Charlie D. Tillman

Charles Davis Tillman (March 20, 1861, Tallassee, Alabama – September 2, 1943, Atlanta, Georgia) —also known as Charlie D. Tillman, Charles Tillman, Charlie Tillman, and C. D. Tillman—was a popularizer of the gospel song. He had a knack for adopting material from eclectic sources and flowing it into the mix now known as southern gospel, becoming one of the formative influences on that genre.

The youngest son of Baptist preacher James Lafayette Tillman and Mary (Davis) Tillman, for 14 years prior to 1887 he painted houses, sold sheet music for a company in Raleigh, North Carolina, and peddled Wizard Oil. In 1887 he focused his career more on his church and musical talents, singing first tenor in a church male quartet and establishing his own church-related music publishing company in Atlanta.

Birth and Death Data: Born 1861, Died September 2, 1943

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1906 - 1934

Roles Represented in DAHR: composer, vocalist, arranger, lyricist

Notes: Not to be confused with jazz bandleader and composer Charlie Davis.

= 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 B-3091 10-in. 2/7/1906 Power from God Haydn Quartet Male vocal quartet, with orchestra composer  
Victor B-3123 10-in. 2/19/1906 The old-time religion Haydn Quartet Male vocal quartet, with orchestra arranger  
Victor B-23721 10-in. 2/5/1920 The old-time religion Criterion Quartet Male vocal quartet, with orchestra arranger  
Victor B-26454 10-in. 5/5/1922 Life's railway to heaven Clifford Cairns ; Charles Harrison Male vocal duet, with orchestra composer  
Victor BVE-37905 10-in. 2/16/1927 Life's railway to heaven Calhoun Sacred Quartet Male vocal quartet, with piano composer  
Victor BVE-38009 10-in. 4/25/1927 Life's railway to heaven Henry Burr ; James Stanley Male vocal duet, with orchestra composer  
Victor BVE-39640 10-in. 7/8/1927 Jacob's ladder Frank McCravy ; James McCravy Male vocal duet, with instrumental ensemble arranger  
Victor BVE-47213 10-in. 10/20/1928 Life's railway to heaven Southern Railroad Quartet Male vocal quartet, with piano composer  
Victor BVE-51734 10-in. 4/25/1929 Life's railway to heaven John Seagle ; Leonard Stokes Male vocal duet, with organ composer  
Victor BS-75804 10-in. 5/3/1933 Life's railway to heaven Smilin' Ed McConnell Male vocal solo, with piano composer  
Victor BS-75818 10-in. 5/3/1933 Life's railway to heaven Smilin' Ed McConnell Male vocal solo, with piano composer  
Victor BS-81390 10-in. 2/14/1934 Life is like a mountain railroad Bradley Kincaid Male vocal solo, with guitar composer  
Victor BVE-82887 10-in. 8/2/1934 Life's railway to heaven Buice Brothers Male vocal quartet, with piano composer  
Columbia 4382 10-in. ca. 1909 The old time religion Columbia Quartette Male vocal quartet arranger  
Columbia 46988 10-in. 8/29/1916 My mother's Bible William McEwan Male vocal solo, with orchestra composer  
Columbia 47108 10-in. 10/27/1916 My mother's Bible Columbia Stellar Quartette Male vocal quartet, with orchestra composer  
Columbia 79770 10-in. 3/28/1921 Life's railway to heaven Oscar Seagle Baritone vocal solo, with male vocal quartet and orchestra composer  
Columbia 81735 10-in. 4/25/1924 Life's railway to heaven Ernest Thompson Male vocal solo, with harmonica and guitar composer  
Columbia 81834 10-in. 6/18/1924 Life's railway to heaven Mrs. William Asher ; Homer A. Rodeheaver Female-male vocal duet, with orchestra composer  
Columbia 140282 10-in. 1/27/1925 Old time power Jewell Tillman Burns ; Charlie D. Tillman Female-male vocal duet, with piano lyricist, composer, vocalist  
Columbia 140283 10-in. 1/27/1925 Someday, it won't be long Jewell Tillman Burns ; Charlie D. Tillman Female-male vocal duet, with piano vocalist  
Columbia 140284 10-in. 1/27/1925 My mother's Bible Jewell Tillman Burns ; Charlie D. Tillman ; Elizabeth Tillman Female-male vocal duet, with piano vocalist, composer  
Columbia 140285 10-in. 1/27/1925 Don't forget the old folks Jewell Tillman Burns ; Charlie D. Tillman ; Elizabeth Tillman Female-male vocal duet, with piano vocalist  
Columbia 140290 10-in. 1/28/1925 Tell it again Jewell Tillman Burns ; Charlie D. Tillman Female-male vocal duet, with piano vocalist  
