The Skillet Lickers

Gid Tanner

Source: Jukka Joutsi

Rily Puckett

Source: Find a Grave

Clayton McMichen

Source: Discogs

Fiddler, Gid Gordon Tanner, was born in Thomas Bridge, Georgia, on 6 June 1885. His hungry Skillet Lickers weren't known for their table manners, but they popularized "hillbilly" music in the twenties during the same period that country folk music was being shaped largely by such as the Carter Family. Which is to speak of white country versus black country that was the blues. The Skillet Lickers were more instrumentally rambunctious than the Carter Family from whom one might expect a nice gospel melody. Their more famous titles are 'Turkey in the Straw' of 1926, 'John Henry' of 1927 and 'Down Yonder' of 1934. Along with Tanner at fiddle and vocals, the Skillet Lickers consisted of blind guitarist, Riley Puckett (b 1894), and fiddler, Clayton McMichen (aka Bob Nichols b 1900), both of whom also performed lead vocals. Bert Layne (fiddle) and Singleton Lafayette Norris (aka Fate or Faith Norris - banjo) were also early members.

Before Tanner's Skillet Lickers he and Puckett both made their first recordings together on March 7, 1924. Most the titles on that date were for Puckett: 'Little Old Log Cabin in the Lane' (Columbia 107), 'Knoxville Girl' (reject), 'Johnson's Old Grey Mule' (Columbia 150), 'Old Joe Clark' (Columbia 15033) and 'Casey Jones (Columbia 113). Puckett backed Tanner on 'Boll Weevil Blues' / 'I'm Satisfied' (Columbia 15016).

'Little Old Log Cabin in the Lane'   Riley Puckett (guitar) w Gid Tanner (fiddle)

Recorded 7 March 1924 in NYC   Issued on Columbia 107-D

Composition: Will S. Hays   1871

Puckett and Tanner recorded variously together until joined by McMichen. McMichen had made his debut recordings with his Home Town Band in Atlanta, Georgia, on July 7 of 1925: 'Bully of the Town' (Okeh 45034), 'Sweet Bunch of Daisies' (Okeh 40445), 'Silver Bell' (Okeh 40445) and 'Alabama Jubilee' (Okeh 45022). Norris and Tanner first recorded together as the Georgia Boys on October 3 of 1925: 'Old Time Tunes' / 'Just Gimme the Leavings' (Columbia 15059).

'Old Time Tunes'   Gid Tanner & His Georgia Boys w Fate Norris

Recorded 3 Oct 1925 in Atlanta   Issued on Columbia 15059-D

Tony Russell's 'Country Music Records' (CMR) has the first Skillet Lickers session with all the aforementioned on April 17, 1926, for eight issued titles like 'Hand Me Down My Walking Cane' (Columbia 15091) and 'Turkey in the Straw' (Columbia 15084).

'Hand Me Down My Walkin' Cane'   Skillet Lickers

Recorded 17 April 1926 in Atlanta   Matrix W142034   Issued on Columbia 15059-D

Composition: James Bland   1880

'Ya Gotta Quit Kickin' My Dog Aroun''   Skillet Lickers

Recorded 17 April 1926 in Atlanta   Matrix W142040   Issued on Columbia 15084-D

Music: Cy Perkins   Lyrics: Webb M. Oungst

With the Skillet Lickers now launched, Tanner then held a session with Norris aka Faith on April 20 of 1926 to yield 'S-A-V-E-D' / 'Where Did You Get That Hat' (Columbia 15097) and 'Goodbye Booze' (Columbia 15105). McMichen recorded under the pseudonym of Bob Nichols with Puckett on April 22 toward 'I'm Driftin Back to Dreamland' and 'My Carolina Home' on Columbia 15095. The Skillet Lickers and various combinations thereof held countless sessions into 1931.

