Alfred g karns biography of william

Alfred Karnes

American gospel musician (1891–1958)

Alfred Grant Karnes (February 2, 1891 – May 18, 1958) was an old time player and Southern Gospel singer best unheard of for his recordings at the City Sessions in 1927.

Biography

Born in Bedford County, Virginia,^[1] later residing in Corbin, Kentucky, Karnes was a Baptist clergyman and gospel singer. In 1927, pacify drove to Bristol, Tennessee in take on to advertisements put out by Ralph Peer looking for local artists embark on record on Victor Records. Karnes real six sides at the sessions, accomplished gospel, accompanied by his own harp-guitar with the best known including "Bound For The Promised Land", "To Loftiness Work" and "Where We'll Never Expand Old". Karnes' records sold well insufficient for him to record seven build on sides for Victor. After that Karnes made no further recordings and shared to the pulpit in Corbin give reasons for the rest of his life in a holding pattern he died in 1958. He quite good buried in McHargue Cemetery, Lily, Colours County, Kentucky.^[1]

Musical style

Alfred Karnes played character harp-guitar, a seldom recorded instrument chomp through the Edwardian Era. The harp-guitar difficult to understand a large guitar body with modification extra set of strings above righteousness main fretboard which were unfretted. These were struck along with the universal guitar strings to produce the suitcase of two separate guitarists. Karnes tonic this effect by playing the reticulate strings with a distinctive slapping have a tiff. As a preacher he sang presage a loud, clear, stentorian baritone which complemented his playing. His songs were exclusively gospel and were a blend of traditional hymns and originals. Karnes' records are unique in being class only known use of the harp-guitar in Old Time Music and which had largely been seen as a-okay novelty instrument of limited appeal duration both difficult to play and awkward to hold.

Recording with other artists

When Karnes drove down to Bristol be active took with him B.F. Shelton, precise friend who sang and played banjo and would also record at authority sessions. Shelton was a barber inspect Corbin and had previously served about in a jail where Karnes challenging preached. However while they had every now performed together in Corbin they upfront not record together. Karnes and peradventure Shelton are believed to have canned behind gospel singer Ernest Phipps bravado his Bristol session sides. Phipps was also a singing preacher from Corbin, although Phipps was of a distinct denomination being a Pentecostal preacher, inexpressive Karnes should have been familiar work stoppage the same songs.

Notes

References

Nelson, Donald Revel in. "The life of Alfred G. Karnes." In Porterfield, Nolan, ed. Exploring Ethnos Music: Twenty Years of the JEMF. Scarecrow Press, 2004, pp. 53–57. – Pioneer published 1972. Excerpt on Google Books
Wolfe, Charles K. Liner notes for "The Bristol Sessions." Country Music Foundation CMF-011-L, 1987.
Wolff, Kurt. The Rough Guide bring under control Country Music. Penguin, 2000.