A Fan Page for John Hartford
This is one of my lenses dedicated to John! I really really did have a crush on John, and got to tell him so in person once!
If you haven't yet discovered John Hartford, I hope you will get to know him through this lens and learn to love his music the way I do.
John Hartford won Grammy awards in three different decades, recorded a catalog of more than 30 albums, and wrote one of the most popular songs of all time, Gentle On My Mind. He was a regular guest and contributor on the Glen Campbell Good Time Hour and the Smothers Brothers Show. He added music and narration to Ken Burns' landmark Civil War series, and was an integral part of the hugely popular "O Brother, Where Art Thou?" soundtrack and Down From The Mountain concert tour. But that hardly explains John Hartford.
~~johnhartford.com
If you haven't yet discovered John Hartford, I hope you will get to know him through this lens and learn to love his music the way I do.
John Hartford won Grammy awards in three different decades, recorded a catalog of more than 30 albums, and wrote one of the most popular songs of all time, Gentle On My Mind. He was a regular guest and contributor on the Glen Campbell Good Time Hour and the Smothers Brothers Show. He added music and narration to Ken Burns' landmark Civil War series, and was an integral part of the hugely popular "O Brother, Where Art Thou?" soundtrack and Down From The Mountain concert tour. But that hardly explains John Hartford.
~~johnhartford.com
Did You Ever See John Perform Live?
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John Hartford's Aereo-plain
John Hartford became mentor and mystic for a generation of pickers, singers, and songwriters. His landmark record, Aereo-plain (1971) documented his work with Vassar Clements, Norman Blake, and Tut Taylor. Rooted firmly in tradition but sprouting at the top with hippie hair, the group's instrumental mastery and free-wheeling style bridged a musical gap between traditional bluegrass and a progressive new audience, making every song a cult favorite and every live performance the thing of legend. According to Sam Bush, "Without Aereo-plain, there would be no 'newgrass' music.
~~johnhartford.com
~~johnhartford.com
curated content from YouTube
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Important!
"John Hartford was one of the rarest of musical birds. He had one foot deeply rooted in the past and the other always at least a few steps into the future- and both were dancing."
Larry Groce, Mountain Stage
Larry Groce, Mountain Stage
John Hartford Videos
At an early age, John fell in love with two things: music and the Mississippi River.
My Other John Hartford Lenses
John Hartford was an American original. He was a musician, songwriter, steamboat pilot, author, artist, disc jockey, calligrapher, dancer, folklorist, father, and historian.
A Little Banjo Pickin'
Important!
Hartford was a multi-talented old-time musician, a riverboat captain, a satirical songwriter, a one-man showman of exceptional talents, and one of the founders of both progressive country music and old-time string music revivalism.
~~James Manheim
~~James Manheim
The Mississippi: River of Song PBS.org
John Hartford's Mark Twang
Hartford's fascination with the Mississippi River led him to become a riverboat crew member and then pilot, an alternative trade that he plied for a number of years and which inspired many of his songs. He also acted as curator of an impressive collection of riverboat memorabilia.
At times John performed on a riverboat after piloting it the same day.
In 1976, John won another Grammy award for his contemporary folk masterpiece, Mark Twang. The album featured a set of quirky river-centric original songs, presented in stripped down arrangements, typically featuring only Hartford accompanying himself on banjo, fiddle, or guitar while tapping his feet on an amplified sheet of plywood. The combination was magical, and would become his trademark sound for many years as a solo act.
~~johnhartford.com
This album is 50% riverboat folk music and 50% humor/novelty tunes. "The Lowest Pair" is sure to offend some, but it has one of my favorite John Hartford lines: "Give us today hors d'oevres in bed..." And it's a great example of Hartford's infectious sense of humor, which is present throughout all of his work. The Julia Belle Swain (pictured below) is the riverboat that Hartford captained in the 1970s.
~~settingthewoodsonfire.com
At times John performed on a riverboat after piloting it the same day.
In 1976, John won another Grammy award for his contemporary folk masterpiece, Mark Twang. The album featured a set of quirky river-centric original songs, presented in stripped down arrangements, typically featuring only Hartford accompanying himself on banjo, fiddle, or guitar while tapping his feet on an amplified sheet of plywood. The combination was magical, and would become his trademark sound for many years as a solo act.
