Carroll County is known for several things, but its music has a rich history with some secrets. Next month, the Carroll County Pilgrimage will showcase several of the lost jewels of Carroll County like the well-known Mississippian John Hurt and others that helped mold what is known today as the Carroll County Blues.
Set to begin on the weekend of October 2 through 4, the Carroll County Pilgrimage is expected to be the signature event to mark the county's 175th anniversary. Since the county's beginning in December 1833, three musicians stand out as the county's best folk/blues musicians - Hurt, Shell Smith and Willie Namour.
Hurt, who is the most widely known of the three, is a Mississippi Musicians Hall of Fame inductee. Although he was not discovered until the latter part of his life, Hurt along with Smith and Namour were trademark names during the Great Depression days in Carroll County.
Narmour, a fiddle player, was born in Ackerman in 1889, but moved to Carroll County as a child. He remained in Carroll County until his death in 1961 at 72.
A few years younger, Smith was born in Carroll County and died here in 1968 at 72.
Narmour and Smith recorded in Memphis in 1928, in Atlanta and New York in 1929, and San Antonio in 1930, and Atlanta again in 1934. Narmour stayed active as a fiddle player at dances in the area until his death; Smith apparently quit playing dances soon after the last recording. It is in Carroll County where the two men were remembered most for their mini concerts to the pleasure of several hometown folks in the early 20th century.
Narmour first learned to play on a cigar box fiddle that his father, John Narmour, made for him. He came from a musical family as his father played the fiddle as well as his brother. He continued to play after his public career ended in 1934.
Josephine Jackson, a childhood friend of both the children of Narmour and Smith, grew up in what is now the Valley Community in the northeastern section of the county. At 87 years old, Jackson recalls listening to the music of Narmour, Smith and others during gatherings.
"That was good music they played," Jackson said. "It was during the depression and people could travel far to listen to music, so they would play for people in the community."
Jackson said she attended school with the children of both Narmour and Smith, and the two would play in contests at the local school.
"Mr. Narmour wasn't a very big man and my parents said when he was younger, they stacked chairs for him to stand and play at the folks."
Smith's granddaughter Sharon Smith Stone, who was only a child during her grandfather's last days, remembers hearing the stories of her grandfather, Narmour and Hurt finishing a hard day's work in the fields and playing at the country store.
"They were all dirt farmers, and they worked in the fields together," Stone said.
Smith was known for his powerful guitar backup on the records he and Namour collaborated. His wife Mamie played the fiddle as well.
Narmour won a fiddle contest that allowed him to record for Okeh Records, and, asked to recommend another musician, he recommended Hurt. However, there were other highly talented musicians that played at the gatherings as well.
Ann Organ's father, Willie Duke, also played with the band in the late 20s and 30s. Organ and her family lived in the Valley community along with the other musicians' families and remembers her father and brother Grover playing as well.
"My brother played everything," Organ said.
Organ said Grover Duke, who played more modern music, lived his last years in Carroll County.
Carroll County Antiquities Society member Susie James, who is also related to the musical Duke family, said Namour and Smith were both hard workers outside of music.
"They never made a lot of money," James said. "They played for a lot of people in the county."
According to Pam Lee, pilgrimage committee member, members met with country musicians Richard Outlaw and Jack Harper to perform at the tabernacle in North Carrollton from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.
"They will present a Grand Ole Opry style musical program," Lee said. "There are no details yet, but there could local talent needed for the event. This is very big and the tabernacle is big, it holds quite a few folks."
Granddaughter of Hurt, Mary Hurt Wright is also expected to give a presentation about her grandfather's music.
Post a Comment