Merle Travis
Merle Robert Travis (November 29, 1917 – October 20, 1983) was an American country and western singer, songwriter, and guitarist born in Rosewood, Kentucky, United States. His songs' lyrics often discussed both the lives and the economic exploitation of American coal miners. Among his many well-known songs and recordings are "Sixteen Tons", "Re-Enlistment Blues", "I am a Pilgrim" and "Dark as a Dungeon". However, it is his unique guitar style, still called "Travis picking" by guitarists, as well as his interpretations of the rich musical traditions of his native Muhlenberg County, Kentucky, for which he is best known today. Travis picking is a syncopated style of guitar fingerpicking rooted in ragtime music in which alternating chords and bass notes are plucked by the thumb while melodies are simultaneously plucked by the index finger. He was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1970 and elected to the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1977. |
Birth and Death Data: Born November 29, 1917 (Muhlenberg County), Died October 20, 1983 (Tahlequah)
Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1937 - 1956
Roles Represented in DAHR: songwriter, electric guitar, guitar, lyricist, composer
= 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 | BS-014056 | 10-in. | 9/12/1937 | New steel guitar rag | Bill Boyd ; Cowboy Ramblers | String band, with drums | lyricist | |
Victor | D6VB-1982 | 10-in. | 12/17/1946 | Steel guitar rag | Golden West Cowboys ; Pee Wee King | Male vocal solo, with string band | lyricist | |
Victor | D6VB-2155 | 10-in. | 9/12/1946 | Divorce me C.O.D. | Four King Sisters | Female vocal quartet, with jazz/dance band | songwriter | |
Victor | D7VB-0442 | 10-in. | 1/29/1947 | So round, so firm, so fully packed | Riders of the Rio Grande ; Johnny Tyler | Male vocal solo, with string band | songwriter | |
Victor | D7VB-0592 | 10-in. | 7/7/1947 | Smoke, smoke, smoke (that cigarette) | Phil Harris ; Phil Harris Orchestra | Male vocal solo, with male vocal group and jazz/dance band | songwriter | |
Columbia | H1426 | 10-in. | 6/13/1945 | I want to be sure | Gene Autry | String band, with male vocal solo | songwriter | |
Columbia | HCO2020 | 10-in. | 9/9/1946 | Here's to the ladies | Gene Autry | Male vocal solo, with string band | instrumentalist, electric guitar | |
Columbia | HCO2022 | 10-in. | 9/9/1946 | Dixie cannon ball | Gene Autry | Male vocal solo, with string band | instrumentalist, electric guitar | |
Columbia | HCO2161 | 10-in. | 11/25/1946 | Divorce me C.O.D. | Johnny Bond ; Red River Valley Boys | Male vocal solo, with string band | songwriter | |
Columbia | HCO2162 | 10-in. | 11/25/1946 | So round, so firm, so fully packed | Johnny Bond ; Red River Valley Boys | Male vocal solo, with string band | songwriter | |
Columbia | HCO2472 | 10-in. | 7/22/1947 | Smoke! smoke! smoke! (that cigarette) | Johnny Bond ; Red River Valley Boys | String band, with male vocal solo and male vocal group | songwriter | |
Columbia | HCO2475 | 10-in. | 7/22/1947 | I like my chicken fryin' size | Johnny Bond | String band, with male vocal solo | lyricist, composer | |
Columbia | HCO2968 | 10-in. | 12/14/1947 | A petal from a faded rose | Johnny Bond | Male vocal solo, with string band | songwriter | |
Columbia | HCO3494 | 10-in. | 12/29/1948 | Tennessee Saturday night | Johnny Bond | Male vocal solo, with string band | instrumentalist, electric guitar | |
Columbia | HCO3495 | 10-in. | 12/29/1948 | A heart full of love (for a handful of kisses) | Johnny Bond | Male vocal, with string band | instrumentalist, electric guitar | |
Columbia | HCO3496 | 10-in. | 12/29/1948 | Till the end of the world | Johnny Bond | Male vocal solo, with string band | instrumentalist, electric guitar | |
Decca | L 9715 | 11/27/1956 | Ruby pearl | Jackie Lee Cochran | instrumentalist, guitar | |||
Decca | L 9716 | 11/27/1956 | Dear Mom and Dad | Jackie Lee Cochran | instrumentalist, guitar | |||
Decca | L 9717 | 11/27/1956 | For you baby | Jackie Lee Cochran | instrumentalist, guitar | |||
Decca | L 9718 | 11/27/1956 | Mama don't you think I know | Jackie Lee Cochran | instrumentalist, guitar |
Citation
Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Travis, Merle," accessed November 2, 2024, https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/105369.
Travis, Merle. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved November 2, 2024, from https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/105369.
"Travis, Merle." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 2 November 2024.
DAHR Persistent Identifier
External Sources
Wikipedia: Merle Travis
Discogs: Merle Travis
Allmusic: Merle Travis
Grove: Merle Travis
IMDb: Merle Travis
Britannica: Merle Travis
Linked Open Data Sources
LCNAR: Travis, Merle - http://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/n86109519
Wikidata: Merle Travis - http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q1276598
VIAF: http://viaf.org/viaf/33145971352032331561
MusicBrainz: Merle Travis - https://musicbrainz.org/artist/13da4ed2-7344-49aa-aa73-004826896c5c
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