The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-02-27
FAMOUS BANJO PLAYERS.
OUR BESr MTNSTREL CHARdCTER
ACTORS, ON AND NV.

.
s,rore Love for the Bauio \ Performer Nv
ing with his Instrument Ciasprd to his
Brrn.t-t;rnnts Camp jester ihr Be-t
J,pripist In the world -Colorcd Performs
cr- other Minstrel characteristics
Tho one iustr1m, nj dear above all Others
20 the heart Of the negro is hi. banjo. lie may
like the rattle Of tn nlncs and the tambpufine,
but he love. the mu-i' Il the African harp
II lulls mis- rricfs and ignt ma his f. singsin
lender mpathy with his sadness. and his
lunefu laugh Of It's own H. happy accord With
his merric 4 moods. So he caresses IL, talks 1"
II, calls It pet names shield, It from uneehilc
hands aud h never happier than when, Win his
sar bent closely down to is strings he fancles
Ihnt It answers him back in it, own sweet
language II asked which Is the brightest grain
of all
Tho gold mt W DIV nature sits
Anon hie sands OF wrong.
he would PROBABLY rc-pDnl with heartfelt car
bestness. " Do banjo. san" It's relate that an
bid darky. when asked once by rcNiN''H'
Were YOU not happier when you were convert
I'd than ever before ur sincef' uhihiully re-
p,ied, Well s,h. Tsc afeari daf took mo-
comfort when fu.t larued TO DICK de banjo
Very naturally. then when white men under
took to delineafe negro cnar ictcr on the sage
The banjo was accorded the pi zee Of honor ana
Il NAV be- deemed an omen question II to that
humble but ENJOYABLE instrument Ia not due a
rerv great share 4 the popularit, 50 easily won
and well retained by negro min'tresy In tins
country. It, strong. round. genial notes touched
The public heart. rs the edeminate voices Of the
Kuitar, mandolin. z.th.r, ami other stringed in
strumcnts never could and respect was added
60 liking when musicians learned what a wealth
Of expression was hidd n beneath is simplicity.
The first burnt corkcd minstrel who was
famous for his bari, PLAYING WIS, according 10
the somewhat uncertain lights Of tradition. Joe
Bweeny, native II Louisville. XIV. contcm-
poraneous with DADDY Rice" Ola Dan En-
NETT, and Y ri Pierce. and Tom Briggs. and Tom
Vaughn, and Dave Lnll toarisned ABOUT TINT
time. possibly little later than joe but neither
OF thcm had his thorough o'nscentiousness In
she matter OF make 40 which undoub' edly en-
HANGED the popularity II his really superior
PLAYING Joe used T. bllck not only his face,
neck, hands aud arms. Dat his feet as we'll and
would come on the stage barefoot, carrying q
rude old SAW buck for -eat, the perfect per.
soni1cation OF a plantation uiggeT." llOst Of
his playing, though, was done IN a standing
famous chimes" wit wore Original with
him; Hts brother, Dan sween,, was also aHo"l
banjo player. but rather COuy Of Joe, VINO WAS
In many respects original
COMIC BANIoIsr.
Earl Pierce was the greatest comic banjo go
ioist Of his day, lie did not attempt T. rival
SpIl 49, $500, ~, M 60 =, '.il' Nv
dooden-doo." Oh timers VIII remember him
sTo,ipe nt ~ Dfoad'yav' WHERE Tom Vnn,gn1
succeeded him. Pierce went 20 gland IN 1897
- ~ lin ~ i'.r ~ ~, , ~ w. =. il va,
ue-uuodeu -d0r" wa Great suCres-.
-. -, - ', ~ ~ - ~ ',.,.,'s :. l
aspired to art .tic stylc Few wrir ne .nod and
i ,s' , ',' ~ "' "a "'' ,',c nialIi
Ebrisiy. Min. r,'l. :. '', l,, " .i1i,l..
