John A. Lomax
September 23, 1867 – January 26, 1948
John Lomax was a musicologist who is world-renowned for helping preserve American folk songs by venturing into previous parts unknown to make field recordings of the locals. After completing his higher education, Lomax became a college professor and set out to document folk music across America. In 1910, his anthology, Cowboy Songs and Other Frontier Ballads was published. Songs like “Git Along Little Doggies,” “Home On The Range,” and “The Old Chisholm Trail” were collected within. In 1933, Lomax and his 18-year-old son, Alan Lomax, set out across Texas to make field recordings of mostly African-Americans. What they captured was countless field recordings, prison ballads, and work songs. They were given unprecedented access to prisoners, and in July of 1934, while at Angola prison, they were approached by inmate, Huddie “Lead Belly” Ledbetter to record him singing a song he had written to the Governor pleading for his freedom. Lomax did just that and personally delivered the recording to the Governor. Lead Belly was in fact released a short time later, but it had nothing to do with his recording but for his good behavior. Regardless, thanks to the Lomax recording, Lead Belly went on to have a fairly successful career as the “Singing Convict.” He is said to have traveled over 16,000 miles, amassing a collection of over 10,000 songs. John Lomax was 80 when he passed away on January 26, 1948.
