Gwen Foster
Gwin Stanley Foster (December 25, 1903 – November 25, 1954), also known as Gwen or Gwyn, was an old-time/country harmonica and guitar player who was known for work in The Carolina Tar Heels and the Blue Ridge Mountain Entertainers. He was born in Caldwell, North Carolina, and died in Gastonia, North Carolina, the son of Joe Foster and Myra Elizabeth (nee Day). He worked in the textile mills, where he met banjoist Coble "Dock" Walsh, and they formed the band. |
Birth and Death Data: Born December 25, 1903, Died November 25, 1954 (Gastonia)
Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1921 - 1939
Roles Represented in DAHR: harmonica, guitar, vocalist, composer, songwriter, arranger, yodeling, whistling
= 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 | BVE-37927 | 10-in. | 2/19/1927 | There ain't no use working so hard | Carolina Tar Heels | Vocal and instrumental duet | arranger, vocalist, instrumentalist, harmonica, guitar | |
| Victor | BVE-37928 | 10-in. | 2/19/1927 | Her name was Hula Lou | Carolina Tar Heels | Vocal and instrumental duet | arranger, vocalist, instrumentalist, harmonica, guitar | |
| Victor | BVE-37929 | 10-in. | 2/19/1927 | Bring me a leaf from the sea | Carolina Tar Heels | Vocal and instrumental duet | arranger, vocalist, instrumentalist, harmonica, guitar | |
| Victor | BVE-37930 | 10-in. | 2/19/1927 | I'm going to Georgia | Carolina Tar Heels | Vocal and instrumental duet | vocalist, instrumentalist, harmonica, guitar | |
| Victor | BVE-39793 | 10-in. | 8/11/1927 | Good-bye, my Bonnie, good-bye | Carolina Tar Heels | Vocal and instrumental duet | songwriter, instrumentalist, harmonica, guitar | |
| Victor | BVE-39794 | 10-in. | 8/11/1927 | The bulldog down in sunny Tennessee | Carolina Tar Heels | Vocal and instrumental duet | vocalist, instrumentalist, harmonica, guitar | |
| Victor | BVE-39795 | 10-in. | 8/11/1927 | Shanghai in China | Carolina Tar Heels | Vocal and instrumental duet | vocalist, instrumentalist, harmonica, guitar | |
| Victor | BVE-39796 | 10-in. | 8/11/1927 | Black pine waltz | Gwen Foster | Harmonica solo, with guitar (self-accompaniment) | composer, instrumentalist, guitar, harmonica | |
| Victor | BVE-39809 | 10-in. | 8/15/1927 | My mamma scolds me for flirting | Carolina Tar Heels | Vocal and instrumental duet | instrumentalist, harmonica, guitar | |
| Victor | BVE-39810 | 10-in. | 8/15/1927 | I love my mountain home | Carolina Tar Heels | Vocal and instrumental duet | vocalist, instrumentalist, harmonica, guitar | |
| Victor | BVE-39811 | 10-in. | 8/15/1927 | When the good Lord sets you free | Carolina Tar Heels | Vocal and instrumental duet | vocalist, instrumentalist, harmonica, guitar | |
| Victor | BVE-39812 | 10-in. | 8/15/1927 | Wilkes County blues | Gwen Foster | Harmonica solo | composer, instrumentalist, harmonica | |
| Victor | BVE-41920 | 10-in. | 2/20/1928 | The boarding house bells are ringing | Carolina Twins | Male vocal duet, with 2 guitars and harmonica | composer, vocalist, instrumentalist, guitar, harmonica | |
| Victor | BVE-41921 | 10-in. | 2/20/1928 | One dark and rainy night | Carolina Twins | Male vocal duet, with 2 guitars and harmonica | composer, vocalist, instrumentalist, guitar, harmonica | |
| Victor | BVE-41922 | 10-in. | 2/20/1928 | Your wagon needs greasing | Carolina Twins | Male vocal duet, with 2 guitars and harmonica | composer, vocalist, instrumentalist, guitar, harmonica | |
| Victor | BVE-41923 | 10-in. | 2/20/1928 | Off to the war I'm going | Carolina Twins | Male vocal duet, with 2 guitars and harmonica | vocalist, yodeling, instrumentalist, guitar, harmonica | |
| Victor | BVE-47281 | 10-in. | 11/2/1928 | Where is my mamma? | Carolina Twins | Male vocal duet, with 2 guitars and harmonica (self-accompaniment) | composer, vocalist, instrumentalist, guitar, harmonica | |
| Victor | BVE-47282 | 10-in. | 11/2/1928 | When you go a' courtin' | Carolina Twins | Male vocal duet, with 2 guitars and harmonica (self-accompaniment) | vocalist, instrumentalist, guitar, harmonica, composer | |
| Victor | BVE-47283 | 10-in. | 11/2/1928 | I sat upon the river bank | Carolina Twins | Male vocal duet, with 2 guitars and harmonica (self-accompaniment) | composer, vocalist, instrumentalist, guitar, harmonica | |
| Victor | BVE-47285 | 10-in. | 11/3/1928 | New Orleans is the town I like best | Carolina Twins | Male vocal duet, with 2 guitars and harmonica (self-accompaniment) | composer, vocalist, instrumentalist, guitar, harmonica | |
| Victor | BVE-47286 | 10-in. | 11/3/1928 | She tells me that I am sweet | Carolina Twins | Male vocal duet, with 2 guitars and harmonica (self-accompaniment) | composer, vocalist, instrumentalist, guitar, harmonica | |
| Victor | BVE-47287 | 10-in. | 11/3/1928 | Mr. Brown, here I come | Carolina Twins | Male vocal duet, with 2 guitars and harmonica (self-accompaniment) | composer, vocalist, instrumentalist, guitar, harmonica | |
