Addie Graham
Encyclopedia
Addie Prater Graham, born in 1900 in the mountains of eastern Kentucky
, was a masterful traditional singer whose life and repertoire reflect both deep tradition and an era of social change in the Appalachian Mountains
. She sang ballads which trace back to the British Isles
, others composed in America, frolic songs and ditties, and religious songs in the Old Regular Baptist
tradition. While the Old Baptist belief of her parents forbade the use of musical instruments, she became an accomplished singer in the complex, highly ornamented style of Kentucky's oral tradition.
Addie’s repertoire included several extremely common songs, including “We're Stole and Sold From Africa,” an anti-slavery song which seems to have originated in the antebellum Abolitionist movement. She also sang a number of songs of African American origin, many of which she learned from black railroad builders.
Addie married Amos Graham, a native of Wolfe County, KY
, and lived for many years in Breathitt County, KY
. Eventually the family moved to Cynthianolyano, Harrison County, KY
, where she died April 1, 1978, on April's Fools Day.
's June Appal record label. Since then her music has been recorded by Mike Seeger, Alice Gerrard, Ginny Hawker, and John McCutcheon, and others. In 2008 Been A Long Time Traveling was remastered as a CD with eight additional songs.
Online recordings of the following folk songs appear at Digital Library of Appalachia:
traditional
We're stole and sold from Africa
Transported to America
Like hogs and sheep we march in drove
To bear the heat, endure the cold.
See how they take us from our wives
Small children from their mother's side
They take us to some foreign land
Make slaves to wait on gentlemen.
We're almost naked, as you see
Almost bare-footed as we be
Suffer the lash, endure the pain
Exposed to snow, both wind and rain.
Oh Lord, have mercy and look down
Upon the race of the African kind
Upon our knees pour out our griefs
And pray to God for some relief.
each summer. He is also on the staff at Appalshop
.
He first learned traditional music
from his grandmother. During the old-time music
revival of the 1970s, he performed with John McCutcheon
and Tom Bledsoe as “Wry Straw.” He can be heard on three June Appal
LPs
: From Earth to Heaven, They Can't Put It Back, and Hits From Home. He has produced two June Appal Recordings
, Lee Sexton
's Whoa Mule and his grandmother's Been a Long Time Traveling. Mr. Kirby served as presenter at the 2003 Smithsonian Folk Life Festival and has also taught at the Appalachian Family Folk Week, Augusta and the Swannanoa Gathering held at Warren Wilson College
just outside Asheville, North Carolina
each summer.
Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
, was a masterful traditional singer whose life and repertoire reflect both deep tradition and an era of social change in the Appalachian Mountains
Appalachian Mountains
The Appalachian Mountains #Whether the stressed vowel is or ,#Whether the "ch" is pronounced as a fricative or an affricate , and#Whether the final vowel is the monophthong or the diphthong .), often called the Appalachians, are a system of mountains in eastern North America. The Appalachians...
. She sang ballads which trace back to the British Isles
British Isles
The British Isles are a group of islands off the northwest coast of continental Europe that include the islands of Great Britain and Ireland and over six thousand smaller isles. There are two sovereign states located on the islands: the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and...
, others composed in America, frolic songs and ditties, and religious songs in the Old Regular Baptist
Old Regular Baptist
The Old Regular Baptists are an American Christian denomination based primarily in the Appalachian region of the United States.-History:Most Regular Baptists merged with the Separate Baptists near the beginning of 19th century. The party names were dropped in favor of United Baptists...
tradition. While the Old Baptist belief of her parents forbade the use of musical instruments, she became an accomplished singer in the complex, highly ornamented style of Kentucky's oral tradition.
Addie’s repertoire included several extremely common songs, including “We're Stole and Sold From Africa,” an anti-slavery song which seems to have originated in the antebellum Abolitionist movement. She also sang a number of songs of African American origin, many of which she learned from black railroad builders.
