Paul Clayton (born Paul Clayton Worthington; March 3, 1931 – March 30, 1967) was an American folksinger and

folklorist Folklore studies, less often known as folkloristics, and occasionally tradition studies or folk life studies in the United Kingdom, is the branch of anthropology devoted to the study of folklore. This term, along with its synonyms, gained currenc ...

who was prominent in the folk music revival of the 1950s and 1960s. A graduate of the University of Virginia, where he earned a master's degree in folklore, Clayton specialized in traditional music, primarily

New England New England is a region comprising six states in the Northeastern United States: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. It is bordered by the state of New York to the west and by the Canadian provinces ...

sea shanties A sea shanty, chantey, or chanty () is a genre of traditional folk song that was once commonly sung as a work song to accompany rhythmical labor aboard large merchant sailing vessels. The term ''shanty'' most accurately refers to a specific ...

and

ballads A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads derive from the medieval French ''chanson balladée'' or '' ballade'', which were originally "dance songs". Ballads were particularly characteristic of the popular poetry and ...

as well as Appalachian songs. He became interested in the first of these as a youngster and began playing guitar as a teen. While attending college, he expanded his interests to include the music of Virginia and the surrounding states. Within a short time after leaving college, he began recording. His first releases were for a small specialty record company, but in 1956 he joined

Folkways Records Folkways Records was a record label founded by Moses Asch that documented folk, world, and children's music. It was acquired by the Smithsonian Institution in 1987 and is now part of Smithsonian Folkways. History The Folkways Records & Service ...

, the day's leading folk music label. He recorded six solo albums for Folkways from 1956 to 1958, issued albums for a few specialty labels, moved to another prominent folk label, Elektra Records, for two albums in 1958–59, and collaborated with artists such as

Jean Ritchie Jean Ruth Ritchie (December 8, 1922 – June 1, 2015) was an American folk singer, songwriter, and Appalachian dulcimer player, called by some the "Mother of Folk". In her youth she learned hundreds of folk songs in the traditional way (orally ...

and

Dave Van Ronk David Kenneth Ritz Van Ronk (June 30, 1936 – February 10, 2002) was an American folk singer. An important figure in the American folk music revival and New York City's Greenwich Village scene in the 1960s, he was nicknamed the "Mayor of Ma ...

on other releases. He made his last recording in 1965. As much a scholar as a musician, Clayton began collecting songs at a young age in his hometown of

New Bedford New Bedford (Massachusett: ) is a city in Bristol County, Massachusetts. It is located on the Acushnet River in what is known as the South Coast region. Up through the 17th century, the area was the territory of the Wampanoag Native American pe ...

, Massachusetts. At the university, he studied under a professor who was a leading folklorist. Soon he was combing the hills and valleys of Virginia and surrounding states for songs that formed the region's musical heritage. In making

field recording Field recording is the term used for an audio recording produced outside a recording studio, and the term applies to recordings of both natural and human-produced sounds. It also applies to sound recordings like electromagnetic fields or vibra ...

s, he "discovered"

Etta Baker Etta Baker (March 31, 1913 – September 23, 2006) was an American Piedmont blues guitarist and singer from North Carolina. Early life and career She was born Etta Lucille Reid in Caldwell County, North Carolina, of African-American, Native A ...

and

Hobart Smith Hobart ( ; Nuennonne/Palawa kani: ''nipaluna'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian island state of Tasmania. Home to almost half of all Tasmanians, it is the least-populated Australian state capital city, and second-small ...

, homespun musicians who have come to be regarded as all-time greats. Clayton became a prominent figure in the

Greenwich Village Greenwich Village ( , , ) is a neighborhood on the west side of Lower Manhattan in New York City, bounded by 14th Street to the north, Broadway to the east, Houston Street to the south, and the Hudson River to the west. Greenwich Village ...

folk scene in New York City during the early 1960s. He was close with artists such as

and

Liam Clancy Liam Clancy ( ga, Liam Mac Fhlannchadha; 2 September 1935 – 4 December 2009) was an Irish folk singer from Carrick-on-Suir, County Tipperary. He was the youngest member of the influential folk group the Clancy Brothers, regarded as Ireland's ...

and was also a mentor and friend 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 ...

during the first years of Dylan's career. A song Clayton wrote was allegedly "borrowed" by Dylan in 1962 as the basis for one of his most famous tunes, "

Don't Think Twice, It's All Right "Don't Think Twice, It's All Right" is a song written by Bob Dylan in 1962, recorded on November 14 that year, and released on the 1963 album ''The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan'' and as the b-side of the ''Blowin' in the Wind'' single. The song was cov ...