| Victor | BVE-51070 | 10-in. | 4/3/1929 | Who's gonna kiss your lips, dear darling? | Carolina Tar Heels | Vocal and instrumental ensemble | composer | |
| Victor | BVE-51073 | 10-in. | 4/3/1929 | Somebody's tall and handsome | Carolina Tar Heels | Vocal and instrumental ensemble | composer | |
| Victor | BVE-56621 | 10-in. | 11/29/1929 | Who's going to love me | Carolina Twins | Male vocal duet, with guitars and harmonica (self-accompaniment) | songwriter, instrumentalist, guitar, vocalist, harmonica | |
| Victor | BVE-56622 | 10-in. | 11/29/1929 | Southern Jack | Carolina Twins | Male vocal duet, with guitar and harmonica (self-accompaniment) | songwriter, vocalist, instrumentalist, harmonica | |
| Victor | BVE-56623 | 10-in. | 11/29/1929 | Since my baby's gone away | Carolina Twins | Male vocal duet with guitars and harmonica (self-accompaniment) | songwriter, vocalist, instrumentalist, guitar, harmonica | |
| Victor | BVE-56624 | 10-in. | 11/29/1929 | I want my black baby back | Carolina Twins | Male vocal duet with guitars and harmonica (self-accompaniment) | vocalist, whistling, instrumentalist, guitar, harmonica | |
| Victor | BVE-56625 | 10-in. | 11/29/1929 | Gal of mine took my licker from me | Carolina Twins | Male vocal duet with guitars and harmonica (self-accompaniment) | composer, vocalist, instrumentalist, guitar, harmonica | |
| Victor | BVE-56626 | 10-in. | 11/29/1929 | A change in business all around | Carolina Twins | Male vocal duet with guitars and harmonica (self-accompaniment) | vocalist, instrumentalist, guitar, composer, harmonica | |
| Victor | BVE-56627 | 10-in. | 11/29/1929 | Charlotte hot step | Fletcher and Foster [i.e., Carolina Twins] | Guitar duet, with harmonica | composer, instrumentalist, guitar, harmonica | |
| Victor | BVE-56628 | 10-in. | 11/29/1929 | Red rose rag | Fletcher and Foster [i.e., Carolina Twins] | Guitar duet | composer, instrumentalist, guitar | |
| Victor | BVE-71617 | 10-in. | 2/25/1932 | Times ain't like they used to be | Original Carolina Tar Heels | Vocal and instrumental duet | songwriter, vocalist, instrumentalist, guitar, harmonica | |
| Victor | BVE-71618 | 10-in. | 2/25/1932 | Why should I care | Carolina Tar Heels | Vocal and instrumental duet | songwriter, vocalist, instrumentalist, guitar, harmonica | |
| Victor | BVE-71619 | 10-in. | 2/25/1932 | She shook it on the corner | Carolina Tar Heels | Vocal and instrumental duet | songwriter, vocalist, instrumentalist, guitar, harmonica | |
| Victor | BVE-71624 | 10-in. | 2/25/1932 | Nobody cares if I'm blue | Original Carolina Tar Heels | Vocal and instrumental duet | songwriter, vocalist, instrumentalist, guitar, harmonica | |
| Victor | BS-032663 | 10-in. | 2/5/1939 | How many biscuits can I eat? | Gwen Foster | Female vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble | instrumentalist, harmonica, vocalist | |
| Victor | BS-032665 | 10-in. | 2/5/1939 | Side-line blues | Gwen Foster | Female vocal solo, with 2 guitars and string bass | instrumentalist, harmonica, vocalist | |
| OKeh | S-7814 | 10-in. | Mar. 1921 | Southern Jack | Norfolk Jazz Quartet | Male vocal quartet, unaccompanied | songwriter | |
| Brunswick | E30122 | 10-in. | 6/23/1929 | Boarding house bells are ringing | Kessinger Brothers | Fiddle (violin) and guitar duet | composer | |
| Brunswick | E25453-E25454 | 10-in. | 12/7/1927 | Where is my mamma | Robert A. Gardner ; Lester McFarland | Male vocal duet, with guitar and mandolin | composer | |
| Gennett | 17074 | 10-in. | 9/23/1930 | Working so hard | David Fletcher ; Gwen Foster | Male vocal duet, with 2 guitars and harmonica | instrumentalist, guitar, harmonica, vocalist | |
| Gennett | 17075 | 10-in. | 9/23/1930 | Travelin' north | David Fletcher ; Gwen Foster | Male vocal duet, with 2 guitars and harmonica | vocalist, instrumentalist, guitar, harmonica | |
| Gennett | 17076 | 10-in. | 9/23/1930 | Going a courtin' | Saxton Bros. | Male vocal duet, with 2 guitars and harmonica | vocalist, instrumentalist, guitar, harmonica |
Citation
Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Foster, Gwen," accessed November 21, 2024, https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/111421.
Foster, Gwen. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved November 21, 2024, from https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/111421.
"Foster, Gwen." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 21 November 2024.
DAHR Persistent Identifier
Linked Open Data Sources
LCNAR: Foster, Gwen (Musician) - http://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/no99052566
Wikidata: Gwen Foster - http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q1557819
VIAF: http://viaf.org/viaf/26699835
MusicBrainz: Gwen Foster - https://musicbrainz.org/artist/bc3c89a5-87aa-4ba1-b039-1d5185dd27c9
Wikipedia content provided under the terms of the Creative Commons BY-SA license
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