George Reneau
George McKinley Reneau (May 18, 1902 – June 5, 1938) was an American blind street musician who became one of country music's earliest recording artists. Known as "The Blind Musician of the Smoky Mountains", Reneau recorded more than 50 songs on the Vocalion and Edison labels in the mid-1920s. While he is credited on his early recordings as a solo artist on vocals, guitar and harmonica, the singing on many if not most of his songs was by an uncredited Gene Austin, a vaudville performer and Tin Pan Alley composer who would become one of the most successful recording artists of the era. |
Birth and Death Data: Born 1901 (Jefferson County), Died 1933 (Knoxville)
Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1924 - 1925
Roles Represented in DAHR: vocalist, guitar, harmonica
Notes: Often sub-credited as "The Blind Musician of the Smoky Mountains."
= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.
Recordings (Results 51-58 of 58 records)
Company | Matrix No. | Size | First Recording Date | Title | Primary Performer | Description | Role | Audio |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Vocalion | 13687-13688 | 10-in. | 9/15/1924 | Smoky Mountain blues | George Reneau | Male vocal solo, with guitar and harmonica | vocalist, instrumentalist, guitar, harmonica | |
Vocalion | 13689-13691 | 10-in. | 9/15/1924 | The baggage coach ahead | George Reneau | Male vocal solo, with guitar and harmonica | vocalist, instrumentalist, guitar, harmonica | |
Vocalion | 13698-13699 | 10-in. | 9/16/1924 | The C & O wreck | George Reneau | Male vocal solo, with guitar and harmonica | vocalist, instrumentalist, guitar, harmonica | |
Vocalion | 13700-13701 | 10-in. | 9/16/1924 | We’re floating down the stream of time | George Reneau | Male vocal solo, with guitar and harmonica | vocalist | |
Vocalion | 13702-13703 | 10-in. | 9/17/1924 | The bald-headed end of the broom | George Reneau | Male vocal solo, with guitar and harmonica | vocalist, instrumentalist, guitar, harmonica | |
Vocalion | 13704-13705 | 10-in. | 9/17/1924 | My Redeemer | George Reneau | Male vocal solo, with guitar and harmonica | vocalist, instrumentalist, guitar, harmonica | |
Vocalion | 13706-13708 | 10-in. | 9/17/1924 | I’ve got the railroad blues | George Reneau | Male vocal solo | vocalist | |
Vocalion | 13718-13719 | 10-in. | 9/17/1924 | Softly and tenderly | George Reneau | Male vocal solo, with guitar and harmonica | vocalist, instrumentalist, guitar, harmonica |
Citation
Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Reneau, George," accessed November 22, 2024, https://adpprod2.library.ucsb.edu/names/113118.
Reneau, George. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved November 22, 2024, from https://adpprod2.library.ucsb.edu/names/113118.
"Reneau, George." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 22 November 2024.
DAHR Persistent Identifier
External Sources
Wikipedia: George Reneau
Linked Open Data Sources
LCNAR: Reneau, George, 1901-1933 - http://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/no2006075225
Wikidata: George Reneau - http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q1508151
VIAF: http://viaf.org/viaf/56368998
ISNI: 0000 0000 4431 2656 - http://www.isni.org/isni/0000000044312656
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