Scope:
Born February 11, 1915 in Greenville, South Carolina, Josh White became a trademark of folk music with his brilliant performances of blues, ballads, gospel, and work songs. Starting out as a guide and apprentice to blind bluesmen such as Willie Walker and Joe Taggart, White soon moved to New York City where he became a fixture in the coffee house and cabaret scene. He became an international star, appeared in theater, film, television, and even became a guest of the White House. Josh White’s work broke through the stereotypes that confined black musicians and blazed the trail for the likes of Harry Belafonte, Nat “King” Cole, and Sam Cooke. His performances still serve as a reminder of his significance in making blues a staple of folk music, as well as the role he played in the evolution of popular music. This Pathfinder will provide an introduction to the sources available on the life and music of Josh White.
Introductory Text:
Born February 11, 1915 in Greenville, South Carolina, Josh White became a trademark of folk music with his brilliant performances of blues, ballads, gospel, and work songs. Starting out as a guide and apprentice to blind bluesmen such as Willie Walker and Joe Taggart, White soon moved to New York City where he became a fixture in the coffee house and cabaret scene. He became an international star, appeared in theater, film, television, and even became a guest of the White House. Josh White’s work broke through the stereotypes that confined black musicians and blazed the trail for the likes of Harry Belafonte, Nat “King” Cole, and Sam Cooke. His performances still serve as a reminder of his significance in making blues a staple of folk music, as well as the role he played in the evolution of popular music. This Pathfinder will provide an introduction to the sources available on the life and music of Josh White.
Library of Congress Subject Headings:
Highly Relevant:
White, Josh
White, Josh – Juvenile Literature
Also Relevant:
Blues musicians--United States--Biography
Blues (Music) --Encyclopedias
Blues musicians --Biography --Dictionaries
More General:
Singers -- United States -- Biography -- Juvenile Literature
Blues (Music)--1931-1940
Blues (Music)--1941-1950
Blues (Music)--1951-1960
Related:
African Americans --Biography.
Folk songs, English--United States.
Ballads, English – United States
Spirituals (Songs)
Blues (Music)
Clipping Files Subject Headings – W. L. Eury Appalachian Collection:
Black Musicians Appalachia
Library of Congress Call Numbers:
Highly Relevant:
ML420
Also Relevant:
ML420
ML102
More General:
SDA 73412
SDA 73413
SDA 73414
SDA 73415
SDA 07784
SDA 07785
SDA 45328
Related:
ML420
M1620
ML3521
Books:
Shelton, Robert. The Josh White Song Book. Ed. Walter Raim. Chicago: Quadrangle Books, Inc., 1963. ASU SPEC APP COLL M1629.R16 J7
Wald, Elijah. Josh White: Society Blues. Boston: University of Massachusetts, 2000. ASU SPEC APP COLL ML420.W48 W35 2000
Siegel, Dorothy S. The Glory Road. White Hall: Shoe Tree Press, 1991. ASU SPEC APP COLL ML420.W48 S53 1991
Guides, Encyclopedias, and Dictionaries:
Shelton, Robert. The Josh White Song Book. Ed. Walter Raim. Chicago: Quadrangle Books, Inc., 1963. ASU SPEC APP COLL M1629.R16 J7
Wald, Elijah. Josh White: Society Blues. Boston: University of Massachusetts, 2000. ASU SPEC APP COLL ML420.W48 W35 2000
Siegel, Dorothy S. The Glory Road. White Hall: Shoe Tree Press, 1991. ASU SPEC APP COLL ML420.W48 S53 1991
Bibliographies:
For a comprehensive list of works about Josh White reference:
Ford, Robert. “Josh White (Joshua Daniel White).” A Blues Bibliography. 2nd ed. New York: Routledge, 2007. pp. 1038-1042. ASU MUSIC REFERENCE ML128.B49 F67 2007
For an overview of recorded works by Josh White reference:
Sheridan, Tim. “Josh White.” All Music Guide to the Blues: The Experts’ Guide to the Best Blues Recordings. Eds. Michael Erlewine, Chris Woodstra, Cub Koda & Stephen T. Erlewine. 2nd ed. San Francisco: Miller Freeman Books, 1999. pp. 475-476. ASU MUSIC REFERENCE ML156.4.B6 A45 1999
Abstracts and Indices:
To locate journal articles search “Josh White” in the following:
The Music Index Online, Harmonie Park Press, 1999-Present, also in print (updated quarterly with annual cumulation). Index of journal articles about classical and popular music from more than 640 international music periodicals.
International Index to Music Periodicals (IIMP), Chadwyck-Healey,1990-present (updated quarterly). The IIMP provides indexing and abstracts for several hundred international music periodicals from over 20 countries.
RILM Abstracts of Music Literature, RILM International Center, 1967-Present (updated monthly). The RILM is a comprehensive collection that currently has 620,000 records, and over 30,000 new records being added each year.
Journals:
(1988-Present). Black Music Research Journal, ASU MUSIC BOUND JOURNAL. 1997-Present available in Academic OneFile. 1980-2008 available in JSTOR Archive Collection.
(1999-Present). Blues & Rhythm, The Gospel Truth, ASU MUSIC BOUND JOURNAL
(1999-Present). Living Blues. ASU MUSIC BOUND JOURNAL
(2007-Present). Journal of the Society for American Music, Retrieved from http://0-journals.cambridge.org.wncln.wncln.org/action/displayJournal?jid=SAM
Audio and Video Sources:
A great resource for examining the power of Josh White’s performances is:
White, Josh. Josh White, Free and Equal Blues: Rare Performances. Vestapol Productions, 2001. DVD. ASU SPEC APP COLL VIDEO DVDisc 2.
For the early recordings of Josh White’s music reference:
White, Josh. Josh White, Complete Recorded Works 1929-1940 in Chronological Order. Document Records, 1993. CD. ASU SPEC APP COLL CD CDisc #93
For recordings during his time as a cabaret star and eventual performer in the White House reference:
White, Josh. From New York to London: The Classic Recordings. Jasmine Records, 2002. CD. ASU SPEC APP COLL CD CDisc #587
Other Sources:
Reviews
Wald, Elijah. “Josh White and the Protest Blues.” Living Blues 32.4 (2001): 36-42. ASU MUSIC BOUND JOURNAL. Retrieved from International Index to Music Periodicals (IIMP)
Compiled by:
Timothy McWilliams
11/5/12
Subject: