Dock Boggs

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Moran Lee “Dock” Boggs (February 7, 1898–February 7, 1971) was an influential old-time singer, songwriter and banjo player. His style of play, as well as his singing, is considered a unique combination of old-time Appalachian mountain music and the blues. Boggs is deemed by contemporary old-time musicians and performers as a seminal figure in old-time music, at least in part because of the appearance of two of his recordings from the 1920s, “Sugar Baby” and “Country Blues”, on the influential Anthology of American Folk Music collection.

Boggs was born in Norton, Virginia and began working in the coal mines of Appalachia at the age of twelve. At around this time, Boggs became interested in the banjo. As was the case of many musicians and performers of his era, Boggs learned to play the banjo watching and listening to family members and other performers, drawing additional influence from local African American musicians.

Boggs, while playing a traditional-style of play, did not play in the knock-down, sometimes called clawhammer or frailing style, instead employing a three-finger method that involved picking upwards on the strings of the banjo and permitted him to execute crisp single-note runs in a manner similar to that of a fingerstyle guitarist. Nevertheless, Boggs’ style should not be confused with the bluegrass style of playing otherwise known as Scruggs style, made famous by Earl Scruggs, which also involves up-picking the banjo strings.

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folk, country, banjo, blues, americana
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His Folkways Years (1963-1968) (disc 1)
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Dock Boggs: His Folkways Years 1963-1968
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Country Blues: Complete Early Recordings
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Country Blues
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Top Tracks

1	Sugar Baby	151
2	Country Blues full track	131
3	Down South Blues	77
4	Pretty Polly	65
5	New Prisoner's Song	36
6	Danville Girl	32
6	Hard Luck Blues	32
8	Old Rub Alcohol Blues full track	29
9	Lost Love Blues full track	24
10	Sammie, Where Have You Been So Long?	22
11	Prodigal Son	15
11	Will Sweethearts Know Each Other There?	15
13	My Old Horse Died	13
14	False Hearted Lover's Blues	12
15	Coal Creek March	11

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pncttdqlbrm wrote:
last month

@oldhomehaibane --> "In terms of sheer emotional power in this kind of music Boggs can only be matched by the "high lonesome sound" of Roscoe Holcomb." .....agreed.

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eshen87 wrote:
last month

yessss

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oldhomehaibane wrote:
September 2009

His version of Pretty Polly is still the best I've ever heard-it actually sends chills running down my spine every time I listen to it. Similarly, Boggs' 1927 Brunswick recordings are some of the best you'll ever hear in old-time music, though I don't care much for the songs he recorded for W.E. Myer's Lonesome Ace label. They always struck me as being quite weak and lacking the emotional punch of songs like Sugar Baby, Country Blues, Down South Blues, and Pretty Polly. In terms of sheer emotional power in this kind of music Boggs can only be matched by the "high lonesome sound" of Roscoe Holcomb.

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Smirnon wrote:
September 2009

pro stuff

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pudelua wrote:
July 2009

спасибо нравиться)))

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OGTL wrote:
June 2009

what a gangster

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benadlard wrote:
June 2009

Great Stuff

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BarahSachman wrote:
June 2009

country blues is sooo crucial

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Nustallgya wrote:
February 2009

got no honey baby now

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eben_harris wrote:
January 2009

incredible song

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LondonLouis wrote:
January 2009

It's a shame that only one of his recordings seems to be available as a full track on last.fm. He was a key figure in the development of the American folk tradition (says I - having just watched the BBC's History of American Folk (Part 1) last night.).

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mothwitch wrote:
October 2008

no sugar baby now

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wendell3 wrote:
September 2008

Dock Boggs is incredible.

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theapril-sea wrote:
July 2008

dock is The Man.great<33

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jcshepard wrote:
February 2008

Happy Birthday Dock Boggs.

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alotrop wrote:
September 2007

CFANIACK EXUSEMOI WHOARE YOU?

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Cfaniack wrote:
May 2007

Wonderful music...

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SexualMarxist wrote:
March 2007

YEAH!

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mucus_attack wrote:
May 2006

dock boggs is amazing!

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qalaska3 wrote:
May 2006

MY EARS!!!

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