I'D ttd a. a. A. . a. t. r...., N'N ."
ia ~ ~ ". va TH a., Oh" .t ,.-,...,,r
.tsr' a. IN ,tu-L Sea-. .i'l.,. -.,'t' ct, " - ,r
she n ~ -, .l,iisr ~, t,,a Va ,',,' j.,
ben ota al t,. ,r ,.',.,i T. ~. ,.,J 81, ="
Chatham Theatre IicNy $ not onl, % line banib
psriutmcr but an * client uiu-'o %. and 10
ms seu'u 'he m'l~u'l stale owes ~ any of IS
ulost ""lniH Mhh rouhus ana ntntr cont
eAIltl'r me pee ny " "l'h ne wal Re longest
Iril' nv ercu Is plA t' ohr OF ms insnifaii.us
,',,, "a, ~" s'ose =" Tue nisn'F 81 a
.eNf"uM Nhl sohS. bN'itit r. sun tlNe "hd
9lilshhs aiu IL az piesc ~ ia thicAeo.
49, ,'S 20 ~ vs. a'o'"e' go "id-uihe
Daul p' ~ wa. h-fI 10 o. AZ ut.IeN hite-
H -. rtlousIh', ""tI- 'ht Tat Ihe-'Ie now
~ 49, 1'''y' go .. n.
~ 49, .i'' AlN me- u"htd, Or - DAd
tt .r,'Y,' d. - amp pS.Aei pAl' as ne was n'pn-
ia'lN s."Nh lii u-'s O.. Pee. w. .,o ID NJ
p,-l.' .'' p"''S t'l,'t 'i".noh. even 'tt'Ie tue
qh,e iNOrte AZ m ~ street incatle
~ ~ u '', 40, as larry ~ l>t ne WA. himp-
49, J.. al ilu 7eH 90 't9 l"4 n's -" u"i,
snS'13us mum VI, IT,, uh!' VS. oi serve: 70 MN
ss,a u, ~, ~ ,.5''T We rau", O, 4, -
-. 80 ~. ~, 80 -, a. "a .al ~ ~ uuehce
49,. 80 - - ~, 49, -" - ~ eoiln
s ~ nv,V uts ~, tnnreMl.u' acCoru-
1 ~ liz uI 49, '' ''sarl'!s vch,v , Nv
49,. ~ ~ GU a - ID, we're t"EetueI III the
am NJ v'',A a. S,irnaJ IT, tf.uIe, .,At.
A. 80. ~, 1sI -, LEA 20 sv'ny nu'e III MS
~ 90, a. O.'s iei &c, !. ~, ~, VIII uoMh ~ Tue
ai.in - bs,,, % "a 80 ~ ,a.,ei eIt. IN 10
lin no ,yas on,-e IVA ~ ,i's spe',1
Seiioyr 90 ,b., his lnss 49, % ~, ,e, Sie
~ NE con- d. ~ ,b Tas seI,1us,S ielt outh
~ tne ,nhir pe,tar h i'.s.iet pro,Vssioh anu
bsvs ded a. 81 ~ 1s IA t la " snouiu
80 49, n,,e~,y 49,, lu"' "lu Ao'n augIn,
e vears 49, '' od , uu"l, ohll very
o., -, tbo -, IN ''u ~ went
sf.r lIs,t i IA, ~ ,at ,he As'ahu' anu
N' '''"'S ~ '"e'e'
ohlGINAL PLAYERS.
Harry DlOod-al other old-ttme banjo plavAr
Enough not dating so far hack "a LulI or Vnus,hn
Ia still on the stage, and al last accounts was
out ia incinnnti A some mar celeht.tad NJ
Orleans banJoist in eurlv DAYS was TIo,I, Cltnnnn
bur he Was iittl, known nero I'm Inc II az A.,
Le wit was much better known MOI nniv
thfo rh his banjo oil wing hui Inv me niIner,i5
comic negro &C which he ori2tnlt ted, among
az 1870 w II nU uIeu mrs, am hsh Jach'
nade,s " n,r,v xyhcu IT,, S, ~ IL SER
eamnour,na 49, - -, " ~, NV mus tus
NJ - nr,,y,,ia. ~. 80. -. ~. M iuNe
-, ~, Pon""a ~ 'il"i y, Comic pa'Jp