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James Weldon Johnson
James Weldon Johnson (June 17, 1871 – June 26, 1938) was an American writer and civil rights activist. He was married to civil rights activist Grace Nail Johnson. Johnson was a leader of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), where he started working in 1917. In 1920, he was chosen as executive secretary of the organization, effectively the operating officer. He served in that position from 1920 to 1930. Johnson established his reputation as a writer, and was known during the Harlem Renaissance for his poems, novel, and anthologies collecting both poems and spirituals of black culture. He wrote the lyrics for "Lift Every Voice and Sing", which later became known as the Negro National Anthem, the music being written by his younger brother, composer J. Rosamond Johnson. Johnson was appointed under President Theodore Roosevelt as U.S. consul in Venezuela and Nicaragua for most of the period from 1906 to 1913. In 1934, he was the first African American professor to be hired at New York University. Later in life, he was a professor of creative literature and writing at Fisk University, a historically black university. |
Birth and Death Data: Born June 17, 1871 (Jacksonville), Died June 26, 1938 (Wiscasset)
Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1901 - 1944
Roles Represented in DAHR: lyricist
= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.
Recordings
Company | Matrix No. | Size | First Recording Date | Title | Primary Performer | Description | Role | Audio |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Victor | [Pre-matrix C-]585 | 12-in. | 5/16/1902 | Why don't the band play? | S. H. Dudley | Male vocal solo | lyricist | |
Victor | [Pre-matrix B-]585 | 10-in. | 5/16/1902 | Why don't the band play? | S. H. Dudley | Male vocal solo | lyricist | |
Victor | [Pre-matrix A-]585 | 7-in. | 1/5/1901 | Why don't the band play? | S. H. Dudley | Male vocal solo | lyricist | |
Victor | [Pre-matrix B-]991 | 10-in. | 10/11/1901 | In my castle on the River Nile | Bert Williams | Male vocal solo, with piano | lyricist | |
Victor | [Pre-matrix A-]991 | 7-in. | 10/11/1901 | In my castle on the River Nile | Bert Williams | Male vocal solo, with piano | lyricist | |
Victor | [Pre-matrix B-]994 | 10-in. | 10/11/1901 | All going out and nothing coming in | Bert Williams | Male vocal solo, with piano | lyricist | |
Victor | [Pre-matrix A-]994 | 7-in. | 10/11/1901 | When it's all going out and nothing coming in | Bert Williams | Male vocal solo, with piano | lyricist | |
Victor | [Pre-matrix B-]1099 | 10-in. | 11/20/1901 | Come out, Dinah, on the green | Harry Macdonough | Male vocal solo | lyricist | |
Victor | [Pre-matrix A-]1099 | 7-in. | 11/20/1901 | Come out, Dinah, on the green | Harry Macdonough | Male vocal solo | lyricist | |
Victor | [Pre-matrix B-]1296 | 10-in. | 3/5/1902 | Tell me dusky maiden | Arthur Collins ; Joseph Natus | Male vocal duet | lyricist | |
Victor | [Pre-matrix A-]1296 | 7-in. | 3/5/1902 | Tell me, dusky maiden | Arthur Collins ; Joseph Natus | Male vocal duet | lyricist | |
Victor | [Pre-matrix B-]1327 | 10-in. | 3/14/1902 | Oh! Didn't he ramble! | Dan W. Quinn | Male vocal solo | lyricist | |
Victor | [Pre-matrix A-]1327 | 7-in. | 3/14/1902 | Oh! Didn't he ramble! | Dan W. Quinn | Male vocal solo | lyricist | |