Addie married Amos Graham, a native of Wolfe County, KY
Wolfe County, Kentucky
Wolfe County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. As of 2000, the population was 7,065. Its county seat is Campton. The county is named for Nathaniel Wolfe.- Geography :...
, and lived for many years in Breathitt County, KY
Breathitt County, Kentucky
Breathitt County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. It was formed in 1839.The population was 13,878 in the 2010 Census. Its county seat is Jackson, Kentucky. The county is named for John Breathitt who was Governor of Kentucky from 1832 to 1834...
. Eventually the family moved to Cynthianolyano, Harrison County, KY
Harrison County, Kentucky
Harrison County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. It was formed in 1794. As of 2010, the population was 18,846. Its county seat is Cynthiana...
, where she died April 1, 1978, on April's Fools Day.
Recordings
Addie’s grandson Rich Kirby and folklorist Barbara (Edwards) Kunkle produced an LP of her singing, released in 1978 on AppalshopAppalshop
Appalshop is a media, arts, and education center located in Whitesburg, Kentucky, in the heart of the southern Appalachian region of the United States....
's June Appal record label. Since then her music has been recorded by Mike Seeger, Alice Gerrard, Ginny Hawker, and John McCutcheon, and others. In 2008 Been A Long Time Traveling was remastered as a CD with eight additional songs.
Online recordings of the following folk songs appear at Digital Library of Appalachia:
- "Went Up The Hillside"
- "Been a Long Time Traveling Here""--Folk song sung by Addie Graham and recorded by Barbara Kunkle 1975.
- "Can't Get A Letter from Home"--Folk song sung by Addie Graham and accompanied by Jean RitchieJean RitchieJean Ritchie is an American folk singer, songwriter, and Appalachian dulcimer player.- Out of Kentucky :Abigail and Balis Ritchie of Viper, Kentucky had 14 children, and Jean was the youngest...
and recorded at the Mountain Heritage Festival in Carter County, KentuckyCarter County, KentuckyCarter County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. It was formed in 1838 and was named for William Grayson Carter, a state senator at the time of its creation. The county seat is named for his uncle, Robert Grayson. As of 2000, the population was 26,889. Its county seat is Grayson,...
1973. - "Little Omie Wise"--Folk song sung by Addie Graham Breathitt County, KentuckyBreathitt County, KentuckyBreathitt County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. It was formed in 1839.The population was 13,878 in the 2010 Census. Its county seat is Jackson, Kentucky. The county is named for John Breathitt who was Governor of Kentucky from 1832 to 1834...
and recorded by Barbara Kunkle 3-29-75. - "Miller's Will"--Folk song sung by Addie Graham and recorded at the Mountain Heritage Festival in Carter County, KentuckyCarter County, KentuckyCarter County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. It was formed in 1838 and was named for William Grayson Carter, a state senator at the time of its creation. The county seat is named for his uncle, Robert Grayson. As of 2000, the population was 26,889. Its county seat is Grayson,...
1973. - "Stole and Sold from Africa"--Folk song sung by Addie Graham and accompanied by Jean RitchieJean RitchieJean Ritchie is an American folk singer, songwriter, and Appalachian dulcimer player.- Out of Kentucky :Abigail and Balis Ritchie of Viper, Kentucky had 14 children, and Jean was the youngest...
and recorded at the Mountain Heritage Festival in Carter County, KentuckyCarter County, KentuckyCarter County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. It was formed in 1838 and was named for William Grayson Carter, a state senator at the time of its creation. The county seat is named for his uncle, Robert Grayson. As of 2000, the population was 26,889. Its county seat is Grayson,...
1973.
Sample lyrics
"Stole and Sold from Africa"traditional
We're stole and sold from Africa
Transported to America
Like hogs and sheep we march in drove
To bear the heat, endure the cold.
See how they take us from our wives
Small children from their mother's side
They take us to some foreign land
Make slaves to wait on gentlemen.