Columbia 140291 10-in. 1/28/1925 Sometime, somewhere Jewell Tillman Burns ; Charlie D. Tillman Female-male vocal duet, with piano vocalist, composer  
Columbia W142984 10-in. 12/3/1926 Life's railway to heaven Ford and Glenn Male vocal duet, with organ composer  
Columbia 143055 10-in. 11/4/1926 The old-time power The Wisdom Sisters Female vocal trio lyricist, composer  
Columbia W143908 10-in. 4/5/1927 Life's railway to heaven Smith’s Sacred Singers Male vocal ensemble, with fiddle (violin) and guitar composer  
Columbia W143915 10-in. 4/6/1927 My mother's Bible J. Frank Smith Male vocal solo composer  
OKeh 8623 10-in. March 1924 Life's railway to heaven J. Douglas Swagerty ; Mrs. J. Douglas Swagerty Female-male vocal duet, with piano composer  
OKeh 9069 10-in. Apr. 1925 My mother's Bible J. Douglas Swagerty ; Mrs. J. Douglas Swagerty Female-male vocal duet, with organ composer  
OKeh W81717 10-in. 10/8/1927 Life's railway to heaven Allen Quartette Male vocal quartet, with organ composer  
OKeh W81719 10-in. 10/8/1927 My mother's Bible Allen Quartette Male vocal quartet, with organ composer  
OKeh W401514 10-in. 1/9/1929 He left his religion in the country Black Brothers Male vocal duet, with 2 fiddles (violins) and guitar composer, lyricist  
OKeh W401515 10-in. 1/9/1929 What has become of the old church bells? Black Brothers Male vocal duet, with instrumental ensemble composer  
OKeh W402034 10-in. 8/1/1928 What has become of the old church bells? Charles D. Tillman & Daughter Female-male vocal duet, with piano vocalist  
OKeh W402035 10-in. 8/1/1928 He left his religion in the country Charles D. Tillman & Daughter Female-male vocal duet, with piano vocalist  
OKeh W402390 10-in. 3/20/1929 Since He came to stay The Irene Spain Family Vocal trio, with viola and autoharp composer  
Brunswick E27942 10-in. 8/1/1928 When I get to the end of the way Frank McCravy ; James McCravy Male vocal duet, with instrumental trio composer, lyricist  
Brunswick E28788 10-in. 12/4/1928 My mother’s Bible Frank McCravy ; James McCravy Male vocal duet, with orchestra composer  
Brunswick E15810-E15812 10-in. 5/25/1925 Life's railway to heaven Criterion Quartet Male vocal quartet, with organ composer  
Brunswick E25560-E25561 10-in. 12/13/1927 Jacob’s ladder Frank McCravy ; James McCravy Male vocal duet, with violin, guitar, and piano arranger  
Brunswick C199-C200 10-in. 4/21/1926 Life’s railway to heaven Hermes Zimmerman Male vocal solo, with piano composer  
Edison 5891 10-in. 11/21/1917 Life's railway to heaven Edward Allen ; Charles Hart Vocal duet (tenor and baritone), with orchestra composer  
Edison 5908 10-in. 12/5/1917 My mother's Bible Edward Allen Baritone vocal solo and male vocal ensemble, with orchestra composer  
Edison 8268 10-in. 10/26/1921 Truth reflects upon our senses Metropolitan Quartet Mixed vocal quartet, with orchestra composer  
Edison 9735 10-in. 9/24/1924 Life's railway to heaven Blue Ridge Duo Male vocal solo, with guitar and harmonica composer  
Vocalion 13076 10-in. April 1924 Life's railway to heaven George Reneau Male vocal solo, with guitar and harmonica composer  

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Tillman, Charlie D.," accessed November 21, 2024, https://adpprod2.library.ucsb.edu/names/110591.

Tillman, Charlie D.. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved November 21, 2024, from https://adpprod2.library.ucsb.edu/names/110591.

"Tillman, Charlie D.." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 21 November 2024.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

URI: https://adpprod2.library.ucsb.edu/names/110591

External Sources

Wikipedia: Charles Davis Tillman

Linked Open Data Sources

LCNAR: Tillman, Charlie D. (Charlie Davis), 1861-1943 - http://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/no97062719

Wikidata: Charles Davis Tillman - http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q5076766

VIAF: http://viaf.org/viaf/38984466

MusicBrainz: Charles Davis Tillman - https://musicbrainz.org/artist/9404ece7-6f9a-480d-8ce8-30f58dcf5fe8

ISNI: 0000 0000 4636 1195 - http://www.isni.org/isni/0000000046361195

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

Feedback

Send the Editors a message about this record.