'Dance All Night With a Bottle In Your Hand'   Skillet Lickers

Recorded 3 Nov 1926 in Atlanta   Matrix W142040   Issued on Columbia 15108-D

Issued as Jackson Pavey and his Corn Shuckers on Velvet Tone 2516-V

Composition: Traditional

'Dixie'   Skillet Lickers

Recorded 29 March 1927 in Atlanta   Matrix W143795   Issued on Columbia 15158-D

Composition: Uncertain   1859

This song had seen numerous recordings since as early as c 1895 by Issler's Orchestra

'The Girl I Left Behind Me'   Skillet Lickers

Recorded 29 March 1927 in Atlanta   Matrix W143797   Issued on Columbia 15170-D

Composition: Irish traditional

'Cotton-Eyed Joe'   Skillet Lickers

Recorded 10 April 1928 in Atlanta   Issued on Columbia 15283-D

Fiddle: Gid Tanner / Clayton McMichen / Lowe Stokes

Guitar: Riley Puckett   Banjo: Fate Norris

Composition: American traditional predating the Civil War

'Farmer's Daughter'   Clayton McMichen (fiddle) w Riley Puckett (guitar)

Recorded 26 Oct 1928 in Atlanta   Issued on Columbia 15686-D

Composition: Traditional

The Lickers disbanded in 1931 after titles like 'Miss McLoud's Reel' / 'Whistlin' Rufus' (Columbia 15730) in Atlanta on October 24. After the Lickers last session Pucket recorded a couple of unissued tracks with McMichen and Tanner in October of 1931. A session in between on the 29th resulted Puckett's solos: 'East Bound Train '/ 'Careless Love' (Columbia 15747) and 'Twenty-One Years' / 'All Bound Down in Prison' (Columbia 15719). CMR lists his first session afterward on the same date as the first Skillet Lickers reunion session in San Antonio on March 29, 1934.

Of numerous titles gone down that day (March 29) for the Skillet Lickers were such as 'Georgia Wagoner' (Bluebird 5433) and 'Hinky-Dinky-Dee' (Bluebird 5633). Of the seven tracks Puckett recorded that day for himself six were issued such as 'Careless Love' (Bluebird 5532) and 'Chain Gang Blues' (Bluebird 5818).

'Hawkins Rag'   Skillet Lickers w Ezra Ted Hawkins (mandolin)

Recorded 29 March 1934 at the Texas Hotel in San Antonio   Issued on Bluebird B-5435

Composition: Hawkins

The Skillet Lickers last recorded together on 30 March 1934 in San Antonio toward 'Prosperity and Politics' 1 & 2 (Bluebird 5446) and 'Practice Night with the Skillet Lickers' 1 & 2 (Bluebird 5559).

Tanner recorded no more after the reunion of 1934, though he remained active at such as fiddle competitions until his death on May 13, 1960, in Dacula, Georgia. His grandson, Phil, keeps the Skillet Licker name yet alive in Dacula with great-grandson Russ Tanner, et al. Their current reincarnation of the Lickers often backs Tanner's great grandson, fiddler and guitarist, Levi Lowrey
.

McMichen moved onward with his Georgia Wildcats upon the Licker's demise. He recorded extensively for several years with such as Slim Bryant, Kent Norton, Jerry Wallace and Carl Cotner until what CMR lists as last sessions in NYC on June 1, 1939. The second session was with Wallace at banjo and Bryant on guitar for five sets of three titles each. First up were 'Turkey in the Straw', 'Old Hen Cackle' and 'Fiddler's Dram' (Decca 2647). Set 6 wrought 'Devil's Dream', 'Rickett's Hornpipe' and 'Fisher's Hornpipe' (Decca 2649). Wikipedia has McMichen settling in Louisville, Kentucky, after that, performing until retirement in 1955. He played occasionally after retirement in 1955, such as at the Newport Folk Festival in 1964, until his death on January 4 of 1970 in Battletown, Kentucky. Among his compositions were 'My Carolina Home', 'Dear Old Dixie Land', 'Peach Pickin' Time in Georgia' and 'Georgiana Moon'.

'Soldier's Joy' / 'Arkansas Traveler' / 'Mississippi Sawyer'   Clayton McMichen (fiddle)

Recorded 1 June 1939 in NYC   Issued on Decca 2648

Guitar: Hoyt Slim Bryant   Banjo: Jerry Wallace

Puckett followed the Lickers with a distinguished career touring between the midwest and east coast, eventually to settle in Georgia. He recorded extensively to as late as October 2, 1941 toward such as 'Where the Shy Little Violets Grow' (Bluebird 8989), ''In a Little Garden' (Bluebird 33-0500) and, last in the set, 'Railroad Boomer' (Bluebird 8989).

'Railroad Boomer'   Clayton McMichen (fiddle)

Recorded 2 Oct 1941 in Atlanta   Issued on Bluebird B-8989

Composition: Carson Robison   1930

Puckett died a few years later on July 13, 1946, in East Point, Georgia.