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348:", and in a self-penned leaflet handed out at concerts, he expanded on his biography with claims that he was the "World's Champion Cotton Picker and Pea Picker, World's Fastest Tobacco Crapper, World's Greatest Jaw Bone Player, World's Fastest Mule Skinner... THE WORLD'S WORSE BUSINESS MAN". After his death, record label owner Eric Isaacson said of Jay: "He had this whole image of himself as this ancient troubadour who was playing this forgotten kind of music, even though in reality most of the songs and styles were very unique to just him."
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and playing concerts of "bittersweet but heartfelt comic blues" from his "converted mobile home that opened up into a portable stage, complete with amplification and home furnishings". These concerts, as evidenced in his recordings, were often equal parts spoken word (crude humor, jokes,
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Reviewer Jon Dale has described his recordings as "one of the most individual takes on traditional song form to have risen from the 20th century". Releasing his recordings on his own label, Jay has also been described as a pioneer
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For many years, Jay released his music and monologues in editions of less than 500, through his own record label, Brandie
Records (so-named for his daughter). He released eight albums himself. In 2003
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magazine that year, drawing wider attention to Jay. Jay also, at various times, ran a restaurant and managed nightclubs. In later years he held a residency, playing shows and selling his
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naming it album of the month (Vol. 10 #11). In the following years of 2010 and 2011, Mississippi
Records released two more compilations of his work, the 1964–73 recordings of
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which features two versions of Abner's most notable song of the same name. These re-releases helped garner a degree of renewed interest in the artist, including
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187:. His grandfather was also a banjo player and imparted a vast repertoire of old-time and folk songs to Abner. Abner Jay began playing guitar and later banjo in
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tunes. He performed original material that was mostly secular, and subjects ranged from politics, relationships, drugs, war, the bible, the
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in White
Springs, Florida. In 1982, Jay was interviewed over seven hours by writer Jas Obrecht. The interview was published in
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Anton Spice, "The
Archivist: “We are obscure and bizarre people” – A rare interview with Eric Isaacson of Mississippi Records",
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released in 2011. Later in 2021 Mississippi
Records again released another compilation titled
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749:"Shout, Sister, Shout!: The Untold Story of Rock-and-Roll Trailblazer Sister Rosetta Tharpe"
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began their series of releasing compilations of his work on vinyl with the compilation
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band, Big Abner Jay. In the early 1960s, he tried to start a career as a singer on
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released on his own label, Brandie
Records, at Tom Flynn's Plantation Restaurant in
143:(July 15, 1921 – November 4, 1993) was an American multi-instrumentalist from
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208:. From around 1935, he performed as a one-man band. In his twenties, he survived
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151:. His idiosyncratic lyrics and style have led some to consider his work
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147:, best known for performing eccentric, blues infused folk music as a
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and depression. Common instruments on Jay's recordings include
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155:; he considered himself to be "the last working Southern black
283:. From 1974, he established himself as an attraction on the
518:"Depression"/"I'm So Depressed" (Mississippi Records, 2009)
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radio from 1946 to 1956. He spent many years traveling
863:"The Late Abner Jay at the Grassroots Festival 1993"
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on
November 16, 2009 – via Subliminal Sounds.
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231:" Dolly Lewis, a singer, evangelical preacher and
799:"Abner Jay - I Don't Have Time To Lie To You LP"
239:, and was briefly also the agent and manager of
340:(that Jay claimed was made in 1748), and the "
191:at the age of 5, and also performed for white
661:K. C. Wilson, "Abner Jay, Born Entertainer",
289:Stephen Foster Folk Culture Center State Park
224:toured with his band, the Jay Brothers band.
8:
598:Eagle, Bob L.; LeBlanc, Eric S. (May 2013).
453:The Backbone Of America Is A Mule And Cotton
312:Jay's song repertoire included field songs,
35:Abner Jay performing in 1978, with a child
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376:released a compilation of his work titled
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465:Sings And Plays Stephen Fosters Favorites
853:Stewart Lee, "Abner Jay: One Man Band",
751:. Beacon Press – via Google Books.
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256:philosophical asides, rants) and music.
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459:Live From Stephen Foster Center Kitchen
259:Jay also worked as a booking agent for
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504:"My Mule"/"Don't Mess With Me Baby" (
227:He became confidante and driver for "
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355:He died at a veterans' hospital in
928:20th-century American male singers
719:Campion, Chris (August 29, 2007).
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913:Singers from Georgia (U.S. state)
183:. His grandfather was a slave in
171:called Jay an "American Master".
873:from the original on 2021-12-21.
