(Bumped for write-up.)
We've got the swampiest swamps going and we like to sing about them.
Two different singer/songwriters had popular songs in which characters meet their death in the swamp. Who are the singers, what are the songs, and who died in them?
**
Gmac remembered the line "The gators got your granny," which prompted Owen's correct answer of "Polk Salad Annie" by Tony Joe White.
One down, one to go.
Owen stomped back in with Jerry Reed's "Amos Moses," and the sheriff that went into the swamp but never came out again.
Good job! I'll be back after a bit with the write-up.
**
In 1969 and 1970 the world was wide open Goodwill, Louisiana native Tony Joe White. He'd written a Top 10 hit for himself "Polk Salad Annie," and another for Brook Benton, "Rainy Night In Georgia."
A purveyor of "Swamp," White was unable to sustain his recording momentum on his home soil. His songwriter skills paid the bills--"Georgia" alone has been covered by over 100 different artists; and Elvis Presley recorded many of his tunes, including "Annie," which itself was covered 40 times. Others who've recorded his songs include Tina Turner and Dusty Springfield. For many years he played in touring bands with Eric Clapton and Joe Cocker.
In one country his popularity has continued unabated: France. His records continue to be recorded and pressed for that one country alone and documentaries are made there about him (two). In France, he is the "Swamp Fox."
That a musician can continue earning money at his trade is half the battle, so good for Tony Joe that he found lifelong, hardcore fans to support him.
His career is still active in the United States, if not as strong as overseas. A recent album of duets with Emmylou Harris, Jessi Colter, Lucinda Williams, and Shelby Lynne got great reviews.
An interesting thing he's said about himself is "When I look back now, I guess it was pretty different to be doing what I was doing and sounding like I was sounding. I haven't changed a whole lot; I'm almost like a lone wolf out there. I just play my guitar and don't worry about it. They don't know if I'm black, white, country or rock."
I guess that's true--I always thought he was black.
Jerry Reed's persona is that of a good ol' Southern boy. That is until you take a closer look at the Georgian's life and find a child musical prodigy who spent the first seven years of his life in orphanages and foster homes; a sought-after session-player; an ace guitarist mentored by guitar-god Chet Atkins; a prodigious songwriter whose work has been covered by many (Chet Atkins most of all); a crossover artist with Top 10s on both the Rock and Country charts, and a guy who decided to try his hand at TV and movies and made a name for himself as a comedian.
Drawn over to RCA by Atkins, during his time there from 1967 to 1986 he charted 57 singles, including the crossover No. 1 hits "When You're Hot, You're Hot," "Lord, Mr. Ford" and "She Got The Goldmine (I Got The Shaft);" and the No. 4 "Amos Moses."
His "claw" method of guitar-playing is distinctive and difficult to copy.
Aside from his work in music, he appeared weekly on Glen Campbell's TV show and in a dozen movies, including all the Smokey and the Bandit films.
Reed has won three Grammys, two CMAs, an amazing 16 BMIs for songwriting, and is in the Georgia Music Hall of Fame.
Recently asked about his ability to still write songs, Reed said, "Every well has a bottom; and at my age I think I'm beginning to smell the mud."
***
Previous postings:
Homefires: Southern Music XV (Action Edition)
Homefires: Southern Music XIV
Homefires: Southern Music XIII
Homefires: Southern Music XII
Homefires: Southern Music XI
Homefires: Southern Music X
Homefires: Southern Music IX
Homefires: Southern Music VIII
Homefires: Southern Music VII
Homefires: Southern Music VI
Homefires: Southern Music V
Homefires: Southern Music IV
Homefires: Southern Music III
Homefires: Southern Music II
Homefires: Southern Music
Hmmm. Was it the main character that died?
Posted by: Jay at March 7, 2006 10:12 AMNo, just a character mentioned. But I'm sure you know the songs, or I wouldn't have used them.
Posted by: Donnah at March 7, 2006 10:36 AMHow about Charlie Daniels with "The Ghost of Alucious Clay"
Posted by: Randy at March 7, 2006 10:41 AMSorry, it was "The Legend of Wooly Swamp".
Posted by: Randy at March 7, 2006 10:45 AMI'd forgotten clean about that one! What a good song.
No, these were very popular. I'll change my clue to reflect that.
Doctor Jackson, in the black bayou..close to
Jimmy Stafford's hometown of Eloise,(wahneta) Florida...
i rented a house from his dad, woody
Posted by: Owen Crosby at March 7, 2006 11:00 AMLOL. I'd forgotten that one too. But Dr. Jackson died in town of swamp fever, not in the swamp itself.
Posted by: Donnah at March 7, 2006 11:05 AMBah, there went my chances... CDB jumped immeadiatly to mind, the second one I'm gonna have to ponder on.
"Gator got your granny" keeps rattling around but I can't remember who did 'Swamp Water Annie"...
Posted by: Gmac at March 7, 2006 11:07 AMWhat's that you say, Gmac? Something about a granny?
Posted by: Donnah at March 7, 2006 11:11 AMpolk salad annie...gator got your granny
who the heck is tony joe white..???
thx gmac
Posted by: Owen Crosby at March 7, 2006 11:17 AMon the second one...
it wasnt a 'hoodoo' that John Fogerty's houndog
was chasin ??