We're almost naked, as you see
Almost bare-footed as we be
Suffer the lash, endure the pain
Exposed to snow, both wind and rain.
Oh Lord, have mercy and look down
Upon the race of the African kind
Upon our knees pour out our griefs
And pray to God for some relief.
Style
In addition to the traditional folk and mountain music styles, she was also known for her "Old Regular-style religious songs". She sang "in a simple, straightforward style, unaccompanied and without excessive embellishment."Family
Her grandson, Rich Kirby is often on staff at the Cowan Creek Mountain Music School held just outside Whitesburg, KentuckyWhitesburg, Kentucky
Whitesburg is a city in Letcher County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 2,139 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Letcher County.-Culture:...
each summer. He is also on the staff at Appalshop
Appalshop
Appalshop is a media, arts, and education center located in Whitesburg, Kentucky, in the heart of the southern Appalachian region of the United States....
.
He first learned traditional music
Traditional music
Traditional music is the term increasingly used for folk music that is not contemporary folk music. More on this is at the terminology section of the World music article...
from his grandmother. During the old-time music
Old-time music
Old-time music is a genre of North American folk music, with roots in the folk music of many countries, including England, Scotland, Ireland and countries in Africa. It developed along with various North American folk dances, such as square dance, buck dance, and clogging. The genre also...
revival of the 1970s, he performed with John McCutcheon
John McCutcheon
John McCutcheon is an American folk music singer and multi-instrumentalist who has produced 34 albums since the 1970s. He is regarded as a master of the hammered dulcimer, and is also proficient on many other instruments including guitar, banjo, autoharp, mountain dulcimer, fiddle, and...
and Tom Bledsoe as “Wry Straw.” He can be heard on three June Appal
June Appal Recordings
June Appal Recordings was established by Appalshop to record and distribute music of and from Central Appalachia. Artists with June Appal releases include Buell Kazee, Morgan Sexton, Lee Sexton, Carla Gover, Nimrod Workman and others. Over the last thirty years, June Appal has released more than...
LPs
LP album
The LP, or long-playing microgroove record, is a format for phonograph records, an analog sound storage medium. Introduced by Columbia Records in 1948, it was soon adopted as a new standard by the entire record industry...
: From Earth to Heaven, They Can't Put It Back, and Hits From Home. He has produced two June Appal Recordings
June Appal Recordings
June Appal Recordings was established by Appalshop to record and distribute music of and from Central Appalachia. Artists with June Appal releases include Buell Kazee, Morgan Sexton, Lee Sexton, Carla Gover, Nimrod Workman and others. Over the last thirty years, June Appal has released more than...
, Lee Sexton
Lee Sexton
Lee Sexton is an American Banjo player from Letcher County, Kentucky. He began playing the banjo at the age of eight and is proficient in the two-finger picking and "drop-thumb" traditional styles of east Kentucky. He also sings...
's Whoa Mule and his grandmother's Been a Long Time Traveling. Mr. Kirby served as presenter at the 2003 Smithsonian Folk Life Festival and has also taught at the Appalachian Family Folk Week, Augusta and the Swannanoa Gathering held at Warren Wilson College
Warren Wilson College
Warren Wilson College is a private four-year work college in the Swannanoa Valley, North Carolina, United States near Asheville. It is known for its curriculum of work, academics, and service, called "the Triad," which requires every student to work an on-campus job, perform at least one hundred...
just outside Asheville, North Carolina
Asheville, North Carolina
Asheville is a city in and the county seat of Buncombe County, North Carolina, United States. It is the largest city in Western North Carolina, and the 11th largest city in North Carolina. The City is home to the United States National Climatic Data Center , which is the world's largest active...
each summer.
Further reading
- Addie Graham Official Site (Appalshop)
- "Anglo-American Ballads and Traditional Song". Journal of American Folklore 96 (1983), pp. 114–116. JSTOR link (subscription required)