747:Wald, Gayle (January 15, 2007).
721:"Unsung Heroes No.1 – Abner Jay"
220:, The Sunlight Four, and during
908:People from Fitzgerald, Georgia
845:"The True Story of Abner Jay",
830:"Abner Jay : One Man Band"
575:I Don't Have Time To Lie To You
447:Swaunee Water And Cocaine Blues
392:and the two song 7 inch record
212:, resulting in his distinctive
199:, and in 1932 joined the rival
410:I Dont Have Time To Lie To You
1:
923:20th-century American singers
316:songs, Pentecostal hymns and
788:. Retrieved 3 September 2023
601:Blues: A Regional Experience
488:Hambone And Rattle The Bones
484:( Mississippi Records, 2011)
216:voice. He also sang with a
202:Silas Green from New Orleans
167:recording artist. Composer
918:American outsider musicians
577:(Mississippi Records, 2021)
571:(Mississippi Records, 2019)
565:(Mississippi Records, 2010)
243:. Jay went on to lead the
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663:The New Southern Fugitives
394:Depression/Im So Depressed
267:, and briefly led his own
185:Washington County, Georgia
773:. Retrieved 31 March 2019
667:. Retrieved 31 March 2019
642:. Retrieved 31 March 2019
604:. ABC-CLIO. p. 104.
336:, drum kit, a six-string
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685:"Great Lost Recordings"
627:Abner Jay: One Man Band
553:True Story Of Abner Jay
511:"Cleo"/"The Thresher" (
461:(Brandie Records, N.D.)
455:(Brandie Records, 1976)
449:(Brandie Records, 1976)
307:Stone Mountain, Georgia
195:owners. He joined the
898:American blues singers
803:Mississippitecords.net
638:March 3, 2016, at the
569:Man Walked on the Moon
406:Last Ole Ministrel Man
237:Southern United States
44:Background information
903:American folk singers
482:Last Ole Minstrel Man
427:Terrible Comedy Blues
404:released in 2010 and
241:Sister Rosetta Tharpe
197:Rabbit Foot Minstrels
834:Anthology Recordings
625:Jon Dale, Review of
492:Social Music Records
431:Poison Apple Records
359:, in 1993, aged 72.
857:, February 15, 2004
665:, February 14, 2018
557:Mississippi Records
437:True Story Of Dixie
386:Mississippi Records
181:Fitzgerald, Georgia
72:Fitzgerald, Georgia
869:. April 28, 2007.
633:, December 3, 2003
537:Compilation albums
521:"I Trust In God" (
469:Plantation Records
771:, August 13, 2013
769:The Vinyl Factory
611:978-0-313-34424-4
563:Folk Song Stylist
547:Subliminal Sounds
530:Wing Gate Records
490:(Brandie Records/
402:Folk Song Stylist
370:Subliminal Sounds
322:1969 Moon landing
141:Abner Wingate Jay
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54:Abner Wingate Jay
37:playing the bones
16:American musician
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840:on June 3, 2008.
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357:Augusta, Georgia
330:Southern culture
179:Jay was born in
118:Six-string Banjo
89:Augusta, Georgia
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82:November 4, 1993
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528:"I Wanna Job" (
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730:. Retrieved
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149:one man band
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84:(1993-11-04)
893:1993 deaths
888:1921 births
785:Discogs.com
783:Abner Jay,
732:January 26,
416:Discography
265:James Brown
165:independent
882:Categories
582:References
363:Recordings
229:Prophetess
193:plantation
65:1921-07-15
50:Birth name
855:The Times
847:BBC.co.uk
820:Abner Jay
334:harmonica
253:the South
206:tent show
175:Biography
126:Harmonica
23:Abner Jay
871:Archived
690:The Wire
636:Archived
382:Portland
346:minstrel
318:minstrel
287:and the
277:New York
273:Broadway
157:minstrel
867:YouTube
559:, 2009)
532:, N.D.)
525:, N.D.)
515:, 1963)
508:, 1961)
499:Singles
494:, 2012)
471:, N.D.)
443:, 1974)
433:, 1968)
281:Atlanta
235:in the
145:Georgia
631:Dusted
608:
421:Albums
374:Sweden
233:healer
122:Guitar
114:Vocals
96:Genres
91:, U.S.
549:2003)
372:from
342:bones
338:banjo
249:Macon
130:Drums
104:blues
734:2018
606:ISBN
301:and
263:and
245:WMAZ
214:bass
100:Folk
79:Died
59:Born
822:at
476:EPs
299:LPs
275:in
159:".
884::
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757:^
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Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
