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 1-25 of 58 records)
Company | Matrix No. | Size | First Recording Date | Title | Primary Performer | Description | Role | Audio |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Brunswick | 410W-412W | 10-in. | 2/24/1925 | Little rosewood casket | Gene Austin | Male vocal solo, with guitar and harmonica | vocalist, instrumentalist, guitar, harmonica | |
Brunswick | 413W-415W | 10-in. | 2/24/1925 | The prisoner’s song | George Reneau | Male vocal solo, with guitar and jew's harp | vocalist | |
Brunswick | 416W-418W | 10-in. | 2/24/1925 | Woman’s suffrage | George Reneau | Male vocal solo, with guitar and Jew's harp | vocalist | |
Brunswick | 419W-421W | 10-in. | 2/24/1925 | Wild and reckless hobo | George Reneau | Male vocal solo, with guitar and Jew's harp | vocalist | |
Brunswick | 422W-424W | 10-in. | 2/24/1925 | The lightning express | Gene Austin | Male vocal solo, with guitar and harmonica | vocalist, instrumentalist, guitar, harmonica | |
Brunswick | 425W-427W | 10-in. | 2/24/1925 | Rock all our babies to sleep | Gene Austin | Male vocal solo, with guitar and harmonica | vocalist, instrumentalist, guitar, harmonica | |
Brunswick | 428W-429W | 10-in. | 2/24/1925 | Wild Bill Jones | George Reneau | Male vocal solo, with guitar and harmonica | vocalist, instrumentalist, guitar, harmonica | |
Brunswick | 430W-431W | 10-in. | 2/24/1925 | The letter edged in black | George Reneau | Male vocal solo, with guitar and harmonica | vocalist, instrumentalist, guitar, harmonica | |
Brunswick | 1447W-1449W | 10-in. | 10/14/1925 | The sinking of the Titanic | George Reneau | Male vocal solo, with guitar and harmonica | vocalist, instrumentalist, guitar, harmonica | |
Brunswick | 1450W-1452W | 10-in. | 10/14/1925 | Rovin' gambler | George Reneau | Male vocal solo, with guitar and harmonica | vocalist, instrumentalist, guitar, harmonica | |
Brunswick | 1453W-1455W | 10-in. | 10/14/1925 | Railroad lover | George Reneau | Male vocal solo, with guitar and harmonica | vocalist, instrumentalist, guitar, harmonica | |
Brunswick | 1456W-1458W | 10-in. | 10/14/1925 | Gambling on the Sabbath Day | George Reneau | Male vocal solo, with guitar and harmonica | vocalist, instrumentalist, guitar, harmonica | |
Brunswick | 1459W-1461W | 10-in. | 10/14/1925 | The old man on the hill | George Reneau | Male vocal solo, with guitar and harmonica | vocalist, instrumentalist, guitar, harmonica | |
Brunswick | 1462W-1464W | 10-in. | 10/14/1925 | Bad companions | George Reneau | Male vocal solo, with guitar and harmonica | vocalist, instrumentalist, guitar, harmonica | |
Brunswick | 1465W-1467W | 10-in. | 10/15/1925 | The weeping willow tree | George Reneau | Male vocal solo, with guitar and harmonica | vocalist, instrumentalist, guitar, harmonica | |
Brunswick | 1468W-1470W | 10-in. | 10/15/1925 | May I sleep in your barn tonight, Mister? | George Reneau | Male vocal solo, with guitar and harmonica | vocalist, instrumentalist, guitar, harmonica | |
Brunswick | 1471W-1473W | 10-in. | 10/15/1925 | Love always has its way | George Reneau | Male vocal solo, with guitar and harmonica | vocalist, instrumentalist, guitar, harmonica | |
Brunswick | 1479W-1481W | 10-in. | 10/15/1925 | When I shall cross over the dark rolling tide | George Reneau | Male vocal solo, with guitar and harmonica | vocalist, instrumentalist, guitar, harmonica | |
Brunswick | 1482W-1484W | 10-in. | 10/15/1925 | On top of Old Smoky | George Reneau | Male vocal solo, with guitar and harmonica | vocalist, instrumentalist, guitar, harmonica | |
Brunswick | 1485W-1486W | 10-in. | 10/15/1925 | When the work's all done this fall | George Reneau | Male vocal solo, with guitar | vocalist, instrumentalist, guitar | |
Brunswick | 1487W-1488W | 10-in. | 10/15/1925 | The old rugged cross | George Reneau | Male vocal solo, with guitar and harmonica | vocalist, instrumentalist, guitar, harmonica | |
Brunswick | 1489W-1491W | 10-in. | 10/16/1925 | The hand of fate | George Reneau | Male vocal solo, with guitar and harmonica | vocalist, instrumentalist, guitar, harmonica | |
Brunswick | 1492W-1494W | 10-in. | 10/16/1925 | Jack and Joe | George Reneau | Male vocal solo, with guitar and harmonica | vocalist, instrumentalist, guitar, harmonica | |
Brunswick | 1495W-1497W | 10-in. | 10/16/1925 | I'm glad my wife's in Europe | George Reneau | Male vocal solo, with guitar and harmonica | vocalist, instrumentalist, guitar, harmonica | |
Brunswick | 1498W-1500W | 10-in. | 10/16/1925 | The fatal wedding | George Reneau | Male vocal solo, with guitar | vocalist, instrumentalist, guitar |
Citation
Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Reneau, George," accessed November 5, 2024, https://adpprod2.library.ucsb.edu/names/113118.
Reneau, George. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved November 5, 2024, from https://adpprod2.library.ucsb.edu/names/113118.
"Reneau, George." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 5 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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