OBIT: John Hartford (1937-2001)

Subject: RE: John Hartford - Epilogue
From: GUEST,petr
Date: 06 Jun 01 - 08:55 PM

I only just met him at fiddle tunes 2 years ago and he gave a great workshop and phenomenal performance with his band. a sad loss.

Subject: RE: John Hartford - Epilogue
From: Rich(bodhránai gan ciall)
Date: 07 Jun 01 - 12:06 AM

A sad time for music, but I'm glad for him. He really was in bad shape. He played in Pittsburgh, a couple months ago. Or more correctly, his band played and he sang and drank cough drop tea. He couldn't use his left arm anymore to finger the fretboard. He looked absolutely miserable. He gave everything he had, and I believe he's in a much better place now.


I have in mind a song I've heard from the Dry Branch Fire Squad:


"But I can got to them"
Though tears my fill my eyes, I'm happy in my soul
I'm thinking of those friends who walk on streets of gold
Since Jesus called them home, Up there to live with him
I cannot bring them back
But I can go to them.

{chorus} Oh, so many precious friends and many loved ones too
Are waiting there for me somewhere beyond the blue
Since Jesus called them home, Up there to live with him,
I can not bring them back,
But I can go to them {end chorus}

So times I've come to weep, But I shall weep no more
They're living there with Him, on that celestial shore
They're truly satisfied up there where everything is good
I cannot bring them back.
I would not if I could

{repeat chorus} I would not if I could

Subject: RE: John Hartford - Epilogue
From: Luke
Date: 07 Jun 01 - 07:28 AM

Dear John,

I am writing here because this is where I learned of your death. You are a fine fellow. I wish I could have seen you one more time before this. I never saw you when you you were bad sick. I haven't been around those places where we used to meet. I remember you playing and singing great . You are a model member of an elite class of warm and rakish souls. You touched folks right on down to the dance. Good job!

Bob Lucas

Subject: RE: John Hartford - Epilogue
From: Tedham Porterhouse
Date: 07 Jun 01 - 02:20 PM

Mike Regenstreif did a lovely tribute to John Hartford this morning on Folk Roots/Folk Branches.

Subject: RE: John Hartford - Epilogue
From: rush
Date: 08 Jun 01 - 12:38 PM

Dear John, A truly wonderful lesson in music and life was given by the man we all eulogize , John Hartford . Enjoy your new life and share your soul with all your new found friends as you did with us.

Mike Strobel

Subject: RE: John Hartford - Epilogue
From: Fortunato
Date: 08 Jun 01 - 01:02 PM

With my wife and Tom Mindte, I sang Lorena last night with John on my mind. adios, Chance

Subject: RE: John Hartford - Epilogue
From: GUEST,belter
Date: 08 Jun 01 - 03:31 PM

There have been many who leave us with less music when they go, and often the songs we write to honor them fill the void. But what song could make up for lossing John Hartford?

Subject: RE: John Hartford - Epilogue
From: walkinman
Date: 09 Jun 01 - 12:00 PM

Dear John,

"Wish we had our time again, wish we had our time...."

wm

Subject: RE: OBIT: John Hartford - Epilogue-june 2001
From: open mike
Date: 24 Feb 05 - 02:56 AM

i was looking on www.johnhartford.com and found some info on
the fiddlers that he had collected some tunes from.
I was looking for info on some of the fiddlers he chronicalled
Namely J.P. Fraley http://www.boundforshadygrove.com/boundforshadygrove--fraley.htm
and Blind Ed Haley
http://www.johnhartford.com/fiddle/haley.htm
here is an article about an arcaelogical dig
that was sponsored by John to find the truth of the murder
of two fellows Haley and McCoy who were murdered by a mob.
McCoy was a member of the McCoy family who was famous for fueding
with the Hatfields. Haley was the father of the fiddler
http://www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian/issues00/mar00/phenom_mar00.html
John Hartford was a treasure! Thanks to him there is a lot of music which has been preserved for future fiddlers and listeners.

Subject: RE: OBIT: John Hartford - Epilogue
From: Willie-O
Date: 24 Feb 05 - 08:48 AM

Interesting but unsatisfying story. The part about the mob getting Haley to play some fiddle tunes for them before they killed him reminded me of a scene in "Cold Mountain", so I wondered if it could have been an inspiration for the book. Apparently not, I found this explanation from Charles Frazier of the historical roots of his novel: http://www.salon.com/july97/colddiary970709.html

I think it's safe to say that a characteristic of the culture that both stories describe is a fierce and frequently violent competition for access to the resources that provide mountaineers with a precarious livelihood.

W-O