Vess Ossman
Encyclopedia
Vess Ossman was a leading 5-string banjo
ist and popular recording artist of the early 20th century.
, and made his first recordings in 1893. He became one of the most recorded musicians of his day, recording marches, cakewalk
s, rags
, and other instrumentals. He also accompanied popular singers including Arthur Collins and Len Spencer
.
Ossman married Eunice Smith and they had three children, Vess Jr., Raymond, and Annadele.
In 1900 and 1903, when Ossman's reputation and fame had spread internationally, he went on tour, as well as recorded, in England. Together with Audley Dudley, he performed in the Ossman-Dudley Trio. He also led his own dance band, the Ossman's Singing and Playing Orchestra, in Dayton, Ohio
and Indianapolis
, Indiana
. The increasing popularity of his rival Fred Van Eps
, after 1910, made Ossman's name appear less frequently in record companies supplements. He temporarily ceased recording in 1913 but resumed his recording career in late 1915. In April 1917, he became a member of the Popular Talking Machine Artists; a group of unrelated artists who toured together as an act. By the early 1920s, he had left the touring act.
On December 14, 1917 he made his final recordings for the Columbia label. He continued to travel with his dance orchestra working in hotels all over the Midwest while living in Dayton with his family. In 1923, he joined B. F. Keith's Vaudeville houses on tour together with his son Vess Jr. At a theater show in Minneapolis, Minnesota
, Ossman suffered a heart attack. He was brought to hospital but soon returned to the show. Later, in Fairmont, Minnesota
, he suffered another heart attack, this time fatal, after his last performance on stage. He was buried in Valhalla Cemetery in St. Louis, Missouri
.
Ossman played in what is now known as the classical banjo style. He fingerpicked gut strings using a technique similar to classical guitar
ists.
Some of his recordings include "St. Louis Tickle", "Yankee Doodle", "Rusty Rags", "Maple Leaf Rag", "The Stars and Stripes Forever", "A Bit of Blarney", "My Irish Molly O", "A Gay Gosson", "Yankee Girl", "Bill Simmons", "Karama". His recordings also include ragtime-era "coon songs" songs such as "A Coon Band Contest", "The Darkies' Awakening" and "All Coons Look Alike To Me," which were popular at the time but the racially-themed lyrics make people uncomfortable today.
Banjo
In the 1830s Sweeney became the first white man to play the banjo on stage. His version of the instrument replaced the gourd with a drum-like sound box and included four full-length strings alongside a short fifth-string. There is no proof, however, that Sweeney invented either innovation. This new...
ist and popular recording artist of the early 20th century.
Biography
Sylvester Louis Ossman was born in Hudson, New YorkHudson, New York
Hudson is a city located along the west border of Columbia County, New York, United States. The city is named after the adjacent Hudson River and ultimately after the explorer Henry Hudson.Hudson is the county seat of Columbia County...
, and made his first recordings in 1893. He became one of the most recorded musicians of his day, recording marches, cakewalk
Cakewalk
The Cakewalk dance was developed from a "Prize Walk" done in the days of slavery, generally at get-togethers on plantations in the Southern United States. Alternative names for the original form of the dance were "chalkline-walk", and the "walk-around"...
s, rags
Ragtime
Ragtime is an original musical genre which enjoyed its peak popularity between 1897 and 1918. Its main characteristic trait is its syncopated, or "ragged," rhythm. It began as dance music in the red-light districts of American cities such as St. Louis and New Orleans years before being published...
, and other instrumentals. He also accompanied popular singers including Arthur Collins and Len Spencer
Len Spencer
Leonard Garfield Spencer was an early American recording artist. He recorded numerous popular songs in the pre-1920s, the most popular of which was "Arkansaw Traveler" . The song is an early novelty record and consists of a back-and-forth banter with an Arkansas local who is playing a fiddle...
.
Ossman married Eunice Smith and they had three children, Vess Jr., Raymond, and Annadele.
