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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  • plothead31

    R.I.P.

    last month

  • darkbrain59

    !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    September 2011

  • Echos_Myron

    I never realize how creepy old time music can be until I listen to Dock.

    July 2011

  • UnaXoto

    Nothing beats Dock!

    November 2010

  • LanFill

    hadn't listened to much banjo before.. interesting sounds

    November 2010

  • Haxlol

    This dude is bad ass.

    February 2010

  • oldhomehaibane

    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.

    September 2009

  • Smirnon

    pro stuff

    September 2009
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