'DeFord Bailey' by David C. Morton
Charlie Pride races to mind when asked about Black country stars. But long before Pride made his way to Nashville, DeFord Bailey (1899-1982) was there as a charter member of the Grand Ole Opry. The revised version of Bailey 1991 biography, out now in paperback locates the musician’s origins in the rural Southern string band traditions before the emergence of music easily categorized as country, and the influence he gained through the medium of radio on country and blues artists. Bailey was known primarily for harmonica, but he also played banjo and guitar. The Opry staff sometimes treated Bailey as a mascot; many listeners never knew he was Black.
The biography’s primary author was fortunate to meet Bailey, by then elderly and largely forgotten, a few years before his death. After the Opry fired him in 1941, Bailey shined shoes for a living. Working with country historian Charles K. Wolfe, David C. Morton verified Bailey’s memories and filled in the blank spots. Morton’s research lifted Bailey from obscurity, yet he seemed strangely reticent to play before the folk-blues revival audience where his music would have been appreciated.