In 1900 and 1903, when Ossman's reputation and fame had spread internationally, he went on tour, as well as recorded, in England. Together with Audley Dudley, he performed in the Ossman-Dudley Trio. He also led his own dance band, the Ossman's Singing and Playing Orchestra, in Dayton, Ohio
Dayton, Ohio
Dayton is the 6th largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Montgomery County, the fifth most populous county in the state. The population was 141,527 at the 2010 census. The Dayton Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 841,502 in the 2010 census...
and Indianapolis
Indianapolis
Indianapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population is 839,489. It is by far Indiana's largest city and, as of the 2010 U.S...
, Indiana
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
. The increasing popularity of his rival Fred Van Eps
Fred Van Eps
Fred Van Eps was a noted banjoist and banjo maker. The "Van Eps Recording Banjo" was a well-known model until 1930.-Biography:...
, after 1910, made Ossman's name appear less frequently in record companies supplements. He temporarily ceased recording in 1913 but resumed his recording career in late 1915. In April 1917, he became a member of the Popular Talking Machine Artists; a group of unrelated artists who toured together as an act. By the early 1920s, he had left the touring act.
On December 14, 1917 he made his final recordings for the Columbia label. He continued to travel with his dance orchestra working in hotels all over the Midwest while living in Dayton with his family. In 1923, he joined B. F. Keith's Vaudeville houses on tour together with his son Vess Jr. At a theater show in Minneapolis, Minnesota
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Minneapolis , nicknamed "City of Lakes" and the "Mill City," is the county seat of Hennepin County, the largest city in the U.S. state of Minnesota, and the 48th largest in the United States...
, Ossman suffered a heart attack. He was brought to hospital but soon returned to the show. Later, in Fairmont, Minnesota
Fairmont, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 10,889 people and 2,962 families residing in the city. The population density was 747.5 people per square mile . There were 5,036 housing units at an average density of 345.7 per square mile...
, he suffered another heart attack, this time fatal, after his last performance on stage. He was buried in Valhalla Cemetery in St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
.
Ossman played in what is now known as the classical banjo style. He fingerpicked gut strings using a technique similar to classical guitar
Classical guitar
The classical guitar is a 6-stringed plucked string instrument from the family of instruments called chordophones...
ists.
Some of his recordings include "St. Louis Tickle", "Yankee Doodle", "Rusty Rags", "Maple Leaf Rag", "The Stars and Stripes Forever", "A Bit of Blarney", "My Irish Molly O", "A Gay Gosson", "Yankee Girl", "Bill Simmons", "Karama". His recordings also include ragtime-era "coon songs" songs such as "A Coon Band Contest", "The Darkies' Awakening" and "All Coons Look Alike To Me," which were popular at the time but the racially-themed lyrics make people uncomfortable today.
External links
- Collected Works of Vess L. Ossman Downloadable recordings from archive.org
- Vess Ossman cylinder recordings, from the Cylinder Preservation and Digitization ProjectCylinder Preservation and Digitization ProjectThe Cylinder Preservation and Digitization Project is a free digital collection maintained by the University of California, Santa Barbara Libraries with streaming and downloadable versions of over 10,000 phonograph cylinders manufactured between 1893 and the mid 1920s.- History :The project began...
at the University of California, Santa BarbaraUniversity of California, Santa BarbaraThe University of California, Santa Barbara, commonly known as UCSB or UC Santa Barbara, is a public research university and one of the 10 general campuses of the University of California system. The main campus is located on a site in Goleta, California, from Santa Barbara and northwest of Los...
Library. - Discography of Vess Ossman on Victor RecordsVictor Talking Machine CompanyThe Victor Talking Machine Company was an American corporation, the leading American producer of phonographs and phonograph records and one of the leading phonograph companies in the world at the time. It was headquartered in Camden, New Jersey....
from the Encyclopedic Discography of Victor Recordings (EDVR) - audio recording of "Rusty Rags" at the Library of Congress jukebox