Charles Henry "Casey" Anderson (October 5, 1934 – November 11, 1989) was an American

blues Blues is a music genre and musical form which originated in the Deep South of the United States around the 1860s. Blues incorporated spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts, chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads from the Afr ...

and

folk Folk or Folks may refer to: Sociology *Nation *People * Folklore ** Folk art ** Folk dance ** Folk hero ** Folk music *** Folk metal *** Folk punk *** Folk rock ** Folk religion * Folk taxonomy Arts, entertainment, and media * Folk Plus or Fol ...

singer, songwriter and guitarist. From 1959 to 1976, he recorded ten albums and some fifteen

singles Singles are people not in a committed relationship. Singles may also refer to: Film and television * ''Singles'' (miniseries), a 1984 Australian television series * ''Singles'' (1992 film), written and directed by Cameron Crowe * ''Singles'' ...

on various labels, most notably Elektra and

Atco Atco or ATCO may refer to: Businesses * ATCO, a Canadian diversified company involved in manufacturing, utilities, energy and technologies ** ATCO Electric, a subsidiary of the above company * Atco (British mower company), a mower manufacturing com ...

Life and career

Anderson was born in Chicago, but grew up in

Okmulgee, Oklahoma Okmulgee is a city in, and the county seat of, Okmulgee County, Oklahoma. The name is from the Mvskoke word ''okimulgee,'' which means "boiling waters".Bamburg, Maxine"Okmulgee,"''Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture''. Accessed June 16 ...

, where both his parents were college teachers. He was aged 5 at the time of the

1940 US Census The United States census of 1940, conducted by the Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States to be 132,164,569, an increase of 7.3 percent over the 1930 population of 122,775,046 people. The census date of record wa ...

. In 1945, the family moved to

Montgomery, Alabama Montgomery is the capital city of the U.S. state of Alabama and the county seat of Montgomery County. Named for the Irish soldier Richard Montgomery, it stands beside the Alabama River, on the coastal Plain of the Gulf of Mexico. In the 202 ...

, when his parents started working at

Alabama State College Alabama State University (ASU) is a public historically black university in Montgomery, Alabama. Founded in 1867, ASU is a member-school of the Thurgood Marshall College Fund. History Alabama State University was founded in 1867 as the Lin ...

. He grew up listening to folk and

country music Country (also called country and western) is a genre of popular music that originated in the Southern and Southwestern United States in the early 1920s. It primarily derives from blues, church music such as Southern gospel and spirituals, ...

, but did not start performing until he attended Maryland State College, where he sang, wrote songs, and played guitar in small

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a major ...

groups. Following his graduation with a degree in History and Sociology, he returned to Alabama to work as a high school teacher, while maintaining a singing career by performing in

nightclub A nightclub (music club, discothèque, disco club, or simply club) is an entertainment venue during nighttime comprising a dance floor, lightshow, and a stage for live music or a disc jockey (DJ) who plays recorded music. Nightclubs gener ...

s and local shows.Liner notes for ''Goin' Places''
Wirz.de After being drafted into the Army and serving in

Korea Korea ( ko, 한국, or , ) is a peninsular region in East Asia. Since 1945, it has been divided at or near the 38th parallel, with North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) comprising its northern half and South Korea (Republic o ...

, he gave up teaching and moved to New York City to work as a musician. He placed an emphasis on versatility and variety, writing many of his own songs and performing on a range of instruments – it was said of him in 1970 that he had written over 300 songs, as well as books, and played 14 instruments in styles that included country, blues, jazz, and pop. His first recordings were released as the 1959 album ''Casey Sings Out'', on the Urania label, which was recorded with a small group comprising

Art Ryerson Arthur Ryerson (May 22, 1913 – October 27, 2004) was a jazz guitarist who emerged in the 1930s, playing acoustic and electric guitar, as well as the banjo. He played with jazz orchestras and bands in the 1930s and the 1940s. In the early 19 ...

(guitar and

banjo The banjo is a stringed instrument with a thin membrane stretched over a frame or cavity to form a resonator. The membrane is typically circular, and usually made of plastic, or occasionally animal skin. Early forms of the instrument were fashi ...

), Sandy Block (bass), and drummers Phil Krauss and Bunny Shawker. He moved to

Elektra Records Elektra Records (or Elektra Entertainment) is an American record label owned by Warner Music Group, founded in 1950 by Jac Holzman and Paul Rickolt. It played an important role in the development of contemporary folk and rock music between the 1 ...

, which released the album ''Goin' Places'' in 1960, and recorded a one-off single on the Sutton label, "Freedom Rider", in 1961. He then moved to

Atco Records ATCO Records is an American record label founded in 1955. It is owned by Warner Music Group and operates as an imprint of Atlantic Records. After several decades of dormancy and infrequent activity under alternating Warner Music labels, the comp ...

