The theme on this edition of Stranger Songs is A Tribute to Josh White.
Josh White was a highly influential blues, folk and jazz singer and guitarist. He made his first recordings in 1928 at about age 14 or 15 and his 1944 recording of "One Meatball" was the first song by a male, African American artist to sell a million copies. Josh White was honored earlier this month by Folk Alliance International with its Legacy Lifetime Achievement Award.
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| fragment of The Stranger Song Leonard Cohen - Songs of Leonard Cohen - Columbia/Legacy 
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| Good Morning Blues Josh White - The Josh White Stories, Vols. I & II - Jasmine |
| One Meatball Josh White, Jr. - Live at the Raven Gallery - Silverwolf |
| Lonesome Road Madeleine Peyroux - Careless Love - Rounder |
| Two Little Fishes Mr. Rick - Mr. Rick Sings About God + Booze - Mr. Rick
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| Joshua Fit the Battle of Jericho Sister Rosetta Tharpe - This Train in Concert - Sunset Blvd. |
| Things About Coming My Way Josh White - Spirituals & Blues - Elektra |
| I'm Gonna Move to the Outskirts of Town Louis Jordan - The Rock ‘n’ Roll Years 1955-1958 - Jasmine |
| You Won't Let Me Go Josh White, Jr. with Robin Batteau - Jazz, Ballads & Blues - Ryko |
| fragment of The Stranger Song Leonard Cohen - Songs of Leonard Cohen - Columbia/Legacy
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| "Goodbye Josh" by Peter Yarrow is a tribute song to Josh White. |
| Goodbye Josh Peter Yarrow - Peter - Warner Bros. |
| Betty & Dupree Peter, Paul & Mary - See What Tomorrow Brings - Warner Bros. |
| In “A Natural Man,” Jack Williams sings about some of the racism that Josh White encountered. Although Jack doesn’t specifically mention lynching, I’ve heard Josh White, Jr. speak about his father having witnessed lynchings as a young person, and if there’s any artist other than Billie Holiday who sang “Strange Fruit” definitively, it was surely Josh White. |
| A Natural Man Jack Williams - Walkin’ Dreams - Wind River |
| Strange Fruit Josh White - The Josh White Stories, Vols. I & II - Jasmine |
| Miss Otis Regrets Crabtree & Mills - Flight of Fancy - Free and Easy Music
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| Dink's Song Bonnie Dobson - Take Me for a Walk in the Morning Dew - Hornbeam
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| House of the Rising Sun Odetta - Livin’ with the Blues - Vanguard |
| St. James Informary Dave Van Ronk - …and the tin pan bended, and the story ended… - Smithsonian Folkways |
| John Henry is one of the most legendary figures in folk song. In 1955, Josh White took the story of John Henry and used fragments of other songs to expand "The Story of John Henry" into a compelling 23-minute narrative. |
| The Story of John Henry Josh White - The Story of John Henry: A Musical Narrative - Elektra |
| Frankie & Johnny Julian Fauth - The Weak and the Wicked, the Hard and the Strong - Electro-Fi
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3:37 PM, February 28th, 2023