{"product_id":"john-henry-and-his-people-the-historical-origin-and-lore-of-americas-great-folk-ballad-9781476686110","title":"John Henry and His People: The Historical Origin and Lore of America's Great Folk Ballad","description":"\u003cp\u003e The song \"John Henry,\" perhaps America's greatest folk ballad, is about an African-American steel driver who raced and beat a steam drill, dying \"with his hammer in his hand\" from the effort. Most singers and historians believe John Henry was a real person, not a fictitious one, and that his story took place in West Virginia--though other places have been proposed. John Garst argues convincingly that it took place near Dunnavant, Alabama, in 1887.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e The author's reconstruction, based on contemporaneous evidence and subsequent research, uncovers a fascinating story that supports the Dunnavant location and provides new insights.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e Beyond John Henry, readers will discover the lives and work of his people: Black and white singers; his \"captain,\" contractor Frederick Dabney; C. C. Spencer, the most credible eyewitness; John Henry's wife; the blind singer W. T. Blankenship, who printed the first broadside of the ballad; and later scholars who studied John Henry. The book includes analyses of the song's numerous iterations, several previously unpublished illustrations and a foreword by folklorist Art Rosenbaum.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eProfessor emeritus of chemistry at the University of Georgia, \u003cb\u003eJohn Garst\u003c\/b\u003e has been active in folk music research and field recording since the 1960s. Besides his study of \"John Henry\" he is an authority on shape-note hymnody and is noted for discovering the historical bases of ballads like \"Delia\" and \"Ella Speed.\" He lives in Durham, North Carolina.\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"McFarland \u0026 Company","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50383167619346,"sku":"9781476686110","price":43.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0831\/4771\/8930\/files\/img_b6f06cbd-bb3e-41fc-b6d2-777ce14d2c82.jpg?v=1728780041","url":"https:\/\/surprise-castle.myshopify.com\/products\/john-henry-and-his-people-the-historical-origin-and-lore-of-americas-great-folk-ballad-9781476686110","provider":"Surprise Castle","version":"1.0","type":"link"}