~~johnhartford.com
This album is 50% riverboat folk music and 50% humor/novelty tunes. "The Lowest Pair" is sure to offend some, but it has one of my favorite John Hartford lines: "Give us today hors d'oevres in bed..." And it's a great example of Hartford's infectious sense of humor, which is present throughout all of his work. The Julia Belle Swain (pictured below) is the riverboat that Hartford captained in the 1970s.
~~settingthewoodsonfire.com
curated content from YouTube
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Gum Tree Canoe
Even in John Hartford's impressive discography, Gum Tree Canoe is a gem: a collection of some of Hartford's most endearing performances backed by an all-star crew of acclaimed instrumentalists. Incisive originals and distinct interpretations of others' songs both resonate with Hartford's rich musical imagination, off-kilter sense of humor, and unending warmth and humanity. Featured performers include Sam Bush, Jerry Douglas, Marty Stuart, and Mark O'Connor. Long unavailable, Gum Tree Canoe appears here on CD for the first time, with the addition of two unreleased bonus tracks. -Brad San Martin
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Grammy Award 2001
In 2001, he was awarded a Grammy award for his contribution to the soundtrack of "O Brother Where Art Thou".
His bittersweet appearance on the subsequent "Down From The Mountain" tour was immortalized in the concert film.
His bittersweet appearance on the subsequent "Down From The Mountain" tour was immortalized in the concert film.
Grammy Awards 1967 Gental On MY MInd
This is the song that made John Hartford's career (and paid his bills for years). Glen Campbell's version was a hit in the late 1960's. It's a simple classic that still sounds fresh today.
In 1967 his second RCA release "Earthwords & Music" featured the single "Gentle on My Mind", a song Hartford wrote after seeing the movie Dr. Zhivago. That year, the song earned four Grammy awards. Hartford would take home two awards, one as the writer and one for his own recording of the song. The other two went to Glen Campbell who had heard Hartford's version on the radio and decided to record it. Campbell's rendition became an instant classic, and the song became one of the most recorded and performed songs of all time, covered by everyone from Elvis Presley to Aretha Franklin.
Hartford often said that Gentle On My Mind bought his freedom.
He used that freedom to explore his various creative curiosities, and was usually happy to take his friends along on the trip.
~~johnhartford.com
John Hartford remains best known for the country-pop standard "Gentle on My Mind," a major hit for Glen Campbell and subsequently covered by vocalists ranging from Frank Sinatra to Aretha Franklin. The song remains among the most often recorded in the history of popular music, its copyright netting Hartford well over a hundred thousand dollars annually for many years.
~~James Manheim
In 1967 his second RCA release "Earthwords & Music" featured the single "Gentle on My Mind", a song Hartford wrote after seeing the movie Dr. Zhivago. That year, the song earned four Grammy awards. Hartford would take home two awards, one as the writer and one for his own recording of the song. The other two went to Glen Campbell who had heard Hartford's version on the radio and decided to record it. Campbell's rendition became an instant classic, and the song became one of the most recorded and performed songs of all time, covered by everyone from Elvis Presley to Aretha Franklin.
Hartford often said that Gentle On My Mind bought his freedom.
He used that freedom to explore his various creative curiosities, and was usually happy to take his friends along on the trip.
~~johnhartford.com
John Hartford remains best known for the country-pop standard "Gentle on My Mind," a major hit for Glen Campbell and subsequently covered by vocalists ranging from Frank Sinatra to Aretha Franklin. The song remains among the most often recorded in the history of popular music, its copyright netting Hartford well over a hundred thousand dollars annually for many years.
~~James Manheim
John's Own Kind of Tap Dance
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More Info
- allmusic John Hartford
- allmusic, music reviews, new releases, artists biography
- St. Louis Walk of Fame - John Hartford
- ST. LOUIS WALK OF FAME JOHN HARTFORD
- 3rd Ear Music Forum - RIP - RSA & USA Musicians Pass away
- 3rd Ear Music's,Hidden Years Archive Project -
RIP - JOHN HARTFORD
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