McGee Brothers
The McGee Brothers | |
---|---|
Also known as | Sam & Kirk McGee |
Origin | Franklin, Tennessee, U.S. |
Genres | Old-time, Country music, Blues |
Years active | 1925–1975 |
Past members | Sam McGee Kirk McGee |
The McGee Brothers were an American
The McGee Brothers saw a brief resurgence during the folk revival of the 1950s and 1960s, when folk artist Mike Seeger managed to reunite them with Arthur Smith. The brothers made their last major appearance as a duo on the Opry in 1974, although Kirk continued to appear regularly on the program until his death in 1983.[1]
Early career
Sam and Kirk McGee were born and raised in
Around 1923, Sam and Kirk met Uncle Dave Macon, who had recently gained regional fame as a banjoist and
1930s and 1940s
While the McGee Brothers continued performing with Macon over the years, by 1930 their main focus had turned to performing as a duo and with fellow Opry pioneer "Fiddlin'" Arthur Smith.
In the 1940s, the McGee Brothers performed with some of the biggest names in country and bluegrass, among them Roy Acuff, Ernest Tubb, and Bill Monroe and the Bluegrass Boys. They also continued making appearances on the Grand Ole Opry, sometimes accompanying their old bandmate, Uncle Dave Macon.[7] Early in the decade, they worked briefly with the comedy act, Sara and Sally.[3]
Later career
The McGee Brothers continued performing throughout the 1950s, both as a duo and occasionally as solo acts. During the folk revival of the late 1950s, the McGees were "rediscovered", and experienced a brief resurgence in popularity. Folk song enthusiast Mike Seeger managed to reunite them with Arthur Smith in 1957, and the trio made several recordings.[1] The trio played at various folk music festivals throughout the 1960s, including a well-received performance at the Newport Folk Festival in 1965. By the 1970s, the McGees were again playing primarily as a duo. They performed at the Opry's last Ryman Auditorium show on March 15, 1974, and as the Opry's senior members, were among the first acts to play at the show's new Opryland venue the following Saturday night.[2][8] Journalist Garrison Keillor, covering the Opry's move for the New Yorker, described the McGee Brothers' performance thus:
It was the acoustic moment of the show, when the skies cleared and the weeping steels were silent and out of the clear blue came a little ole guitar duet. Stunning and simple, and so good after all the sound I'd hear that week ...[9]
On August 28, 1975, Sam was killed in a tractor accident on the family farm in Williamson County. After Sam's death, Kirk continued performing, mostly as a regular fiddler on the Opry. He died of a heart attack on October 24, 1983, a few days after his last appearance on the program.[1]
Discography
- Sam and Kirk McGee - Old Time Songs and Guitar Tunes (Homestead, 1999)
- Nashville - The Early String Bands, Vol. 1 (County, 2000) — contains the tracks "Salt Lake City Blues", "Chevrolet Car", and "Charming Bill"
- Nashville - The Early String Bands, Vol. 2 (County, 2000) — contains the tracks "Old Master's Runaway" and "Brown's Ferry Blues"
- Classic Old-Time Music (Smithsonian Folkways Recordings, 2003) — contains the track "Don't Let Your Deal Go Down" recorded 1968
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h Colin Larkin (ed.), "Sam and Kirk McGee." The Encyclopedia of Popular Music (New York: Oxford University Press, 2006), 638.
- ^ a b c Charles Wolfe, "McGee Brothers." The Encyclopedia of Country Music: The Ultimate Guide to the Music (New York: Oxford University Press, 1998), 340-1.
- ^ a b c Craig Harris, "Sam & Kirk McGee." All Music Guide. Retrieved: 16 December 2008.
- ^ Charles Wolfe, "Notes to Volume 2." In Nashville - The Early String Bands, Vol. 2 (pp. 6-9) [CD liner notes]. County Records, 2000.
- ^ Jack Hurst, Nashville's Grand Ole Opry (New York: H.N. Abrams, 1975), 98.
- ^ Hurst, 115.
- ^ Arthur Butterfield, Encyclopedia of Country Music (New York: Gallery Books, 1985), 82.
- ^ Sandra Brennan, "Sam McGee." Retrieved: 16 December 2008.
- ^ Garrison Keillor, "Onward and Upward With the Arts — At the Opry." The New Yorker, 6 May 1974, p. 70.
External links
- Grand Ole Opry — Timeline
- Juneberry78s.com Sampler — contains mp3 recordings of "Charming Bill" and "Salty Dog Blues"
- Smithsonian Global Sound — contains samples from the McGees' 1957 recordings with Arthur Smith
- Brad Sondahl's tribute to Sam and Kirk McGee contains expanded discography and biographical data