Victor | [Pre-matrix C-]1388 | 12-in. | 5/16/1902 | Nobody's looking but the owl and moon | S. H. Dudley | Male vocal solo | lyricist | |
Victor | [Pre-matrix B-]1388 | 10-in. | 5/16/1902 | Nobody's looking but the owl and moon | S. H. Dudley | Male vocal solo | lyricist | |
Victor | [Pre-matrix A-]1388 | 7-in. | 5/16/1902 | Nobody's looking but the owl and moon | S. H. Dudley | Male vocal solo | lyricist | |
Victor | [Pre-matrix B-]1633 | 10-in. | 9/18/1902 | Under the bamboo tree | Arthur Collins | Male vocal solo | lyricist | |
Victor | [Pre-matrix A-]1633 | 7-in. | 9/18/1902 | Under the bamboo tree | Arthur Collins | Male vocal solo | lyricist | |
Victor | [Pre-matrix B-]1805 | 10-in. | 11/26/1902 | Under the bamboo tree | S. H. Dudley | Male vocal solo | lyricist | |
Victor | [Pre-matrix A-]1805 | 7-in. | 11/26/1902 | Under the bamboo tree | S. H. Dudley | Male vocal solo | lyricist | |
Victor | [Pre-matrix B-]1894 | 10-in. | 1/14/1903 | All goin' out and nothin' comin' in | Silas F. Leachman | Male vocal solo, with piano | lyricist | |
Victor | [Pre-matrix A-]1894 | 7-in. | 1/14/1903 | When it's all goin' out and nothin' comin' in | Silas Leachman | Male vocal solo, with piano | lyricist | |
Victor | [Pre-matrix B-]1949 | 10-in. | 2/9/1903 | Tell me dusky maiden | S. H. Dudley ; Harry Macdonough | Male vocal duet, with piano | lyricist | |
Victor | [Pre-matrix B-]1993 | 10-in. | 2/27/1903 | Under the bamboo tree | Harry Macdonough | Male vocal solo | lyricist | |
Victor | [Pre-matrix A-]1993 | 7-in. | 2/27/1903 | Under the bamboo tree | Harry Macdonough | Male vocal solo | lyricist | |
Victor | [Pre-matrix B-]1998 | 10-in. | 2/27/1903 | Under the bamboo tree | John H. Bieling ; Harry Macdonough | Male vocal duet | lyricist | |
Victor | [Pre-matrix A-]1998 | 7-in. | 2/27/1903 | Under the bamboo tree | John H. Bieling ; Harry Macdonough | Male vocal duet | lyricist | |
Victor | [Pre-matrix B-]3008 | 10-in. | 1/5/1901 | Why don't the band play | S. H. Dudley | Male vocal solo | lyricist | |
Victor | [Pre-matrix B-]3609 | 10-in. | 10/11/1901 | In my castle on the River Nile | Bert Williams | Male vocal solo, with piano | lyricist | |
Victor | [Pre-matrix C-]31068 | 12-in. | between 1901 and 1902 | Congo love song | Harry Macdonough | Male vocal solo | lyricist | |
Victor | B-42 | 10-in. | 5/26/1903 | Congo love song | Harry Macdonough | Male vocal solo, with piano | lyricist | |
Victor | A-42 | 7-in. | 5/26/1903 | Congo love song | Harry Macdonough | Male vocal solo, with piano | lyricist | |
Victor | B-43 | 10-in. | 5/26/1903 | Tell me, dusky maiden | S. H. Dudley ; Harry Macdonough | Male vocal duet, with piano | lyricist | |
Victor | A-43 | 7-in. | 5/26/1903 | Tell me, dusky maiden | S. H. Dudley ; Harry Macdonough | Male vocal duet, with piano | lyricist | |
Victor | B-50 | 10-in. | 5/27/1903 | Congo love song | Mina Hickman | Female vocal solo, with piano | lyricist | |
Victor | A-50 | 7-in. | 5/27/1903 | Congo love song | Mina Hickman | Female vocal solo, with piano | lyricist | |
Victor | C-106 [Old series] | 12-in. | 2/9/1903 or 5/26/1903 | Tell me dusky maiden | S. H. Dudley ; Harry Macdonough | Male vocal duet | lyricist | |
Victor | C-196 [Old series] | 12-in. | 2/9/1903 or 5/26/1903 | Congo love song | Harry Macdonough | Male vocal solo | lyricist | |
Victor | B-481 | 10-in. | 10/2/1903 | The maid from Timbuctoo | Mina Hickman | Female vocal solo | lyricist | |
