James Lee Strother (March 1883 – died after 1942?), was an American folk musician active in the 1930s and 1940s. He was born in

Madison, Virginia Madison is a town in Madison County, Virginia, United States. The population was 229 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Madison County. History The Hebron Lutheran Church, The Homeplace, James City Historic District, Madison County ...

. He performed in

medicine show Medicine shows were touring acts (traveling by truck, horse, or wagon teams) that peddled "miracle cure" patent medicines and other products between various entertainments. They developed from European mountebank shows and were common in the Unit ...

s, and, after being blinded in a mine explosion, made a living as a musician, singing and playing guitar and banjo. In 1910, he lived in

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, and in 1918 was in Culpeper, Virginia. Alan Lomax recorded several performances by Strothers through his documentation of American music for the

Library of Congress The Library of Congress (LOC) is the research library that officially serves the United States Congress and is the ''de facto'' national library of the United States. It is the oldest federal cultural institution in the country. The library ...

. Strothers made his recordings of thirteen songs in June 1936, while imprisoned at the Virginia State Farm for killing his wife, Blanche Green. He was released from prison in 1939. In 1942, he is thought to have been living in Achsar, Madison County, Virginia; there are no records of his death. Strothers' recordings, some performed with fellow inmate Joe Lee, included both secular songs (including the bawdy "Poontang Little, Poontang Small") and versions of hymns. Biography by Steve Leggett, ''Allmusic.com''
Retrieved 27 October 2016 Influential recordings by Strothers include his versions of "Cripple Creek" and "Good Shepherd", the latter entitled "The Blood-Strained Banders" on the Lomax recording.Wade, Stephen. ''The Beautiful Music All Around Us: Field Recordings and the American Experience.'' University of Illinois Press. Strothers's version of "Good Shepherd" was the basis for the Jefferson Airplane's recording on their album ''Volunteers''.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Strothers, Jimmie American folk musicians 1883 births Year of death unknown People from Madison, Virginia Musicians from Virginia