Vernon Dalhart

Harriet Tubman 18955

Source: Don't Stay Up Too Late

Launching the C&W (country western) section of the HMR Project is Vernon Dalhart. Born Marion Try Slaughter in Jefferson, Texas, on 6 April 1883, Dalhart is credited alongside Carson Robison with the first recordings to lead to country western music. Slaughter worked as a cattle puncher until moving to New York to study opera at night while working in a piano warehouse by day. He was rehearsing for Puccini's 'The Girl of the Golden West' in 1911 when he made an unknown cylinder for Edison Records. Touring east across the Atlantic to Europe with 'The Girl of the Golden West', Slaughter then took his name west, changing it to Vernon Dalhart after a couple of towns located in Texas. Wikipedia has him with parts in 'Madam Butterfly' and 'H.M.S. Pinafore' in 1913. DAHR has Dalhart putting down his first track for Victor on February 17, 1915, per matrix 39869 unissued.

His first released title for Columbia was recorded September 17, 1916: 'Just a Word of Sympathy' in 1916, B side to 'I Know I Got More Than My Share' by Robert Lewis on side A (Columbia A2108):

'Just a Word of Sympathy'   Vernon Dalhart   1916

Recorded 17 Sep 1916   Issued on Columbia A2108

Music:  Egbert Van Alstyne   Lyrics: Gus Kahn

Dalhart's first issue on Edison Records was 'Can't You Hear Me Calling Caroline?' in 1917 (Blue Amberol 3185, Edison Diamond Disc 80334). TSHA has Dalhart issuing above 400 recordings along the popular vein to the time he began making country records in 1924. In addition to those documented below, those included such as 'Bye-Lo' in 1920 (Victor ‎18635) and 'Hey! Hey! And Hee! Hee!' with the International Novelty Orchestra in 1924 (Victor 19509).

'Alice I'm In Wonderland'   Vernon Dalhart   1918

Composition: Theodore Morse

'Til We Meet Again'   Vernon Dalhart w Gladys Rice  1919

Music:  Richard Whiting  Lyrics: Raymond B. Egan   1918

'Tuck Me to Sleep in My Old Tucky Home'   Vernon Dalhart   1921

Composition: George Meyer / Joe Young / Sam Lewis

Dalhart's country career commenced per Tony Russell's 'Country Music Records' (CMR) with the recording of 'The Wreck on the Southern Old 97' on May 14 1924 in NYC. (Blue Amberol 4898 [cylinder] and Edison 51361 - A side to Ernest Hare's 'I Wasn't Scared' side B). That was with Frank Ferera backing on guitar, Dalhart at harmonica. That went down again on August 13 for Victor along with 'Prisoner's Song' and 'Way Out West in Kansas', the latter unissued. Released back to back per Victor 19427, that became the first plate in the United States to sell over a million copies:

'Wreck of the Old 97'   Vernon Dalhart w Carson Robison (guitar)    1924

Recorded 13 Aug 1934   Matrix B-30632   Issued on Victor 19427

Composition: Wikipedia

'The Prisoner's Song'   Vernon Dalhart   1924

Guitar: Carson Robison   Viola: Lou Raderman

Recorded 13 Aug 1934   Matrix B-30633   Issued on Victor 19427

Composition: Guy Massey

Russell's CMR has 'The Wreck on the Southern Old 97' going down on another unknown date in August for issue on Banner 1531, released on other labels by various pseudonyms. Another unknown date in August has 'Go Long Mule' recorded for Banner 1416, also seeing releases on other labels per various pseudonyms. Dalhart recorded 'The Wreck on the Southern Old 97' and 'Go Long Mule' on another unknown date that August as Sid Turner for issue on Perfect 12147. The popularity of such as 'The Prisoner's Song' convinced Dalhart to continue recording country songs, even as he used pseudonyms like Bob White, Dick Morse, Fred King, Harry Raymond, Josephus Smith, Al Craver, Tobe Little, Jeff Fuller and Mack Allen.

