Lee Hays

Lee Elhardt Hays (March 14, 1914 – August 26, 1981) was an American folk singer and songwriter, best known for singing bass with the Weavers. Throughout his life, he was concerned with overcoming racism, inequality, and violence in society. He wrote or cowrote "Wasn't That a Time?", "If I Had a Hammer", and "Kisses Sweeter than Wine", which became Weavers' staples. He also familiarized audiences with songs of the 1930s labor movement, such as "We Shall Not Be Moved".

Birth and Death Data: Born March 14, 1914 (Little Rock), Died August 26, 1981 (Croton-on-Hudson)

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1950 - 1961

Roles Represented in DAHR: vocalist, guitar

= 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
Decca 76280 5/4/1950 Around the world The Weavers instrumentalist, guitar, vocalist  
Decca 76281 5/4/1950 Tzena, tzena, tzena The Weavers instrumentalist, guitar, vocalist  
Decca 76420 5/26/1950 Whispering Gordon Jenkins Orchestra vocalist  
Decca 76421 5/26/1950 Tzena, tzena, tzena Gordon Jenkins Orchestra vocalist  
Decca 76422 5/26/1950 Goodnight Irene Gordon Jenkins Orchestra vocalist  
Decca 76423 5/26/1950 When I grow too old to dream Gordon Jenkins Orchestra vocalist  
Decca 80077 10/24/1950 Lonesome traveler The Weavers instrumentalist, guitar, vocalist  
Decca 80078 10/24/1950 So long The Weavers instrumentalist, guitar, vocalist  
Decca 80127 11/3/1950 (The wreck of the) John B The Weavers instrumentalist, guitar, vocalist  
Decca 80128 11/3/1950 Midnight special The Weavers instrumentalist, guitar, vocalist  
Decca 80129 11/3/1950 The roving kind The Weavers instrumentalist, guitar, vocalist  
Decca 80130 11/3/1950 The drinking gourd The Weavers instrumentalist, guitar, vocalist  
Decca 80139 11/6/1950 Trouble in mind The Weavers instrumentalist, guitar, vocalist  
Decca 80140 11/6/1950 Along the Colorado trail The Weavers instrumentalist, guitar, vocalist  
Decca 80141 11/6/1950 Suliram The Weavers instrumentalist, guitar, vocalist  
Decca 80142 11/6/1950 I know where I'm going ; Hush little baby The Weavers instrumentalist, guitar, vocalist  
Decca 80845 4/9/1951 Along the Colorado trail The Weavers instrumentalist, guitar, vocalist  
Decca 80974 5/4/1951 The frozen logger The Weavers instrumentalist, guitar, vocalist  
Decca 80975 5/4/1951 Follow the drinking gourd The Weavers instrumentalist, guitar, vocalist  
Decca 80976 5/4/1951 Wake up, darling Cory (Darling Corey) The Weavers instrumentalist, guitar, vocalist  
Decca 80977 5/4/1951 Greensleeves The Weavers instrumentalist, guitar, vocalist  
Decca 80978 5/4/1951 Easy rider blues The Weavers instrumentalist, guitar, vocalist  
Decca 81070 5/9/1951 Greensleeves The Weavers instrumentalist, guitar, vocalist  
Decca 81178 6/12/1951 When the Saints go marching in The Weavers instrumentalist, guitar, vocalist  
Decca 81179 6/12/1951 Run home to Mama The Weavers vocalist, instrumentalist, guitar  
Decca 81180 6/12/1951 Quiliting bee The Weavers instrumentalist, guitar, vocalist  
Decca 81181 6/12/1951 Kisses sweeter than wine The Weavers instrumentalist, guitar, vocalist  
Decca 81443 8/23/1951 Jig along home The Weavers instrumentalist, guitar, vocalist  
Decca 81444 8/23/1951 One for the little bitty baby The Weavers instrumentalist, guitar, vocalist  
Decca 81445 8/23/1951 (Come on and) Join into the game The Weavers instrumentalist, guitar, vocalist  
Decca 81446 8/23/1951 We wish you a merry Christmas The Weavers instrumentalist, guitar, vocalist  
Decca 81561 9/19/1951 The twelve days of Christmas The Weavers instrumentalist, guitar, vocalist  
Decca 81562 9/19/1951 Poor little Jesus The Weavers instrumentalist, guitar, vocalist  
Decca 81563 9/19/1951 The seven blessings of Mary The Weavers instrumentalist, guitar, vocalist  
Decca 81564 9/19/1951 Go tell it on the mountain The Weavers instrumentalist, guitar, vocalist  
Decca 81565 9/19/1951 Joy to the world ; Masters in this hall The Weavers instrumentalist, guitar, vocalist  
Decca 81566 9/19/1951 Lulloo lullaby ; It's almost dry The Weavers instrumentalist, guitar, vocalist  
Decca 81567 9/19/1951 Burgundian carol ; God rest ye merry, gentlemen The Weavers instrumentalist, guitar, vocalist  
Decca 81774 10/25/1951 Old paint (Ride around little dogies) The Weavers instrumentalist, guitar, vocalist  
Decca 81775 10/25/1951 Wimoweh The Weavers instrumentalist, guitar, vocalist  
Decca 81776 10/25/1951 Midnight special The Weavers instrumentalist, guitar, vocalist  
Decca 82825 5/6/1952 Hard, ain't it hard? The Weavers instrumentalist, guitar, vocalist  
Decca 84006 2/26/1953 Rock Island line The Weavers instrumentalist, guitar, vocalist  
Decca 84007 2/26/1953 Benoni The Weavers instrumentalist, guitar, vocalist  
Decca 84008 2/26/1953 Taking it easy The Weavers instrumentalist, guitar, vocalist  
Decca 84009 2/26/1953 Sylvie The Weavers instrumentalist, guitar, vocalist  
Decca 111503 12/20/1961 Jig along home The Weavers instrumentalist, guitar, vocalist  
Decca L 6883 9/17/1952 The bay of Mexico The Weavers instrumentalist, guitar, vocalist  
Decca L 6884 9/17/1952 True love The Weavers instrumentalist, guitar, vocalist  
Decca L 6885 9/17/1952 Clementine The Weavers instrumentalist, guitar, vocalist  
Decca L 6886 9/17/1952 Down in the valley The Weavers instrumentalist, guitar, vocalist  

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Hays, Lee," accessed November 7, 2024, https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/204366.

Hays, Lee. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved November 7, 2024, from https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/204366.

"Hays, Lee." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 7 November 2024.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

URI: https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/204366

Wikipedia content provided under the terms of the Creative Commons BY-SA license

Feedback

Send the Editors a message about this record.