". The resulting

lawsuit - A lawsuit is a proceeding by a party or parties against another in the civil court of law. The archaic term "suit in law" is found in only a small number of laws still in effect today. The term "lawsuit" is used in reference to a civil actio ...

s by their record companies were settled out of court, and the two remained friends for several years afterwards. Clayton was beset with personal problems in his mid-30s, including frustrations with his career, doubts arising from his homosexuality,

manic depression Bipolar disorder, previously known as manic depression, is a mental disorder characterized by periods of depression and periods of abnormally elevated mood that last from days to weeks each. If the elevated mood is severe or associated with ...

, drug abuse, and a related arrest. He died by suicide in 1967.

Early years

Clayton was born Paul Clayton Worthington in

, Massachusetts, in 1931, during the early years of 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 ...

. His parents, Clayton Worthington and Adah (Hardy), were married four years before, and Paul was to be their only child. Despite the hard economic times, his father was comfortably employed as a salesman with a national company, where he eventually would become an executive. The Worthingtons lived with Adah's parents in the West End of New Bedford, a prosperous New England seaport. Paul's parents, however, were both highly charged, Adah especially, and they fought whenever her husband returned home after days on the road. Less than four years following Paul's birth, they divorced. Clayton and his mother continued to live with her parents, Charles and Elizabeth Hardy, and his introduction to music came early. His parents both played musical instruments, though casually, his father the

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 ...

and his mother the piano. His grandparents would be an even greater influence. Charles Hardy sang songs he had picked up from

seafarers A sailor, seaman, mariner, or seafarer is a person who works aboard a watercraft as part of its crew, and may work in any one of a number of different fields that are related to the operation and maintenance of a ship. The profession of the s ...

and landlubbers alike, while Elizabeth contributed songs she grew up with in Canada's

Prince Edward Island Prince Edward Island (PEI; ) is one of the thirteen Provinces and territories of Canada, provinces and territories of Canada. It is the smallest province in terms of land area and population, but the most densely populated. The island has seve ...

. By his teen years, in the mid-1940s, Paul had learned to play guitar, performing traditional songs he learned from his grandparents as well as from folk music programs on the radio. He also hunted down standards from collections available at school and in his explorations, chanced upon a trove of original manuscripts of seafaring songs on a visit one day to the

New Bedford Whaling Museum The New Bedford Whaling Museum is a museum in New Bedford, Massachusetts, United States that focuses on the history, science, art, and culture of the international whaling industry, and the "Old Dartmouth" region (now the city of New Bedford and ...

. Intrigued by the possibilities of using radio to bring traditional music to larger audiences, Clayton landed a weekly series of 15-minute folk programs on New Bedford's WFMR and later on WBSM. Besides writing and announcing his own material, he performed live, singing the traditional songs he had been collecting to his own guitar accompaniment. He was successful enough that the program was expanded to an hour per week. He was still only in high school.

Folklorist

After graduating in 1949, Clayton attended the University of Virginia, where hoped to gain a better grounding in musical scholarship. One of his professors was Arthur Kyle Davis, Jr., an eminent folklorist. Davis took three students under his wing, including Clayton, encouraging them to transcribe songs, write commentary, and tape the university's collection of deteriorating aluminum recordings. In 1950, Clayton's unusual musical background caught the attention of

Helen Hartness Flanders Helen Hartness Flanders (May 19, 1890 – May 23, 1972), a native of the U.S. state of Vermont, was an internationally recognized ballad collector and an authority on the folk music found in New England and the British Isles. At the initiati ...

, the wife of

U.S. Senator The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and powe ...

Ralph E. Flanders of

Vermont Vermont () is a state in the northeast New England region of the United States. Vermont is bordered by the states of Massachusetts to the south, New Hampshire to the east, and New York to the west, and the Canadian province of Quebec to ...

and an internationally recognized folk music authority. Flanders showed up at Clayton's house one day with a tape recorder while he was home from college, and she recorded 11 of his songs. The roles had reversed. Now Clayton was the one being collected. That same year he discovered a new instrument, the

Appalachian dulcimer The Appalachian dulcimer (many variant names; see below) is a fretted string instrument of the zither family, typically with three or four strings, originally played in the Appalachian region of the United States. The body extends the length of ...

