Edward L. Crain
Edward Leroy Crain (December 27, 1903 – March 15, 1975), also known by his stage name, "The Texas Cowboy" or his recording alias, "Cowboy Ed Crain", was an American country blues musician who played guitar, fiddle, and mandolin. He recorded in the 1930s and is perhaps best known for his rendition of the song "Bandit Cole Younger". As a youth Crain was taught to play instruments from his fellow ranch hands working on a ranch as a tailor and taking part in cattle drives, in Longview, Texas. Crain credits Jimmie Rodgers with persuading him to perform professionally when complications from asthma caused difficulties in his occupation. As a part of his stage act, Crain was advertised as "The Texas Cowboy", with a repertoire consisting of songs about cowboys, and was one of the few performers who, in reality, was involved in the profession. Aside from touring in music halls throughout Texas, Crain also played on several radio station programs in Fort Worth, and promoted a cleaning business he managed in the 1930s by performing on an afternoon show. On July 16, 1931, Crain recorded for the first time, entering the studio for Columbia Records, where he performed a tune called "The Old Grey Hare" under the alias Cowboy Ed Crane. Although Crain was a multi-instrumentalist, his recording only feature his vocals, which were noticeably nasal as a consequence of his asthma, along with guitar accompaniment. Arguably Crain's most recognizable song was his rendition of "Bandit Cole Younger", a musical story written from the perspective of Cole Younger. Crain's version of the composition reappeared on the prominent compilation album, Anthology of American Folk Music, in 1952. Crain recorded several more sides for Columbia Records, but his asthma developed into emphysema, forcing him to retire from his music career and relocate to Oregon. There he lived a low-profile lifestyle as a rancher, and briefly returned to his career in 1970, re-recording "Bandit Cole Younger". Crain died in Medford, Oregon, in 1975, aged 71. |
Birth and Death Data: Born December 27, 1903, Died March 15, 1975
Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1931
Roles Represented in DAHR: vocalist, guitar, composer
Notes: Ed Crain.
= 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 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Columbia | W151729 | 10-in. | 8/17/1931 | Little blossom, part 1 | Edward L. Crain | Male vocal solo, with guitar | instrumentalist, guitar, vocalist | |
Columbia | W151730 | 10-in. | 8/17/1931 | Little blossom, part 2 | Edward L. Crain | Male vocal solo, with guitar | instrumentalist, guitar, vocalist | |
Columbia | W151731 | 10-in. | 8/17/1931 | Bandit Cole Younger | Edward L. Crain | Male vocal solo, with guitar | composer, instrumentalist, guitar, vocalist | |
Columbia | W151732 | 10-in. | 8/17/1931 | Starving to death on a government claim | Edward L. Crain | Male vocal solo, with guitar | instrumentalist, guitar, vocalist | |
Columbia | W151733 | 10-in. | 8/17/1931 | Cowboy's home sweet home | Edward L. Crain | Male vocal solo, with guitar | instrumentalist, guitar, composer, vocalist | |
Columbia | W151734 | 10-in. | 8/17/1931 | The old grey-haired man | Edward L. Crain | Male vocal solo, with guitar | instrumentalist, guitar, vocalist |
Citation
Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Crain, Edward L.," accessed November 25, 2024, https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/104766.
Crain, Edward L.. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved November 25, 2024, from https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/104766.
"Crain, Edward L.." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 25 November 2024.
DAHR Persistent Identifier
Linked Open Data Sources
LCNAR: Crain, Edward L. - http://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/n85000636
Wikidata: Edward L. Crain - http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q20709158
VIAF: http://viaf.org/viaf/8803802
MusicBrainz: Edward L. Crain - https://musicbrainz.org/artist/3b4f22e0-de1a-46f5-a5a8-d1e64c170e72
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