Victor | A-481 | 7-in. | 10/2/1903 | The maid from Timbuctoo | Mina Hickman | Female vocal solo | lyricist | |
Victor | B-1181 | 10-in. | 4/4/1904 | Oh Didn't he ramble | Dan W. Quinn | Male vocal solo, with piano | lyricist | |
Victor | B-1372 | 10-in. | 5/28/1904 | Save it for me | Billy Murray | Male vocal solo, with piano | lyricist | |
Victor | A-1372 | 7-in. | 5/28/1904 | Save it for me | Billy Murray | Male vocal solo, with piano | lyricist | |
Victor | B-2120 | 10-in. | 1/6/1905 | Gimme de leavin's | Bob Roberts | Male vocal solo, with orchestra | lyricist | |
Victor | B-2456 | 10-in. | 4/7/1905 | Mexico | J. W. Myers | Male vocal solo, with orchestra | lyricist | |
Victor | B-3126 | 10-in. | 2/20/1906 | Sambo and Dinah | Grace Nelson ; Frank C. Stanley | Female-male vocal duet, with orchestra | lyricist | |
Victor | B-8177 | 10-in. | 8/25/1909 | Run, Brudder 'Possum, run! | Collins and Harlan | Male vocal duet, with orchestra | lyricist | |
Victor | B-13488 | 10-in. | 6/25/1913 | Since you went away | Daniel Beddoe | Tenor vocal solo, with orchestra | lyricist | |
Victor | B-13865 | 10-in. | 9/26/1913 | Since you went away | George Hamlin | Tenor vocal solo, with piano | lyricist | |
Victor | B-15017 | 10-in. | 6/26/1914 | Roll them cotton bales | Heidelberg Quintette | Male vocal quintet, with orchestra | lyricist | |
Victor | B-16949 | 10-in. | 12/29/1915 | The young warrior | Evan Williams | Tenor vocal solo, with orchestra | lyricist | |
Victor | B-17203 | 10-in. | 2/24/1916 | You go your way and I'll go mine | Marie Cahill | Female vocal solo, with orchestra | lyricist | |
Victor | B-24037 | 10-in. | 5/5/1920 | Since you went away | Fritz Kreisler ; John McCormack | Tenor vocal solo, with violin and piano | lyricist | |
Victor | BVE-38415 | 10-in. | 3/30/1927 | Since you went away | Paul Robeson | Bass vocal solo, with piano | lyricist | |
Victor | BVE-47014 | 10-in. | 9/12/1928 | Just give me the leavings | Dr. Smith's Champion Hoss Hair Pullers | Vocal and instrumental ensemble | lyricist | |
Victor | BS-77467 | 10-in. | 8/14/1933 | Since you went away | Annette Claire | Female vocal solo, with piano | lyricist | |
Victor | BS-067620 | 10-in. | 8/7/1941 | My castle on the Nile | Eton Boys ; Claude Garreau | Male vocal quartet, with piano | lyricist | |
Victor | BS-075638 | 10-in. | 10/22/1942 | Lift every voice and sing | Southern Sons | Male vocal quintet, unaccompanied | lyricist | |
Columbia | 13 | 10-in. | ca. 1901 | Come out, Dinah, on the green | Arthur Collins | Male vocal solo, with piano | lyricist | |
Columbia | 13 | 7-in. | ca. 1901-Oct. 1905 | Come out, Dinah, on the green | Arthur Collins | Male vocal solo, with piano | lyricist | |
Columbia | 970 | 10-in. | approximately 1902 | Under the bamboo tree | Collins and Harlan | Male vocal duet, with piano | lyricist | |
Columbia | 970 | 7-in. | ca. 1902 | Under the bamboo tree | Collins and Harlan | Male vocal duet, with piano | lyricist | |
Columbia | 1086 | 10-in. | approximately 1902 | No use in asking, 'cause you know the reason why | Artists vary | Male vocal solo, with piano | lyricist | |
Columbia | 1086 | 7-in. | ca. 1902 | No use in asking, 'cause you know the reason why | Artists vary | Male vocal solo, with piano | lyricist | |
Columbia | 1371 | 7-in. | ca. 1903-Oct. 1905 | A Congo love song | Bob Roberts | Male vocal solo, with piano | lyricist | |