. Seeking out traditional players in

North Carolina North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and So ...

Kentucky Kentucky ( , ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States and one of the states of the Upper South. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north; West Virginia and Virginia to ...

, and Virginia, he learned a variety of styles, becoming more proficient on dulcimer than he was on guitar. Through the knowledge he had gathered on the instrument, he collaborated on a booklet, ''The Appalachian Dulcimer'', writing authoritatively on the subject. Meanwhile, he scoured the countryside for traditional players and songs. To help finance his field trips, he performed at colleges, schools, bars, and coffeehouses along the way. Around this time, Paul began using his father's name as his stage name. Another side of Clayton's personality emerged during college. The university had an almost entirely male student body, and a

gay subculture Sexuality and gender identity-based cultures are subcultures and communities composed of people who have shared experiences, backgrounds, or interests due to common sexual or gender identities. Among the first to argue that members of sexual mi ...

had existed there for many years. Because of the times and the university's conservative traditions, it all remained closeted. Free of his home ties, however, Clayton had an active if private romantic life and sought liaisons whenever and wherever he could. Clayton continued to assist in editing Davis's book ''More Traditional Ballads of Virginia'' (published 1960). He reported his research in a quarterly journal, ''Southern Folklore'', and for a time planned a book of his own, also on traditional Virginian songs, though the work never materialized.

Recordings

In 1952, Clayton recorded a tape of bluegrass material with a friend, musician

Bill Clifton Bill Clifton (born William August Marburg; April 5, 1931) is an American bluegrass musician and singer who is credited with having organized one of the first bluegrass festivals in the United States in 1961.Wolff, Duane 2000, p. 209. Earl ...

, and sent it off to

Stinson Records Stinson Records was an American record label formed by Herbert Harris and Irving Prosky in 1939, initially to market, in the US, recordings made in the Soviet Union. Between the 1940s and 1960s, it mainly issued recordings of American folk and bl ...

in New York with the hopes of interesting the label in issuing an album. Stinson declined, but considered four tracks for

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'' ...

. However, the sides went unissued. After college, Stinson put out Clayton's first album, ''Whaling Songs & Ballads'', which was released in cooperation with the

. Another Stinson release, ''Waters of Tyne'', followed, and over the next few years he recorded for a series of other relatively obscure labels, releasing ''Whaling and Sailing Songs'' on

Tradition Records Tradition Records was an American record label from 1955 to 1966 that specialized in folk music. The label was founded and financed by Guggenheim heiress Diane Hamilton in 1956. Its president and director was Patrick "Paddy" Clancy, who was soon ...

and ''Wanted for Murder: Songs of Outlaws and Desperados'' and ''Bloody Ballads: British and American Murder Ballads'' on

Riverside Records Riverside Records was an American jazz record company and label. Founded by Orrin Keepnews and Bill Grauer, Jr, under his firm Bill Grauer Productions in 1953, the label played an important role in the jazz record industry for a decade. Riverside ...

, among others. Through his tireless efforts at promotion, Clayton developed many useful connections, one of which brought him to the attention of a small but highly significant record company,

. Folkways, led by

Moe Asch Moe, MOE, MoE or m.o.e. may refer to: In arts and entertainment Characters * Moe Szyslak, from the animated television show ''The Simpsons'' * Moe, leader of The Three Stooges, played by Moe Howard * Moe Higurashi, supporting character in ''Yash ...

, later recognized as the father of World Music, specialized in traditional material of a wide range, from Inuit and Patagonian songs to ballads sung by Serbo-Croats and Bulgarians. The venue was perfect for the traditional music Clayton specialized in. Refocusing his attentions on the basics, he issued a series of albums for Folkways that brought together his grandfather's ballads and shanties with the rarities uncovered through his scholarly pursuits in Virginia. Four Clayton albums were released by Folkways in 1956 alone: his first, ''Bay State Ballads'', followed by ''Folk Songs and Ballads of Virginia'', ''Cumberland Mountain Folksongs'', and ''The Folkways-Viking Record of Folk Ballads of the English Speaking World''. The next year, Folkways put out two more Clayton releases, ''American Broadside Ballads in Popular Tradition'' and ''Dulcimer Songs and Solos''. In a span of just three years, he had recorded twelve albums. In 1958, Clayton switched labels again, moving over to Elektra, an eclectic label that also specialized in folk music. He recorded ''Unholy Matrimony'' that year with Bob Yellin backing him on banjo and the next year released ''Bobby Burns' Merry Muses of Caledonia''. His work was also featured in 1959 on the Folkways album ''Foc'sle Songs and Shanties'' with the Foc'sle Singers, whose members included

