? as the performer of the song "Franklin D. Roosevelt's Back Again" (1936). This Depression-era folk tune, recorded by Paley with The New Lost City Ramblers, aligns with the film's focus on the social and economic challenges of the Great Depression through archival footage and period music. The song reflects the political optimism surrounding Franklin D. Roosevelt's leadership during that time and represents the group's revival of traditional American folk material from the 1930s. No other soundtrack contributions by Paley to feature films or documentaries are documented in available sources.

Personal Life

Family and Relationships

Tom Paley married Claudia Lingafelt, one of his former students, in 1959. The couple relocated to Sweden together in 1963. Their son, Ben Paley, was born in 1967, and the marriage ended in divorce the following year. Tom Paley is survived by his son Ben, his sister Maggie, and three grandchildren: Max, Isaac, and Joy.

Political Beliefs and Activism

Tom Paley was born into a family of left-wing activists in New York City, where he grew up exposed to spirituals and political songs. As a young man returning to New York after time in California, he joined American Youth for Democracy, a left-wing organization that hosted square dances and served as a reformed post-war version of the Young Communist League. Amid political pressures in the early 1960s, Paley refused to sign a declaration affirming he had never been a member of the Communist Party, a requirement for a scheduled national television appearance with the New Lost City Ramblers; though he had never been a member, he regarded the demand as an invasion of privacy. This refusal led to the cancellation of the appearance and contributed to his departure from the group. An opponent of the Vietnam War, Paley relocated with his wife to Sweden in 1963, partly to escape the war's escalation and also due to their admiration for Ingmar Bergman films.

Death and Legacy

Final Years and Passing

In his final years, Tom Paley remained active as a performer and recording artist into his late eighties, continuing to engage with traditional music despite advancing age. In 2012, he released the album Roll On, Roll On Tom Paley’s Old-Time Moonshine Revue, a project featuring his original composition "Roll On, Roll On" and collaborations with younger musicians on the Hornbeam label. Three years later, in 2015, he performed at the Lead Belly festival at the Royal Albert Hall in London, sharing the stage with Van Morrison among others. Paley died on September 30, 2017, in Brighton, England, at the age of 89. He had been moved to a care facility there a few weeks earlier due to failing health.

Influence and Recognition

Tom Paley played a pivotal role in the American folk revival of the late 1950s and early 1960s as a founding member of the New Lost City Ramblers, a group renowned for its authentic recreations of old-time string band music from the 1920s and 1930s. This commitment to traditional styles helped preserve and popularize rural American music traditions during a period of renewed interest in folk forms. Bob Dylan, in his memoir Chronicles: Volume One, highlighted the profound impact of the New Lost City Ramblers, writing that "all their songs vibrated with some dizzy, portentous truth." The group's approach influenced a generation of musicians, with Dylan himself citing Paley as an important figure in his development. Other prominent artists sought Paley's direct guidance: Jerry Garcia of the Grateful Dead requested banjo lessons from him, while Ry Cooder asked for blues guitar instruction. Paley received recognition for his contributions to old-time music as the honorary president of the Friends of American Old-Time Music and Dance (FOAOTMAD). After relocating to Britain in the mid-1960s, his influence extended to the British folk scene, where he continued performing and recording for decades. This lasting impact was evident in his 2012 album Roll On, Roll On with the Old-Time Moonshine Revue, which featured collaborations with younger British folk musicians including his son Ben Paley and Jason Steel, demonstrating his ability to inspire and connect with emerging talents in the genre.

References

  1. https://www.nytimes.com/2017/10/02/obituaries/tom-paley-dead.html
  2. https://www.theguardian.com/music/2017/oct/02/tom-paley-obituary
  3. https://www.allmusic.com/artist/p19752/biography
  4. https://bluegrasstoday.com/tom-paley-passes/
  5. https://folkworks.org/milestone/rip-tom-paley/
  6. https://www.bluesmagazine.nl/interview-tom-paley/
  7. https://www.efdss.org/about-us/what-we-do/news/5839-tom-paley-1928-2017
  8. https://www.allmusic.com/artist/tom-paley-mn0000930325/biography
  9. https://web.archive.org/web/20121230181138/http://www.wildernessroad.net/tompaley/
  10. https://folkways.si.edu/the-new-lost-city-ramblers/the-early-years-1958-1962/american-folk-old-time/music/album/smithsonian
  11. https://www.downhomeradioshow.com/2008/12/the-new-lost-city-ramblers-50-years-interview-with-john-cohen-tom-paley/
  12. https://bluegrasstoday.com/on-this-day-54-new-lost-city-ramblers-debut/
  13. https://banjonews.com/2017-11/so_long_tom_paley.html
  14. https://folkways.si.edu/magazine-fall-2009-new-lost-city-ramblers-50-years-folk/american-old-time/music/article/smithsonian
  15. http://countrydiscoghraphy2.blogspot.com/2016/02/new-lost-city-ramblers.html
  16. https://www.discogs.com/artist/1416229-The-New-Lost-City-Ramblers
  17. https://newdealstringband.com/history-of-the-ndsb/
  18. https://www.discogs.com/artist/1012003-Tom-Paley
  19. https://www.wirz.de/music/paley.htm
  20. https://tompaley.org/discography/
  21. https://tombenpaley.bandcamp.com/album/roll-on-roll-on-tom-paleys-old-time-moonshine-revue
  22. https://banjonews.com/2017-11/tom_paley_1928-2017.html
  23. https://www.imdb.com/name/nm4046771/
  24. https://www.the-independent.com/news/obituaries/tom-paley-obituary-virtuoso-who-helped-spur-folk-revival-with-new-lost-city-ramblers-a7986816.html
  25. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/obituaries/2017/12/08/tom-paley-folk-musician-obituary/
  26. https://morningstaronline.co.uk/article/ever-true-his-roots
  27. https://www.thetimes.com/uk/article/tom-paley-obituary-w58s26fqz
  28. https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/obituaries/tom-paley-who-helped-spur-folk-revival-with-new-lost-city-ramblers-dies-at-89/2017/10/03/ce826422-a850-11e7-92d1-58c702d2d975_story.html
  29. https://www.theguardian.com/music/musicblog/2015/apr/07/cult-heroes-dylan-a-fan-why-isnt-tom-paley-a-folk-celebrity
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