'She's Comin' 'Round the Mountain'   Vernon Dalhart   1925

Recorded sometime 1925   Issued on Edison Disc 51608-R

Composition: Wikipedia

'Death of Floyd Collins'   Vernon Dalhart   1925

Guitar: Carson Robison   Violin: Lou Raderman

Recorded 9 Sep 1925 in NYC   Issued on Victor 19821

Composition: Andrew Jenkins

'Ballad of Jesse James'   Vernon Dalhart   1925

Recorded c 11-14 Sep 1925 in NYC

Issued on Gennett 3143, Herwin 75507 & Silvertone 4012

Composition: Billy Gashade   1882

First recorded by Bentley Ball in 1919

Carson Robison wasn't the only to assist Dalhart at the avant-garde of C&W. He was joined by fiddler, Mullray Kellner, from spring of 1925 to summer of 1927. Adelyne Hood (aka Betsy White) may have first appeared on fiddle with Dalhart and Robison on July 12, 1927. It is possibly Hood supporting Robison on 'When the Work's All Done This Fall' from that session:

'Oh Bury Me Not on the Lone Prairie'   Vernon Dalhart   1927

Recorded 22 March 1927   Issued on Columbia 969-D

Guitar: Carson Robison   Violin: Murray Kellner

Composition: Wikipedia

'The Mississippi Flood'   Vernon Dalhart as Al Craver  1927

Recorded 2 May 1927 in NYC   Issued on Columbia 15146-D

Composition: Carson Robison

'When the Work's All Done This Fall'   Vernon Dalhart w Carson Robison  1927

Recorded 12 July 1927   Issued on Pathe 32286

Guitar: Carson Robison   Violin: Adelyne Hood ?

Composition: Wikipedia

William Carlino joined the bunch on banjo on April 23, 1928, on 'Steamboat' (Victor 21644) and 'Climbin' Up De Golden Stairs' (unissued). Russell dates Robison's last certain tracks with the gang to as late as June 11, 1928, for such as 'The Little Brown Jug'/'The Old Gray Mare' (Perfect 12421). Russell has Carlino with Dalhart and Hood to December 5, 1928, for such as 'Polly Wolly Doodle' (Victor 40132). That's listed as "possibly" like the previous session for Edison Records on November 19th which Discogs credits to John Cali ('Polly Wolly Doodle' and 'Eleven Cent Cotton'). Other titles gone down in 1928 and 1929:

'Little Green Valley'   Vernon Dalhart  1928

Recorded 23 April 1928   Issued on Zonophone 52112

Guitar: Carson Robison   Violin: Adelyne Hood

Composition: Carson Robison

'When the Sun Goes Down Again'   Vernon Dalhart w Carson Robison   1928

Recorded 23 May 1928   Issued on Champion 15583

Composition: Carson Robison

'The Pardon That Came Too Late'   Vernon Dalhart as Vel Veteran   1928

Recorded c Oct-Nov 1928   Issued on Grey Gull 4237

Accompaniment unknown (Russell CMR)

Composition: Paul Dresser

'The Cowboy's Lament' aka 'Streets of Laredo'   Vernon Dalhart   1929

Recorded 22 Jan 1929   Issued on Sterling 283013

Composition: Wikipedia

'Calamity Jane'   Vernon Dalhart w Adelyne Hood   1930

Recorded Dec 1929   Music: Fred Hall Lyrics: Arthur Fields

Russell's CMR has Dalhart and Hood partnering with various others to as late as a suite of duets on April 25, 1934, resulting in 'The Letter Edged in Black'/'The Prisoner's Song' (Brunswick 6799) and 'In the Valley of Yesterday'/'The Old Covered Bridge' (Brunswick 6901).

Dalhart's next session was with his Big Cypress Boys later on May 1, 1939 for 'You'll Never Take Away My Dreams'/'Johnnie Darling' (Bluebird 8170), '(Don't Forget Me) Dear Little Darling'/'Lavender Cowboy' (Bluebird 8229) and 'Don't Cry, Little Sweetheart, Don't Cry'/'My Mary Jane' (Bluebird 8191). Backing on that were Bert Hirsch (fiddle), Charles Magnante (accordion), Hank Stern (tuba/bass) and John Cali (guitar/possibly banjo). 'Lavender Cowboy' succeeded in getting banned from radio:

'Lavender Cowboy'   Vernon Dalhart w His Big Cypress Boys   1939

Recorded 1 May 1939   Issued on Bluebird B-8229   Aug 1939

Composition: Rich / Ferguson / Scholl

Those were Dalhart's final tracks before retiring from music, taking employment as a security guard at a defense plant in Bridgeport, Connecticut, in 1943. He also worked as a baggage clerk at the Barnum Hotel. Dalhart died on September 14 of 1948 of heart attack. He had documented above 1000 titles during his career, including a number of railroad ballads following 'Wreck of the Old 97' like 'The Lightning Express' (Victor 19837 '25), 'The Runaway Train' (Brunswick ‎2900) and 'New River Train' (Columbia ‎1503-D '28). 'The Prisoner's Song', disputed to be by his cousin, Guy Massey, was voted a posthumous Grammy in 1998.