Estil Cortez Ball (1913–1978) was an American singer-songwriter, fingerstyle guitarist, and country gospel and folk musician from Rugby in Grayson County, Virginia.

Career

From the mid-1950s until 1975, Ball performed with his wife Orna and their Friendly Gospel Singers in churches and on the radio, especially on WKSK (AM) in West Jefferson, North Carolina and WBOB in

Galax, Virginia Galax is an independent city in the southwestern part of the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 6,720. The Bureau of Economic Analysis combines the city of Galax with neighboring Carroll County for statisti ...

. Ball's first recordings were made by

John A. Lomax John Avery Lomax (September 23, 1867 – January 26, 1948) was an American teacher, a pioneering musicologist, and a folklorist who did much for the preservation of American folk music. He was the father of Alan Lomax, John Lomax Jr. and Bess ...

on behalf of the Library of Congress at the 1937 Galax Fiddler's Convention in Galax, Virginia, where E.C. performed with his Rugby Gully Jumpers string band (named after Paul Warmack's Gully Jumpers). Lomax recorded the string band and several duets by E.C. and Orna. John's son

Alan Lomax Alan Lomax (; January 31, 1915 – July 19, 2002) was an American ethnomusicologist, best known for his numerous field recordings of folk music of the 20th century. He was also a musician himself, as well as a folklorist, archivist, writer, sch ...

recorded Ball three years later, in 1941, at E.C.'s home in Rugby, Virginia, and there again in 1959. County Records released Ball's first LP in 1967, as ''E.C. Ball and the Friendly Gospel Singers''. Two more LPs followed in the 1970s on

Rounder Records Rounder Records is an independent record label founded in 1970 in Somerville, Massachusetts by Marian Leighton Levy, Ken Irwin, and Bill Nowlin. Focused on American roots music, Rounder's catalogue of more than 3000 titles includes records by Al ...

: ''E.C. Ball'' and ''Fathers Have A Home Sweet Home''. Ball was also recorded by John Cohen for his 1975 compilation album '' High Atmosphere: Ballads and Banjo Tunes from Virginia and North Carolina''. E.C. Ball's most famous composition was a piece he called "

Tribulations In Christian eschatology, the Great Tribulation ( grc, θλῖψις μεγάλη, thlîpsis megálē) is a period mentioned by Jesus in the Olivet Discourse as a sign that would occur in the time of the end. At Revelation 7:14, "the Great Tr ...

," based, as he told Alan Lomax in 1959, "on the last book in the Bible:

Revelations Revelation, in religion and theology, is the act of revealing through communication with supernatural entities. Revelation(s) may also refer to: * Book of Revelation or simply Revelation, the last book of the New Testament * Revelation (Latter Da ...

ic" It has been frequently performed and recorded by other musicians as " Trials, Troubles, Tribulations." Ball died in 1978 in

Grassy Creek, North Carolina Grassy Creek, North Carolina may refer to: *Grassy Creek, Ashe County, North Carolina, an unincorporated community *Grassy Creek, Granville County, North Carolina, site of several buildings listed on the National Register of Historic Places in Gra ...

, and is buried at Corinth Baptist Church in Rugby, Grayson County, Virginia. In December 2009, a tribute album was released entitled ''Face A Frowning World: An E.C. Ball Memorial Album'', on the Tompkins Square label, produced by Nathan Salsburg. Singers interpreting songs from E.C.'s repertoire include Jolie Holland,

Bonnie "Prince" Billy Joseph Will Oldham (born January 15, 1970) is an American singer-songwriter and actor. From 1993 to 1997, he performed and recorded in collaboration with dozens of other musicians under variations of Palace (Palace, Palace Flophouse, Palace Br ...

, Jon Langford, the Handsome Family,

Rayna Gellert Rayna Gellert (born December 15, 1975) is an American fiddler, acoustic guitarist, singer, and songwriter specializing in old-time music. She grew up in Elkhart, in northern Indiana, formerly lived in Asheville, North Carolina, and is currentl ...

, and Catherine Irwin, among others.

Discography

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Ball, Estil C. 1913 births 1978 deaths People from Grayson County, Virginia Folk musicians from Virginia Old-time musicians 20th-century American singers Singer-songwriters from Virginia