Aunt Molly Jackson
Encyclopedia
Aunt Molly Jackson was an influential American
folk singer
and a union
activist. Her full name was Mary Magdalene Garland Stewart Jackson Stamos.
as the daughter of Oliver Perry Garland and Deborah Robinson. In 1883, her father opened a store in Laurel County selling groceries to miners on credit. When the miners failed to make their payments, he was forced to close it two years later to go to work in the coal mines. Her mother died of tuberculosis when she was six years old. Because her family were involved in union activities, Jackson was thrown in jail at the age of ten. She began learning songs from her great-grandmother, Nancy MacMahan, at a young age.
In 1894, she married the miner Jim Stewart. She bore two children. For the next decade, she worked as a nurse in Clay County before moving to Harlan County in 1908 and a job as a midwife delivering 884 babies. Her husband was killed in a mine accident in 1917 and shortly afterwards, she married the miner Bill Jackson. Tragedies struck her family when her father and a brother were blinded in another mine accident. She became a member of the United Mine Workers
and began writing protest songs like "I Am A Union Woman", "Kentucky Miner's Wife", and "Poor Miner's Farewell". When Jackson was jailed because of her unionizing activities, her husband was forced to divorce her in order to keep his mining job.
She was discovered in November 1931 by the Dreiser Committee, investigating mining conditions in Harlan County when she spoke and sang her song "Ragged, Hungry Blues" in front of the committee. In December 1931, Jackson traveled to New York City
to support and raise money for striking Harlan coal miners against tobacco. She made her recording debut on December 10, 1931. For the next year, she performed in various cities in the north. She stayed in New York for much of that decade and was a part of the Greenwich Village folk revival, singing for Alan Lomax
at the Library of Congress, and influencing folk singers from Woody Guthrie
to Pete Seeger
.
In the mid 1930s, she performed in New York City together with Woody Guthrie
, Pete Seeger
, Earl Robinson
, Will Geer
, her half-brother Jim Garland
, and her half-sister Sarah Ogan Gunning. After a bus accident in Ohio
, leaving her badly crippled, Jackson became incapacitated and was confined to her New York apartment. She died in 1960 and was interred as Mary Stamos, next to her husband Gust Stamos, at the Odd Fellows Lawn Cemetery in Sacramento, California
.
The given dates of Aunt Molly Jackson's life are mostly uncertain since she was very flexible when giving them. Folklorist Archie Green
became very frustrated during interviews with her, due to her "elastic responses", inconsistent elaborations and "flexible dates." It was not unusual for her to contradict her own prior accounts.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
folk singer
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
and a union
Trade union
A trade union, trades union or labor union is an organization of workers that have banded together to achieve common goals such as better working conditions. The trade union, through its leadership, bargains with the employer on behalf of union members and negotiates labour contracts with...
activist. Her full name was Mary Magdalene Garland Stewart Jackson Stamos.
Biography
Jackson was born in Clay County, KentuckyClay County, Kentucky
- Demographics :As of the census of 2011, there were 21,000 people, 8,556 households, and 6,442 families residing in the county. The population density was 52 people per square mile . There were 9,439 housing units at an average density of 20 per square mile...
as the daughter of Oliver Perry Garland and Deborah Robinson. In 1883, her father opened a store in Laurel County selling groceries to miners on credit. When the miners failed to make their payments, he was forced to close it two years later to go to work in the coal mines. Her mother died of tuberculosis when she was six years old. Because her family were involved in union activities, Jackson was thrown in jail at the age of ten. She began learning songs from her great-grandmother, Nancy MacMahan, at a young age.
In 1894, she married the miner Jim Stewart. She bore two children. For the next decade, she worked as a nurse in Clay County before moving to Harlan County in 1908 and a job as a midwife delivering 884 babies. Her husband was killed in a mine accident in 1917 and shortly afterwards, she married the miner Bill Jackson. Tragedies struck her family when her father and a brother were blinded in another mine accident. She became a member of the United Mine Workers
United Mine Workers
The United Mine Workers of America is a North American labor union best known for representing coal miners and coal technicians. Today, the Union also represents health care workers, truck drivers, manufacturing workers and public employees in the United States and Canada...
and began writing protest songs like "I Am A Union Woman", "Kentucky Miner's Wife", and "Poor Miner's Farewell". When Jackson was jailed because of her unionizing activities, her husband was forced to divorce her in order to keep his mining job.
