Shining a Light on Artists & Music from the Past
A historic marker is unveiled; a 78rpm record collector is interviewed; and a champion of the blues is remembered.
The Dedication of a Historical Marker for Blues Artist Moses Williams
Folklorist Dwight Devane reached out to us earlier this week regarding the dedication of a historical marker in Polk County, Florida. The marker was placed at Shady Oaks Garden Cemetery to honor all of the 862 people buried there — county residents who lacked the financial resources for burial. Among them is musician Moses Williams who Devane began recording and documenting in the 1970s. Some of the recordings of Williams were included on our “Drop on Down in Florida” collection, which we highlighted in a Substack post in 2022.
Dwight kindly shared his remarks from the dedication with us. Here is an excerpt:
“Folklorists often seek out traditional artists to help illuminate a sense of place and to understand the expressive culture of a region. The biographical narratives and music traditions of those within these places convey deep understanding of their lives. Song lyrics often describe their experiences, concerns and struggles, and how they emotionally dealt with them.
In many ways, Moses Williams exemplified the iconic blues musician of his time. He represents the lone figure, traveling from place to place, playing within a closed community to whom he offered performances as a side gig…
The songs that Moses composed, along with the songs that he learned from others, mostly reflected the social concerns and personal experiences of his contemporaries. These were songs of love lost, hard working conditions, hard truths, and temporary relationships...
One of the songs is called ‘I Was Natalie Roberta's Son.’ It's a heartfelt tribute to his mother, who he greatly respected. These lyrics are engraved on the marker we will unveil today.
In 1988, when I originally arranged for a headstone to be placed to recognize Moses Williams, I hoped that his life and his contributions would be remembered. I really appreciate that my hope is now being realized. Thank you.”
Raffle Winner Announcement
At the end of last year, we announced a raffle giveaway of our complete digital discography — all the ,titles in our catalog in digital form with a PDF of the book that accompanied each release. To be eligible for the contest, one would need to donate to our non-profit, the Dust-to-Digital Foundation, or to be a paid subscriber to our Substack. Earlier this week, we conducted the drawing and the winner was Joe Rogoff. Congratulations Joe! We thank you for your support as a paid Substack subscriber!
Jonathan Ward Interviewed on American Routes
In his 1931 essay “Unpacking My Library,” Walter Benjamin wrote that "the acquisition of an old book is its rebirth." The same could be said of an old record, especially when a collector like Jonathan Ward finds one that has never been reissued. Here is how Ward recently explained the action as it relates to his collecting and publishing in a recent interview with Nick Spitzer on his radio show American Routes.
"The 78 was really the primary sound carrier for the majority of the twentieth century when you look at the world holistically in terms of the recording industry. Most music, and that includes folk and popular, were issued on 78s. And most of that material has never, globally speaking, been reissued, so the only way to hear it is to find the records. And in particular on this collection, I liked to focus on regional music because it was not part of the mainstream, but represented a very important part of the cultures.
What I wanted to do with this set is kind of overwhelm people. If there are some tracks on here that people absolutely just can't stand and do not respond to, that's very important to me because that's where I take off. There are entire worlds and cultures and people who understand that music far better than I do and far better than anyone else does, that that music moves them. And, I like to be humbled when I'm confronted with that type of thing."
Hear the entire show with sound clips and discussions of recordings from the “Excavated Shellac” anthology here. There is even a link on their page to go right to Ward’s interview.
R.I.P. Dick Waterman, 1935-2024
Sad news to report: Dick Waterman, writer, promoter, and photographer from whom we licensed photos over the years and who was always happy to help us with whatever he could, died on January 26.
For those unfamiliar with Waterman, a good place to start is “Two Trains Runnin,’” a 2016 documentary that takes a look at the journey Waterman, Phil Spiro, and Nick Perls took to Mississippi in 1964 in search of Son House. The film gives an account of what researchers like Waterman experienced in the 1960s.
Bonnie Raitt shared this message on her social media earlier this week:
"I’m deeply sorry to mark the passing of my friend, Dick Waterman, who made such a huge impact on the lives and careers of so many great blues artists, championing them as people as much as their music, booking and managing them with great care, integrity and skill. He gave me my start as well, going on to book and represent me for 15 years. He was also a renowned photographer who published a book of his wonderful photographs of some of our most legendary roots artists... He packed a great deal into his 88 years. We are so sorry to lose him and I am deeply grateful for the gifts he gave me and the life he lived.”
Bobby Rush, who is a part of our Voices of Mississippi live show, and who was represented by Waterman for years, said that “he was the best manager anyone could have.” Dick Waterman will be missed.
Great read.
This is a beautiful piece of music history! I wonder if there are still any diddley bows around. I am really sorry to hear of your loss. Dick Waterman sounds like a great champion for the music.