Emry Arthur

Edit links
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Emry Paul Arthur
Emry in 1929
Born(1902-09-17)September 17, 1902
Wayne County, Kentucky
DiedAugust 22, 1967(1967-08-22) (aged 64)
Indianapolis, Indiana
OccupationMusician
Known for"Man of Constant Sorrow"

Emry Paul Arthur (September 17, 1902 – August 22, 1967) was an American Old-time musician. Arthur played an early version of the song "Man of Constant Sorrow" in 1928.

Childhood and youth

Emry Arthur was born around the turn of the century in the Elk Spring Valley in

I Am a Man of Constant Sorrow". Arthur was unable to earn a living from music, and work in general was hard to find, so in the mid-1920s he migrated to Indianapolis.[1]

Recording career

After a few years in Indianapolis, Arthur auditioned successfully for

I Am A Man Of Constant Sorrow," which was released on 78-rpm record in 1928. Vocalion was impressed by good sales, particularly of the religious sides, and by the fact that Emry was Southern singer living conveniently in the North, so he was invited back to record frequently through 1928 and 1929. As with his first sessions, he recorded a mixture of solo songs and vocal duets, employing first Frank Owens then William Rexroat in place of Henry Arthur. In addition, he recorded with a succession of choirs led by Arthur and one led by Rexroat, as well as with a group singing in a non-Southern idiom led by Floyd Thomson.[2][3]

In 1929, Emry's marriage broke up. Abandoning everything, he moved to Wisconsin, where he secured contacts with Paramount Records as a singer, and with their parent Wisconsin Chair Company as a factory hand. As before, he recorded a mixture of solos (including a second version of I Am A Man Of Constant Sorrow) and vocal duets. But now his singing partner was Della Hatfield, who became his second wife. They continued to record for Paramount until the near collapse of the recording industry in 1931.[2]

Also in 1929, Arthur was involved with William Myers, a songwriter in Richlands, Virginia. Previously, Myers had posted his songs to singers he admired, including Mississippi John Hurt and Dock Boggs. Now he decided to start a record label, named Lonesome Ace. This folded after three recordings: one by Arthur and two by Boggs with Arthur accompanying.[2]

In 1935, the recording industry had recovered somewhat, and Emry recorded a final session with Decca Records.

Later life and death

At some point, Emry and Della moved back to Indianapolis, where they lived for the rest of their lives, about which nothing is known. Emry Arthur died in 1967, survived by Della for almost four decades.[2]

Old Homestead Records collected some of Arthur's recordings on I Am a Man of Constant Sorrow in 1987.[4]

References

  1. ISBN 978-0-19-973266-1
    pp 96-98.
  2. ^ a b c d Russell (2007)
  3. ISBN 0-195-13989-5
    .
  4. ISBN 978-0-19-984044-1
    . Retrieved August 16, 2017.

Further reading

External links
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Emry_Arthur&oldid=1176978835"