She was discovered in November 1931 by the Dreiser Committee, investigating mining conditions in Harlan County when she spoke and sang her song "Ragged, Hungry Blues" in front of the committee. In December 1931, Jackson traveled to New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
to support and raise money for striking Harlan coal miners against tobacco. She made her recording debut on December 10, 1931. For the next year, she performed in various cities in the north. She stayed in New York for much of that decade and was a part of the Greenwich Village folk revival, singing for Alan Lomax
Alan Lomax
Alan Lomax was an American folklorist and ethnomusicologist. He was one of the great field collectors of folk music of the 20th century, recording thousands of songs in the United States, Great Britain, Ireland, the Caribbean, Italy, and Spain.In his later career, Lomax advanced his theories of...
at the Library of Congress, and influencing folk singers from Woody Guthrie
Woody Guthrie
Woodrow Wilson "Woody" Guthrie is best known as an American singer-songwriter and folk musician, whose musical legacy includes hundreds of political, traditional and children's songs, ballads and improvised works. He frequently performed with the slogan This Machine Kills Fascists displayed on his...
to Pete Seeger
Pete Seeger
Peter "Pete" Seeger is an American folk singer and was an iconic figure in the mid-twentieth century American folk music revival. A fixture on nationwide radio in the 1940s, he also had a string of hit records during the early 1950s as a member of The Weavers, most notably their recording of Lead...
.
In the mid 1930s, she performed in New York City together with Woody Guthrie
Woody Guthrie
Woodrow Wilson "Woody" Guthrie is best known as an American singer-songwriter and folk musician, whose musical legacy includes hundreds of political, traditional and children's songs, ballads and improvised works. He frequently performed with the slogan This Machine Kills Fascists displayed on his...
, Pete Seeger
Pete Seeger
Peter "Pete" Seeger is an American folk singer and was an iconic figure in the mid-twentieth century American folk music revival. A fixture on nationwide radio in the 1940s, he also had a string of hit records during the early 1950s as a member of The Weavers, most notably their recording of Lead...
, Earl Robinson
Earl Robinson
Earl Hawley Robinson was a singer-songwriter and composer from Seattle, Washington. Robinson is probably as well remembered for his left-leaning political views as he is for his music, including the songs "Joe Hill", "Black and White", and the cantata "Ballad for Americans"...
, Will Geer
Will Geer
Will Geer was an American actor and social activist. His original name was William Aughe Ghere. He is remembered for his portrayal of Grandpa Zebulon Tyler Walton in the 1970s TV series, The Waltons....
, her half-brother Jim Garland
Jim Garland
Jim Garland was a songwriter from the coal mining country of eastern Kentucky, where he was involved with the National Miners Union during the violent conflicts of the early 1930s. He came to New York City in 1931 with his older half-sister Aunt Molly Jackson where he participated in the...
, and her half-sister Sarah Ogan Gunning. After a bus accident in Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
, leaving her badly crippled, Jackson became incapacitated and was confined to her New York apartment. She died in 1960 and was interred as Mary Stamos, next to her husband Gust Stamos, at the Odd Fellows Lawn Cemetery in Sacramento, California
Sacramento, California
Sacramento is the capital city of the U.S. state of California and the county seat of Sacramento County. It is located at the confluence of the Sacramento River and the American River in the northern portion of California's expansive Central Valley. With a population of 466,488 at the 2010 census,...
.
The given dates of Aunt Molly Jackson's life are mostly uncertain since she was very flexible when giving them. Folklorist Archie Green
Archie Green
Archie Green was a folklorist specializing in laborlore and American folk music. Devoted to understanding vernacular culture, he gathered and commented upon the speech, stories, songs, emblems, rituals, art, artifacts, memorials, and landmarks which constitute laborlore...
became very frustrated during interviews with her, due to her "elastic responses", inconsistent elaborations and "flexible dates." It was not unusual for her to contradict her own prior accounts.
Discography
- Kentucky Miner's Wife, Part 1-2 (Ragged Hungry Blues) - Columbia 15731-D (1931)
- The Little Dove / Ten Thousand Miles - Library of Congress AAFS-7 (1942)
- The Songs and Stories of Aunt Molly Jackson, 1960 - Folkways FH-5457 (1961)
- Aunt Molly Jackson, Library of Congress Recordings, 1939 - Rounder 1002 (1971)
External links
- Kentucky Diva: Aunt Molly Jackson from American Studies at the University of Virginia
- [ Allmusic]
- Pistol Packin' Mama - Shelly Romalis
- Recordings of Aunt Molly Jackson on Folkways Records