. His first album for Atco, ''The Bag I'm In'' (1962), was recorded by

Tom Dowd Thomas John Dowd (October 20, 1925 – October 27, 2002) was an American recording engineer and producer for Atlantic Records. He was credited with innovating the multitrack recording method. Dowd worked on a veritable "who's who" of recordings ...

and supervised by

Nesuhi Ertegun Nesuhi Ertegun ( Turkish spelling: Nesuhi Ertegün; November 26, 1917 – July 15, 1989) was a Turkish-American record producer and executive of Atlantic Records and WEA International. Early life Born in Istanbul in the Ottoman Empire, Nesuhi ...

, and featured musicians Carl Lynch and

Bruce Langhorne Bruce Langhorne (May 11, 1938 – April 14, 2017) was an American folk musician. He was active in the Greenwich Village folk scene in the 1960s, primarily as a session guitarist for folk albums and performances. Biography Early life Langhorn ...

(guitars),

Bob Bushnell Robert C. Bushnell (1926 – January 31, 2016) was an American bass player and guitarist who has appeared on dozens of albums and singles as a studio musician, including Bobby Lewis's hit " Tossin' and Turnin'" (1961), " My Boyfriend's Back" ...

(bass), and

Panama Francis David Albert "Panama" Francis (December 21, 1918 – November 13, 2001) was an American swing jazz drummer who played on numerous hit recordings in the 1950s. Early life Francis was born in Miami, Florida, on December 21, 1918. His father was ...

(drums). Though the title song was written by

Fred Neil Fred Neil (March 16, 1936 – July 7, 2001) was an American folk singer-songwriter active in the 1960s and early 1970s. He did not achieve commercial success as a performer and is mainly known through other people's recordings of his material&n ...

, most of the other songs were traditional. Anderson also performed in prestigious nightclubs and on networked TV shows, as well as recording interviews and performances with both

Cynthia Gooding Cynthia Gooding (August 12, 1924 – February 10, 1988) was an American folk singer who recorded traditional songs from various countries for Elektra Records in the 1950s and 1960s. Judy Collins wrote that she had been "inspired" by her. Life ...

and

Oscar Brand Oscar Brand (February 7, 1920 – September 30, 2016) was a Canadian-born American folk singer-songwriter, radio host, and author. In his career, spanning 70 years, he composed at least 300 songs and released nearly 100 albums, among them Can ...

.Gary Kramer, liner notes for ''The Bag I'm In''
Wirz.de In 1964, he released the album ''More Pretty Girls Than One'', recorded with a group, The Realists, comprising Anne Stern, Gene Mitchell and

Felix Pappalardi Felix A. Pappalardi Jr. (December 30, 1939 – April 17, 1983) was an American music producer, songwriter, vocalist, and bassist. He is best known as the bassist and co-lead vocalist of the band Mountain, whose song "Mississippi Queen" peaked at ...

. He recorded a live show in

Pasadena, California Pasadena ( ) is a city in Los Angeles County, California, northeast of downtown Los Angeles. It is the most populous city and the primary cultural center of the San Gabriel Valley. Old Pasadena is the city's original commercial district. I ...

, released in 1965 as ''"Live" at the Ice House'', and the same year issued his final Atco album, ''Blues Is A Woman Gone'', again recorded with Lynch, Bushnell and Francis. The album features a cover photograph of

Nico Naftiran Intertrade Company Société à responsabilité limitée#In Switzerland, limited (NICO) is a Switzerland, Swiss-based subsidiary of the National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC). NICO is a general contractor for the oil and gas industry. NIOC bu ...

(Christa Päffgen), who at the time was working uncredited as a model. Atco also released several singles by Anderson, but none were commercially successful. However, his 1959 album ''Casey Sings Out'' was reissued in 1965 as ''Casey Anderson Sings Folk Songs'' on the Forum Circle label. After leaving Atco, he recorded the album ''The Kind Of Man I Am'', produced by Ed Hansen for Gold Star Productions in Hollywood and released by the small Super Star label. He also released two singles for the

Reprise In music, a reprise ( , ; from the verb 'to resume') is the repetition or reiteration of the opening material later in a composition as occurs in the recapitulation of sonata form, though—originally in the 18th century—was simply any repea ...

label, both produced by

Glen D. Hardin Glen Dee Hardin (born April 18, 1939) is an American piano player and arranger. He has performed and recorded with such artists as Roy Orbison, Elvis Presley, Emmylou Harris, John Denver, and Ricky Nelson. Career Hardin was born in Welling ...

