Irene Scruggs

Irene Scruggs (born Irene Smith, December 7, 1901 – July 20, 1981) was an American Piedmont blues and country blues singer, who was also billed as Chocolate Brown and Dixie Nolan. She recorded songs such as "My Back to the Wall" and "Good Grindin'" and worked with Clarence Williams, Joe "King" Oliver, Lonnie Johnson, Little Brother Montgomery, Blind Blake, Albert Nicholas, and Kid Ory. Scruggs achieved some success but today is largely forgotten.

Birth and Death Data: Born December 7, 1901 (Lamont), Died July 20, 1981 (Trier)

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1924 - 1930

Roles Represented in DAHR: contralto, lyricist, composer, songwriter, vocalist

= 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 W143690 10-in. 3/19/1927 Sorrow Valley blues Martha Copeland Female vocal solo ("blues singer"), with cornet and piano lyricist, composer  
OKeh S-72486 10-in. Apr. 1924 Everybody's blues Irene Scruggs ; Clarence Williams Female vocal solo, with piano vocalist, contralto, songwriter  
OKeh S-72487 10-in. Apr. 1924 Why he left me, I don't know Irene Scruggs ; Clarence Williams Female vocal solo, with piano vocalist, contralto  
OKeh S-72497 10-in. May 1924 Cruel papa but a good man to have around Irene Scruggs ; Clarence Williams Female vocal solo, with piano lyricist, vocalist, contralto  
OKeh S-72498 10-in. May 1924 My daddy's calling me Irene Scruggs ; Clarence Williams Female vocal solo, with piano lyricist, vocalist, contralto  
OKeh W80817 10-in. 5/2/1927 Lonesome valley blues Irene Scruggs Female vocal solo, with guitar and piano vocalist, contralto, composer, lyricist  
OKeh W80818 10-in. 5/2/1927 Outsider blues Irene Scruggs Female vocal solo, with guitar and piano vocalist, contralto  
OKeh W80819 10-in. 5/2/1927 Smokey rattler Irene Scruggs Female vocal solo, with guitar and piano vocalist, contralto  
OKeh W80820 10-in. 5/2/1927 Sorrow Valley blues Irene Scruggs Female vocal solo, with guitar and piano lyricist, vocalist, contralto, composer  
Brunswick C228-C229 10-in. 4/23/1926 Home town blues Irene Scruggs Female vocal solo, with orchestra vocalist, contralto, lyricist, composer  
Brunswick C230-C231 10-in. 4/23/1926 Sorrow Valley blues Irene Scruggs Female vocal solo, with orchestra vocalist, contralto, lyricist, composer  
Gennett 16970 10-in. 8/30/1930 You've got what I want Irene Scruggs Female vocal solo, with piano vocalist, contralto  
Gennett 16973 10-in. 8/30/1930 I want you to give me some Irene Scruggs Female vocal solo, with guitar and piano vocalist, contralto  
Gennett 16975 10-in. 8/30/1930 My back to the wall Artists vary Female vocal solo, with guitar vocalist, contralto  
Gennett 16977 10-in. 8/30/1930 Borrowed love Irene Scruggs Female vocal solo, with guitar vocalist, contralto  
Gennett 16980 10-in. 8/30/1930 The voice of the blues Artists vary Female vocal solo, with guitar vocalist, contralto  

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Scruggs, Irene," accessed November 25, 2024, https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/107426.

Scruggs, Irene. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved November 25, 2024, from https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/107426.

"Scruggs, Irene." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 25 November 2024.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

URI: https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/107426

External Sources

Wikipedia: Irene Scruggs

Discogs: Irene Scruggs

Allmusic: Irene Scruggs

Linked Open Data Sources

LCNAR: Scruggs, Irene - http://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/n96049224

Wikidata: Irene Scruggs - http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q6069235

VIAF: http://viaf.org/viaf/23863391

MusicBrainz: Irene Scruggs - https://musicbrainz.org/artist/365c0269-894e-418b-acbd-cec2bfd66b32

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

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