Richard "Dick" Justice (1906-ca.1950s) was from Logan County, West Virginia. Logan County is located in the southwestern part of the West Virginia near the Kentucky and Virginia borders. Justice was influenced by many of the blues records he heard during the 1920s (Old Time Music no. 11, pg. 23) and was also known to play with local black musicians near his home. The ten recordings he made for Brunswick Records in 1929 were composed of a mixture of Anglo-American ballads and African-American blues. His recordings are just as likely to turn up on blues anthologies as folk ones. Justice's style and background are similar to his neighbor Frank Hutchison (Track 19), with whom he played on occasion. Justice spent most of his life working as a coal miner and died sometime in the 1950s.
Folk music scholar Francis James Child cataloged 305 Anglo and Anglo-American ballads connecting associated ballads with a number. They were published in his classic anthology The English and Scottish Popular Ballads in 1896. For many years thereafter, Child's ballad numbers were frequently included on recordings along with the title. Smith's notes reflect this convention. Because "Henry Lee" (Child #68) had the lowest Child number of those included the anthology, Harry Smith decided to make it the first track. (Harry Smith interviewed by John Cohen, Sing Out!, Vol. 16 #4, 1966).
ADDITIONAL RECORDINGS BY JUSTICE:
A Collection of Mountain Blues (CTY 511a); Home in West Virginia (OH 177a); Crumb (Rykodisc 10322c); and Mister Charlie's Blues (YZ 1024c).
FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT JUSTICE:
See Old Time Music No. 11 (1973).
OTHER RECORDED VERSIONS OF THIS BALLAD INCLUDE:
Folksong Revival: as Henry Lee: Peggy Seeger (PRS 13005a); The Seeger Sisters (PRS 13029a); as Young Hunting: Betty Williams Vaiden (VG 9028a); as Lady Margot and Love Henry: John Jacob Niles (TRD 1046a); as Love Henry: Bob Dylan (COL 57590c); Pete Seeger (ELK 151a); Bill Shute and Lisa Null (GL 1006a).
Country/String Band: as Lowe Bonnie: Darby and Tarlton (CTY 3503c); Jimmie Tarlton (TST 3302a); Jimmie Driftwood (Rackensack 279a).
Bluegrass: as Henry Lee: Dave Evans and River Bend (REB 1616d); as Young Hunting: Earl Taylor and the Stony Mountain Boys (RR 242a).
Rock: as Henry Lee: PJ Harvey, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds (REP 46195c).
British: as Young Hunting: Ewan MacColl and Peggy Seeger (BLK 82a).
