Johnny Barfield
John Alexander Barfield (3 March 1909 - 16 January 1974) was an American country and old-time music performer, best known for his 1939 recording of "Boogie Woogie", the first country boogie. He was born in Tifton, Georgia, and in his youth played guitar on street corners with his brother Coot. They recorded for Columbia Records in Atlanta in 1927, but the recordings were not released. Soon afterwards, Johnny Barfield became acquainted with Clayton McMichen and Bert Layne of the Skillet Lickers, touring with the group and recording with some of its offshoots, including McMichen's group, the Georgia Wildcats. By 1932 he was performing both solo, and as a member of Layne's band. In 1939, he won a recording contract with Bluebird Records, and released his version of "Boogie Woogie", a song derived from "Pinetop's Boogie Woogie" recorded in 1928 by Pinetop Smith. Barfield's song is considered the first country boogie, and became popular on jukeboxes. Barfield recorded again in 1940 and 1941, but failed to repeat his earlier success. He continued to perform for several years. He died in 1974, aged 64. |
Birth and Death Data: Born March 3, 1909 (Georgia), Died January 16, 1974
Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1939 - 1941
Roles Represented in DAHR: guitar, vocalist, composer
= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.
Recordings (Results 1-25 of 32 records)
Company | Matrix No. | Size | First Recording Date | Title | Primary Performer | Description | Role | Audio |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Victor | BS-041210 | 10-in. | 8/21/1939 | Why don't you give me my memories? | Johnny Barfield | Male vocal solo, with guitar | instrumentalist, guitar, vocalist | |
Victor | BS-041211 | 10-in. | 8/21/1939 | Don't cry, my darlin' | Johnny Barfield | Male vocal solo, with guitar | instrumentalist, guitar, vocalist | |
Victor | BS-041212 | 10-in. | 8/21/1939 | In a sleepy country town | Johnny Barfield | Male vocal solo, with guitar | instrumentalist, guitar, vocalist | |
Victor | BS-041213 | 10-in. | 8/21/1939 | When Daddy played the old banjo | Johnny Barfield | Male vocal solo, with guitar | instrumentalist, guitar, vocalist | |
Victor | BS-041214 | 10-in. | 8/21/1939 | Boogie-woogie | Johnny Barfield | Male vocal solo, with guitar | instrumentalist, guitar, vocalist | |
Victor | BS-041215 | 10-in. | 8/21/1939 | Everybody's tryin' to be my baby | Johnny Barfield | Male vocal solo, with guitar | instrumentalist, guitar, vocalist | |
Victor | BS-047512 | 10-in. | 2/5/1940 | Gonna ride till the sun goes down | Johnny Barfield | Male vocal solo, with fiddle (violin) and guitar | vocalist, instrumentalist, guitar, composer | |
Victor | BS-047513 | 10-in. | 2/5/1940 | My poodle doodle dog | Johnny Barfield | Male vocal solo, with fiddle (violin) and guitar | instrumentalist, guitar, vocalist | |
Victor | BS-047514 | 10-in. | 2/5/1940 | That little shirt my mother made for me | Johnny Barfield | Male vocal solo, with fiddle (violin) and guitar | instrumentalist, guitar, vocalist | |
Victor | BS-047515 | 10-in. | 2/5/1940 | Ain't I right? | Johnny Barfield | Male vocal solo, with fiddle (violin) and guitar | instrumentalist, guitar, vocalist, composer | |
Victor | BS-047516 | 10-in. | 2/5/1940 | Long tongue woman | Johnny Barfield | Male vocal solo, with fiddle (violin) and guitar | instrumentalist, guitar, vocalist | |
Victor | BS-047517 | 10-in. | 2/5/1940 | Old fiddler Joe | Johnny Barfield | Male vocal solo, with fiddle (violin) and guitar | instrumentalist, guitar, vocalist | |
Victor | BS-047518 | 10-in. | 2/5/1940 | Love me only | Johnny Barfield | Male vocal solo, with fiddle (violin) and guitar | instrumentalist, guitar, vocalist | |
Victor | BS-047519 | 10-in. | 2/5/1940 | Don't take my memories | Johnny Barfield | Male vocal solo, with fiddle (violin) and guitar | instrumentalist, guitar, vocalist, composer | |
Victor | BS-047520 | 10-in. | 2/5/1940 | The new "Boogie woogie" | Johnny Barfield | Male vocal solo, with guitar | instrumentalist, guitar, vocalist, composer | |
Victor | BS-047521 | 10-in. | 2/5/1940 | It ain't no good | Johnny Barfield | Male vocal solo, with guitar | instrumentalist, guitar, vocalist, composer | |
Victor | BS-054544 | 10-in. | 10/8/1940 | In the heart of the city | Johnny Barfield | Male vocal solo, with guitar | instrumentalist, guitar, vocalist | |
Victor | BS-054545 | 10-in. | 10/8/1940 | Desert lullaby | Johnny Barfield | Male vocal solo, with guitar | instrumentalist, guitar, vocalist, composer | |
Victor | BS-054546 | 10-in. | 10/8/1940 | True to the one I love | Johnny Barfield | Male vocal solo, with guitar and violin | instrumentalist, guitar, vocalist | |
Victor | BS-054547 | 10-in. | 10/8/1940 | Heartaches and tears | Johnny Barfield | Male vocal solo, with guitar and violin | instrumentalist, guitar, vocalist, composer | |
Victor | BS-054548 | 10-in. | 10/8/1940 | Sleep, darlin', sleep on | Johnny Barfield | Male vocal solo, with guitar and violin | instrumentalist, guitar, vocalist | |
Victor | BS-054549 | 10-in. | 10/8/1940 | Pretty little Naponee | Johnny Barfield | Male vocal solo, with guitar and violin | instrumentalist, guitar, vocalist | |
Victor | BS-054550 | 10-in. | 10/8/1940 | You'll want me to want you some day | Johnny Barfield | Male vocal solo, with guitar and violin | instrumentalist, guitar, vocalist | |
Victor | BS-054551 | 10-in. | 10/8/1940 | It's a long lane that doesn't have a turning | Johnny Barfield | Male vocal solo, with guitar and violin | instrumentalist, guitar, vocalist | |
Victor | BS-054552 | 10-in. | 10/8/1940 | Highway hobo | Johnny Barfield | Male vocal solo, with guitar and violin | instrumentalist, guitar, vocalist, composer |
Citation
Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Barfield, Johnny," accessed November 9, 2024, https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/112913.
Barfield, Johnny. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved November 9, 2024, from https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/112913.
"Barfield, Johnny." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 9 November 2024.
DAHR Persistent Identifier
Linked Open Data Sources
LCNAR: Barfield, Johnny, 1909-1974 - http://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/no2006001585
Wikidata: Johnny Barfield - http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q1386971
VIAF: http://viaf.org/viaf/76516010
MusicBrainz: Johnny Barfield - https://musicbrainz.org/artist/207d26db-bfef-4b85-b900-325c368d4c7a
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