Hi,

I think comparing AP to Bob might be accurate. Maybe I should qualify my statement. Obviusly AP wrote some songs but his role was more of a song gatherer.

AP didn't think "We need to record new songs so I think I'll write a few." it was more like "We need to record new songs so I think I'll find some new ones."

Although they had access to radio and recordings AP knew that the first person to record a song copyrighted that song. At that time recording artists got around the copyrights by simply changing the title or lyrics slightly. The Carters did this some. Another trick was changing your name; Vernon Dalhart and Carson Robison did this and even Ernest Stoneman.

AP IMHO usually took the high road, instead of stealing others songs he looked for songs that had not been recorded. If he found part of a song he (they ) would rework the song adding verses or completing them.

AP search for new songs preserved much of the musical heritage from Clinch mountain area and that region. Much of this preservation by AP and other was due to the commercial record industry. Big money was made from 1924-1929 when the great depression hit.

The Carters and Jimmie Rodgers were two of the groups that continued recording and selling records (though not as many) during the depression years, 1930 until the mid-1930s.

Richie