Frank Proffitt
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| Frank Proffitt | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1913 Reese, North Carolina, USA |
| Origin | Beech Mountain, North Carolina |
| Died | November 1, 1965 (aged 52) |
| Genre(s) | Folk |
| Occupation(s) | songwriter |
| Instrument(s) | banjo, dulcimer |
| Years active | 1930s – 1960s |
| Label(s) | Smithsonian Folkways, Folk Legacy |
Frank Proffitt was an Appalachian old time Banjoist and performer at the 1963 Newport Folk Festival[1]. He was a key figure in inspiring musicians of the 1960s and 1970s to play the banjo. He recorded the ballad Tom Dooley for Alan Lomax on one of his song collecting trips.
Frank was born in the Reese area of North Carolina where he worked in a variety of jobs and lived on a farm with his wife and six children. He grew tobacco, worked as a carpenter and in a spark plug factory.[2]He was known for his carpentry skill, Proffitt's fretless banjos and dulcimers were homemade.[2]
In 1937 Frank Proffitt met Frank Warner. Warner was searching out a dulcimer builder, this began a 30 year friendship and song swapping. The Kingston Trio attributes their recording of Tom Dooley to a recording Frank Warner made of the ballad that he learned from Proffitt.
[edit] Discography
- Frank Proffitt of Reece, Folk Legacy[3]
- Frank Proffitt Memorial Album, Folk Legacy [4]
- Frank Proffitt Sings Folk Songs, Smithsonian Folkways Recordings[5]
[edit] External links
- Photo of a banjo signed by Frank Proffitt
[edit] References
- ^ Frank Profitt Bio Folk Legacy. Retrieved May 5, 2008
- ^ a b Folk Legacy, Frank Proffitt bio Folk Legacy, Retrieved May 5, 2008
- ^ Frank Proffitt of Reese, NC CD-1 :American Folk Music, Music CD, Traditional Folk Music, Folklore, Sea Shanties, Folk Hymns, Folk Song, Folk Ballads Folk Legacy
- ^ Frank Proffitt - Memorial Album :American Folk Music, Music CD, Traditional Folk Music, Folklore, Sea Shanties, Folk Hymns, Folk Song, Folk Ballads Folk Legacy
- ^ http://www.folkways.si.edu/search/AlbumDetails.aspx?ID=207 Frank Proffitt Sings Folk Songs], Smithsonian Folkways, FW02360 1962 Retrieved on May 6, 2008