, and then two for the

Amos Amos or AMOS may refer to: Arts and entertainment * Amos Records, an independent record label established in Los Angeles, California, in 1968 * Amos (band), an American Christian rock band * ''Amos'' (album), an album by Michael Ray * ''Amos' ...

label, including a version of

Bob Dylan Bob Dylan (legally Robert Dylan, born Robert Allen Zimmerman, May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. Often regarded as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Dylan has been a major figure in popular culture during a career sp ...

's "

I'll Be Your Baby Tonight "I'll Be Your Baby Tonight" is a 1967 song by Bob Dylan first released on ''John Wesley Harding''. It features Pete Drake on pedal steel guitar, and two other Nashville musicians, Charlie McCoy on bass guitar and Kenneth Buttrey on drums, both of ...

" in 1970. Anderson continued to perform in clubs and on campuses around the country. In 1974, he released the album ''Good Old Boys'' as a tribute to country music stars including

Hank Williams Hank Williams (born Hiram Williams; September 17, 1923 – January 1, 1953) was an American singer, songwriter, and musician. Regarded as one of the most significant and influential American singers and songwriters of the 20th century, he reco ...

Jim Reeves James Travis Reeves (August 20, 1923July 31, 1964) was an American country and popular music singer-songwriter. With records charting from the 1950s to the 1980s, he became well known as a practitioner of the Nashville Sound. Known as "Gentleman ...

Patsy Cline Patsy is a given name often used as a diminutive of the feminine given name Patricia or sometimes the masculine name Patrick, or occasionally other names containing the syllable "Pat" (such as Cleopatra, Patience, Patrice, or Patricia). Among I ...

and

Johnny Horton John LaGale Horton (April 30, 1925 – November 5, 1960) was an American singer-songwriter and musician. Initially performing traditional country, Horton later performed rockabilly songs. He is best known for a series of history-inspired narrat ...

. The album was aimed at radio station plays. Liner notes, ''Good Old Boys''
Wirz.de It was again produced in Hollywood, as was Anderson's final album, ''Passing Time'', released on the

Chelsea Chelsea or Chelsey may refer to: Places Australia * Chelsea, Victoria Canada * Chelsea, Nova Scotia * Chelsea, Quebec United Kingdom * Chelsea, London, an area of London, bounded to the south by the River Thames ** Chelsea (UK Parliament consti ...

label in 1976 and at least partly comprising earlier recordings. Anderson died in November 1989, in Denver, Colorado , after having a leg

amputate Amputation is the removal of a limb by trauma, medical illness, or surgery. As a surgical measure, it is used to control pain or a disease process in the affected limb, such as malignancy or gangrene. In some cases, it is carried out on indi ...

d as a result of severe

diabetes Diabetes, also known as diabetes mellitus, is a group of metabolic disorders characterized by a high blood sugar level ( hyperglycemia) over a prolonged period of time. Symptoms often include frequent urination, increased thirst and increased ap ...

Discography

Albums

* ''Casey Sings Out'' (Urania, 1959) ** reissued as ''Casey Anderson Sings Folk Songs'' (Forum Circle, 1965) * ''Goin' Places'' (Elektra, 1960) * ''The Bag I'm In'' (Atco, 1962) * ''More Pretty Girls Than One'' (Atco, 1964) * ''"Live" at the Ice House'' (Atco, 1965) * ''Blues Is A Woman Gone'' (Atco, 1965) * ''The Kind Of Man I Am'' (Super Star, 1965) * ''Good Old Boys'' (Edge, 1974) * ''Passing Time'' (Chelsea, 1976)

Singles

* "Freedom Rider" / "Grim Reaper" (Sutton, 1961) * "Old Jay Gould" / "Easy Rider" (Atco, 1963) * "Sweet Sidney" / "Easy Rider" (Atco, 1963) * "This Little Light of Mine" / "Green Rocky Road" (Atco, 1963) * "More Pretty Girls Than One" / "San Francisco Bay Blues" (Atco, 1964) * "Say Yes" / "Blues Is A Woman Gone" (Atco, 1965) * "Things You Do" / "God Knows I Love You" (Reprise, 1968) * "Gentle Lovin'" / "Suburbia" (Reprise, 1969) * "I'll Be Your Baby Tonight" / "Monsoon Season Hungries" (Amos, 1970) * "Sunday Joe" / same (Amos, 1970) * "The I Love You Waltz" / same (Amos, 1970) * "Where Will I Find A Place To Sleep This Evening" / same (Greene Mountain, 1973) * "Good Old Boys" / "California Calico Buckskin Breakdown Band" (Edge, 1974) * "Country Music Is Alive And Well" / "The I Love You Waltz" (Edge, 1975) * "Denver Dawg" / same (Edge, 1976)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Anderson, Casey 20th-century African-American male singers American blues singers American country singer-songwriters American folk singers American male singer-songwriters Singers from Chicago 1934 births 1989 deaths Country musicians from Illinois African-American songwriters Singer-songwriters from Illinois