Anthology of American Folk Music
Volume 1: Ballads, Track 13

OMIE WISE
G.B. Grayson

Recorded Atlanta, GA: October 18, 1927
G.B. Grayson, vocal and fiddle
Originally released on Victor 21625

(alternate titles: Little Omie Wise; Ommie Wise; Poor Omie Wise; Poor Naomi Wise)


Gilliam Banmon Grayson (1888-1930) was a blind fiddler from Laurel Bloomery, a small East Tennessee town on the North Carolina border. A childhood eye injury influenced Grayson's decision to become a musician. While this recording features Grayson as a solo artist, most of his significant recordings were completed with his partner Henry Whitter (1892-1941). Whitter was one of the first country musicians to play guitar with a harmonica rack around his neck, an image that later came to be identified with performers such as Woody Guthrie and Bob Dylan.

Grayson and Whitter's recordings were big sellers for the Victor Talking Machine Company.  Some of these songs have now become standards such as  "The Banks of the Ohio," "Train 45," and "Handsome Molly." In 1930, the duo was the first group to record "Tom Dooley," the well-known North Carolina murder ballad popularized in the 1950s by the Kingston Trio. Interestingly, the Sheriff Grayson who arrests Tom Dooley in the song was G.B. Grayson's real life grand- uncle.

In 1930 in Abingdon, Virginia, Grayson got into an accident while riding on the running board of a car.  The resulting injuries led to his death shortly after (Charles Wolfe, Old Time Herald (Spr. 1993).
 

FOR ADDITIONAL RECORDINGS BY GRAYSON:
See Going Down Lee Highway, the 1927-29 Recordings (DU 33033a); The Recordings of Grayson and Whitter (CTY 513a); Early Classics (OH 157a); and the collections Collection of Mountain Ballads (CTY 502a); Collection of Mountain Fiddle Music (CTY 503a); Old Time Ballads from the Southern Mountains (CTY 522a); A Fiddler's Convention in Mountain City, Tennessee (CTY 525a); Old Time Ballads (CTY 3505c); Traditional Country Classics, 1927-1929 (HIS 8003a) ; Old Time Southern Dance Music: The String Bands (OT 100a); Old Time Southern Dance Music: Ballads and Songs (OT 102a); and The Railroad in Folk Song (RCA 532a).

FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON GRAYSON:
See The Old Time Herald (Spring 1993).

OTHER RECORDED VERSIONS INCLUDE:
Traditional American Folk: as Omie Wise: Addie Graham (JA 0020a); Uncle Charlie Osborne (JA 0049a); Frank Proffitt, Jr. (Cloudlands 008d); Lillian Short (LC AFSL12a); Betty Smith (FL 53a); Doug and Jack Wallin (SFW CD 40013c); Doc Watson (SGH 3800c),VG 45/46c, VG 155/8c, VG 79152c); The Watson Family (TPC 12TS336a, VG 77001c); as Little Omie: Maggie Hammons Parker (LC AFSL65a).

Folksong revival: as Omie Wise: Atwater and Donnelly (Beacon 10133c); Paul Clayton (SFW CD 2310c, RVR 12615a); Ed McCurdy (RVR 12-601a); John McCutcheon (JA 003a); as Naomi Wise: The Blazers (ABC-Paramount 310a); Cynthia Gooding (ELK 107a).

Country/String Band: as Omie Wise: The Coon Creek Girls (OH 142a); Roscoe Holcomb (SFW CD 2368c); The Iron Mountain String Band (SFW CD 2473c); Obray Ramsey (PRS 13020a); Morgan Sexton (JA 0055c); as Little Omie Wise: Dock Boggs (SFW CD 3903c); as Naomi Wise: Vernon Dalhart (COL 15053b, VIC 19867b, OH 167a); Morgan Denman (OK 45075b); The Red Fox Chasers (CTY 510a); as Poor Naomi Wise: Aunt Idy Harper and the Coon Creek Girls (COL 47911c); as Poor Omie Wise: Clarence Ashley (SFW CD  40029c).

Bluegrass: as Omie Wise: Bill Evans (RND 0295c); David Grisman (Cymekob 803c); Michael Melford (FF 023a).

Rock: as Omie Wise: The Beacon Hillbillies (ESD 80882c).

British: as Omie Wise: Shirley Collins (See for Miles 212a); Pentangle (REP 6463a, SH 79066c).