Posey Rorer (September 22, 1891 - June 6, 1936) was an American old-time

fiddle A fiddle is a bowed string musical instrument, most often a violin. It is a colloquial term for the violin, used by players in all genres, including classical music. Although in many cases violins and fiddles are essentially synonymous, th ...

r who was best known for being a member of the American

string band A string band is an old-time music or jazz ensemble made up mainly or solely of string instruments. String bands were popular in the 1920s and 1930s, and are among the forerunners of modern country music and bluegrass. While being active countr ...

Charlie Poole Charles Cleveland Poole (March 22, 1892 – May 21, 1931) was an American musician, singer and banjo player, as well as the leader of the North Carolina Ramblers, which was a string band that recorded many popular songs between 1925 and 1930. ...

and the North Carolina Ramblers.

Biography

Posey Wilson Rorer was born in

Franklin County, Virginia Franklin County is located in the Blue Ridge foothills of the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 54,477. Its county seat is Rocky Mount. Franklin County is part of the Roanoke Metropolitan Statistical Area ...

. He suffered from severely clubbed feet for the first 30 years of his life. At the age of 10 he learned to play the banjo but soon switched to the fiddle. In 1917, he moved to West Virginia but due to the flu epidemic of 1919, he had to return to Virginia. Rorer had become close friends with Charlie Poole and together they performed all over North Carolina in the 1920s.Lornell 1989, p. 162. In 1925, Rorer together with Charlie Poole and Norman Woodlieff formed the North Carolina Ramblers. They went to New York to record for

Columbia Records Columbia Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music, Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, the North American division of Japanese Conglomerate (company), conglomerate Sony. It was founded on Janua ...

.Lornell 1989, p. 142. They made their recording debut on July 27, 1925.Russell, Pinson 2004, p. 698-699. When Norman Woodlieff left the band in 1926 he was replaced by

Roy Harvey William Charles Roy Harvey (6 January 1921 – 23 April 2006), was Lord Mayor of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia from 1982 until 1985. A member of the Labor Party, he spent a total of 27 years on the Council. History Harvey was elected for ...

.Lornell 1989, p. 88. Between September 1926 and February 1928, the band was often led by Harvey during recording sessions since Charlie Poole was not present.Russell, Pinson 2004, p. 409-410. In 1928, Rorer left the North Carolina Ramblers over some disagreements concerning record royalties. He was quickly replaced by Lonnie Austin. Rorer joined the duo of Walter Smith and Norman Woodlieff recording for

Gennett Records Gennett (pronounced "jennett") was an American record company and label in Richmond, Indiana, United States, which flourished in the 1920s. Gennett produced some of the earliest recordings by Louis Armstrong, King Oliver, Bix Beiderbecke, and H ...

in March 1929.Russell, Pinson 2004, p. 846. In March 1930, he recorded with Buster Carter and Lewis McDaniel alternately calling themselves the Carolina Buddies or the Dixie Ramblers.Russell, Pinson 2004, p. 170.Russell, Pinson 2004, p. 180. Later in 1930, Rorer and Carter teamed up with Preston Young and formed a trio using the North Carolina Ramblers as a model. They went to New York for an audition.Lornell 1989, p. 35. They made their first recordings in June 1931 cutting 10 songs.Russell, Pinson 2004, p. 318. Although Rorer continued to make recordings with different bands,

The Great Depression The Great Depression (19291939) was an economic shock that impacted most countries across the world. It was a period of economic depression that became evident after a major fall in stock prices in the United States. The economic contagio ...

finally forced him to retire from music. He began working as a woodcutter and in 1936 for the Works Progress Administration. He died in June 1936 of a heart attack.Lornell 1989, p. 164.

Notes

References

* Lornell, Kip (1989), ''Virginia's Blues, Country & Gospel Records, 1902-1943'', University Press of Kentucky * Russell, Tony - Pinson, Bob (2004 ), ''Country Music Records: A Discography 1921-1942'', Oxford University Press US

External links

*
An article about Posey Rorer, at Document Records
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Rorer, Posey 1891 births 1936 deaths American fiddlers Old-time fiddlers Works Progress Administration workers Gennett Records artists 20th-century American violinists