The answer's always going to be a Southerner, Owen. The Fogerties are from California and never saw a swamp in their life.
Posted by: Donnah at March 7, 2006 11:32 AMit was the Sheriff, went lookin for Amos Moses
at least thats what Jerry Reed said
Posted by: Owen Crosby at March 7, 2006 11:35 AMThere ya go.
Posted by: Donnah at March 7, 2006 11:38 AMweeeeee
"clean up to the elbow..."
now I can go finish my yardwork :(
Posted by: Owen Crosby at March 7, 2006 11:41 AMOops, it's over...How about "Marie Leveau" by Bobby Bare? Handsome Jack (and every other man she met) "done gone," meaning, supposedly, a gruesome death.
http://www.top50lyrics.com/b/bobbybare-lyrics-16784/marieleveau-lyrics-459787.html
Posted by: Cowboy Blob at March 7, 2006 02:04 PMI hadn't even heard that one. Thanks, Cowboy.
Posted by: Donnah at March 7, 2006 02:10 PMIt got a lot of airplay back in the mid-70s. Of course, I was living in Louisiana at the time....
Posted by: Cowboy Blob at March 7, 2006 08:31 PMBut some said the plague was brought by Hattie.
There was talk of a hangin', too.
Posted by: tree hugging sister at March 7, 2006 10:30 PM"stomped" ???
Posted by: Owen Crosby at March 8, 2006 12:12 AMI thought Tony Joe was black too..Tom Jones got some mileage out of Polk Salad Annie...
I started to say yesterday that the last place I saw Jerry sing Amos Moses was on Glen or Johnny Cash's
show...
WOW..he's got a burst Les Paul layin on the ground..!!
Posted by: Owen Crosby at March 8, 2006 06:36 AMThe plant is spelled "Poke" not Polk - it comes from pokeweed. I don't remember how the song spelled it. In some parts of Georgia it's spelled "Poke Salat" not "Poke Salad". And yes, I've eaten it prepared by an old woman who knew which parts to pick and which to avoid. It tastes something like mustard greens rather than collards or turnips.
lay down Juan, I live IN Polk county...you can eat the whole thing raw...roots and all, fact o business, I got some in my backyard growin under a pine tree...
its great, served with cheese grits, and specs.
I like to chop a purple onion up in mine...
but to be fair, the tips and newer leaves ARE the
preference of the old timers...but I can't tell a difference...
Juan-Because it's the song I'm writing about, I'm going by how it was spelled on his own site, on Billboard, etc. I did have to check the references because it's not how I wanted to spell it.
Posted by: Donnah at March 8, 2006 12:43 PM the 'Hattie' Jimmy Stafford is referring to, was my Aunt Hattie Lee Anderson. Her brother Frank, opened a waterside 'place' on Lake Howard in Winter Haven several years before he died. Somehow my Mom was related to him..he died several years ago.
Hattie had a restaurant in Eloise, a long time ago, when Jim was a kid.
It was called Hattie's country kitchen. Hattie Anderson married my Mom's oldest brother, J.E. Hart (Uncle Jaybird)...they are both deceased.
I have to say, she was a little 'witchy' lookin' I guess. It wasnt until I had heard he wrote the song using her as a character, and I rented a house from his Dad, that I put two and two together.
What interested me about 'Ol Man Frank' (the name of the bar/restaurant) Anderson, besides all that other crap...was that he held a record in Florida. He caught the most 'pounds' of largemouth bass in one day, before limits were imposed..
Supposedly, he caught like 11 bass over 10 lbs each and several more...in Lake Eloise (Cypress Gardens)in ONE DAY !
there ya go..
btw
Juan, after a little investigation, it seems
that it's spelled poke by some folks, and the roots and berries can make you sick..so I stand corrected on part of my slanderous statement...
However..I have eaten several times, more as a novelty than anything else...the tender parts of the plant. I have never personally (until now) heard anyone refer to it as
'Poke Salad' tell ya what.if you're ever in Winter Haven, in 'Polk' county, Florida, drop me a note, and we will go pick some and chow down.
Now, hows that for Southern Hospitality ?
I am so jealous of your family ties, Owen. I used "Black Water Hattie" as my CB handle, way back in mah youth.
("Black Water"'s also a favorite Doobie Brothers' song of mine and I was tickled to find we'd moved just 10 miles from the Blackwater River when we got down here. Downright karmic.)
cb radio, huh...?
thats like wireless voicemail huh..HA HA yeah I stuck an Antron 99 up in a tree once..called myself Red Dot (what we put on patients who were DNRs)
the real 'character' in that story is 'Jaybird Hart'
my Mom's oldest brother. He died when I was 10..or so. He was in Cuba the night Batiste was overthrown.
Quite a tale.
hey I still have a linear and a Cobra 90..I could
crank her up and we could talk 'skip' lol
Red Dot. Hah.
Posted by: Donnah at March 9, 2006 01:44 AMyes..it seems the best 'handles' have a little
'color' in them..Blue Chip, Red Dot, Green Day, Pink Floyd, Black Water Hattie, ad infinitum, kinda questioned my Mama
'bout "Taster's Choice"...hmm