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Frank of Toledo Origins: Philadelphia Lawyer (19) RE: Philadelphia Lawyer 25 Jul 99


This, from the notes of "This Land Is Your Land", The Ash Recordings, Vol. l, on Folkways CD
    ...." In the summer of 1937, Woody Guthrie and his cousin Jack Guthrie landed jobs on a radio show over KFVD, Hollywood, California. Jack left the show, and a mutual friend, "Lefty Lou" Crissman, became Woody's singing partner on the "Woody and Left Show." One day she showed Woody a newspaper article about a jealous cowboy shooting a "Philadelphia Lawyer" in Reno, Nevada (during Woody's time, the term meant a shyster or am ambulance chaser). Woody thought it was funny - a cowboy shooting a lawyer. Originally calling it "Reno Blues" he apparently set his words to the traditional American Ballad, "Jealous Lover(Florella)' (Laws F1). He included it in the song book WOODY AND LEFTY LOU'S FAVORITE COLLECTION OF OLDTIME HILL COUNTRY SONGS (Gardena, Ca: Spanish American Institute Press,circa 1937, P 8. Woody and Jack Guthrie sang it in bars, Rose Maddox learned it from their singing. She & her brothers entertained and recorded as "The Maddox Brothers and Rose", and "Philadelphia Lawyer" became a popular song when they recoroded it with Rose doing the vocal (Four Star 1289, 1949). I'm pulling out the guitar now and re-learning an old but great gem. Thanks for bringing the Philadelphia Lawyer back to me. Woody" recording of this date was done on 19 April l944 on Folkways "The Original Vision" Smithsonian Folkways SF 40001.


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