Columbia | 1371 | 10-in. | ca. 1903 | A congo love song | Bob Roberts | Male vocal solo, with piano | lyricist | |
Columbia | 1736 | 10-in. | Feb. 1904 | The maiden with the dreamy eyes | Thomas Q. Seabrooke | Male vocal solo, with orchestra | lyricist | |
Columbia | 1832 | 10-in. | between January and July 1904 | Nobody's lookin' but de owl and de moon | Corinne Morgan ; Frank C. Stanley | Female-male vocal duet, with orchestra | lyricist | |
Columbia | 3039 | 7-in. | ca. 1904 | Mexico | J. W. Myers | Male vocal solo, with piano | lyricist | |
Columbia | 4172 | 10-in. | ca. Jan.-Oct. 1909 | Run, Brudder Possum, run | Collins and Harlan | Male vocal duet, with orchestra | lyricist | |
Columbia | 77592 | 10-in. | 12/20/1917 | The old flag never touched the ground | Chautauqua Preachers’ Quartette | Male vocal quartet, unaccompanied | lyricist | |
Columbia | 49047 | 12-in. | 12/29/1916 | Since you went away | Louis Graveure | Baritone vocal solo, with orchestra | lyricist | |
Columbia | W143922 | 10-in. | 4/6/1927 | Lift every voice and sing | Atlanta University Choir | Vocal chorus, with piano | lyricist | |
OKeh | W404627 | 10-in. | 12/9/1930 | Didn’t he ramble | Fiddlin' John Carson ; Virginia Reelers | Mixed vocal trio, with fiddle (violin), banjo, and guitar | lyricist | |
Brunswick | E28917 | 10-in. | 12/20/1928 | Oh didn’t he ramble | Buckle Busters ; Al Hopkins | Male vocal and instrumental ensemble | lyricist | |
Brunswick | M847 | 10-in. | 11/23/1928 | My castle on the Nile | Wonder State Harmonists | Instrumental ensemble, with male vocal solo and male vocal ensemble | lyricist | |
Edison | 3971 | 10-in. | 7/15/1915 | My lady's lips am like de honey | Walter Van Brunt | Male vocal solo, with orchestra | lyricist | |
Edison | 4760 | 10-in. | 6/1/1916 | The young warrior | Thomas Chalmers | Male vocal solo, with orchestra | lyricist | |
Edison | 5507 | 10-in. | 4/16/1917 | My lady Chlo' | Vernon Dalhart | Tenor vocal solo, with orchestra | lyricist | |
California Labor School | SSR-1065 | 10-in. | 1944 or later | The negro national anthem | California Labor School Chorus ; Grace King | Vocal chorus | lyricist |
Citation
Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Johnson, James Weldon," accessed September 4, 2024, https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/102599.
Johnson, James Weldon. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved September 4, 2024, from https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/102599.
"Johnson, James Weldon." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 4 September 2024.
DAHR Persistent Identifier
External Sources
Wikipedia: James Weldon Johnson
Discogs: James Weldon Johnson
Grove: James Weldon Johnson
IMSLP: James Weldon Johnson
RISM: James Weldon Johnson
IMDb: James Weldon Johnson
Britannica: James Weldon Johnson
Linked Open Data Sources
LCNAR: Johnson, James Weldon, 1871-1938 - http://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/n79133137
Wikidata: James Weldon Johnson - http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q478450
VIAF: http://viaf.org/viaf/9866919
MusicBrainz: James Weldon Johnson - https://musicbrainz.org/artist/01dcd57c-89de-4dda-b567-699d804fb501
Wikipedia content provided under the terms of the Creative Commons BY-SA license
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