, Roger Abrahams, and Bob Brill. His stay at Elektra was short, and following his second release with the label, he joined Monument Records, a smaller outfit, where he issued an EP, a series of

and his final album, ''Paul Clayton, Folk Singer!'', in 1965. Clayton recorded the first nationally charted version of Woody Guthrie's "This Land Is Your Land". The record (Monument 416) entered the Music Vendor pop chart 4/5/60, reaching No. 79 in a 4-week chart stay. Other significant recordings by Clayton included a collaboration with

Diane Hamilton Diane Hamilton was the pseudonym of Diane Guggenheim (1924 – 1991), an American mining heiress, folksong patron and founder of Tradition Records. Personal life The only child of millionaire Harry Frank Guggenheim, president of ''Newsday'' and o ...

and

entitled ''Instrumental Music of the Southern Appalachians'', which featured field recordings of

, and other indigenous artists, and an album with

, ''American Folk Tales & Songs'', both for Tradition. He also recorded 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 is ...

, and tapes he made of Rev. Gary Davis and

Pink Anderson Pinkney "Pink" Anderson (February 12, 1900 – October 12, 1974) was an American blues singer and guitarist. Life and career Anderson was born in Laurens, South Carolina, and raised in nearby Greenville and Spartanburg. He joined Dr. William ...

were used for the album ''American Street Songs'' on

Alleged plagiarism by Bob Dylan

's friendship with Clayton dated back to 1961, Dylan's first year in New York City. Dylan traveled cross-country with Clayton and two other friends in 1964, during which they visited poet

Carl Sandburg Carl August Sandburg (January 6, 1878 – July 22, 1967) was an American poet, biographer, journalist, and editor. He won three Pulitzer Prizes: two for his poetry and one for his biography of Abraham Lincoln. During his lifetime, Sandburg ...

, attended Mardi Gras in

New Orleans New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans
Merriam-Webster. ; french: La Nouvelle-Orléans , es, Nuev ...

and rendezvoused with

Joan Baez Joan Chandos Baez (; born January 9, 1941) is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and activist. Her contemporary folk music often includes songs of protest and social justice. Baez has performed publicly for over 60 years, releasing more ...

in California. In an interview published as part of a history of Greenwich Village folk club

Gerde's Folk City Gerdes Folk City, sometimes spelled Gerde's Folk City, was a music venue in the West Village, part of Greenwich Village, Manhattan, in New York City. Initially opened by owner Mike Porco as a restaurant called Gerdes, it eventually began to presen ...

, folk singer Barry Kornfeld described how Clayton's "Who's Gonna Buy You Ribbons (When I'm Gone)" morphed into Dylan's

: Dylan's and Clayton's publishing companies sued each other over the alleged

plagiarism Plagiarism is the fraudulent representation of another person's language, thoughts, ideas, or expressions as one's own original work.From the 1995 '' Random House Compact Unabridged Dictionary'': use or close imitation of the language and thought ...

. As it turned out, Clayton's song was derived from an earlier folk song entitled "Who's Gonna Buy You Chickens When I'm Gone?", which was in the

public domain The public domain (PD) consists of all the creative work A creative work is a manifestation of creative effort including fine artwork (sculpture, paintings, drawing, sketching, performance art), dance, writing (literature), filmmaking, ...

. The

s, which were settled out of court, had no effect on the friendship between the two songwriters. In the notes to '' Biograph'' (1985), Dylan acknowledges that "'Don't Think Twice' was a riff that Paul

layton Layton or The Laytons may refer to: Places United States * Layton, Florida, a city * Layton, Indiana, an unincorporated community * Layton Township, Pottawattamie County, Iowa * Layton, New Jersey, an unincorporated community * Layton, Pennsyl ...

had." He also credits Clayton for the melody line to "

Percy's Song "Percy's Song" is a song written by Bob Dylan. It was recording during the October 1963 sessions for Dylan's third album, ''The Times They Are a-Changin' (album), The Times They Are A-Changin, but ultimately not included on that album. Dylan pe ...

". In 1970, Dylan recorded "

Gotta Travel On "Gotta Travel On" is an American folksong. The earliest known version was printed in Carl Sandburg's The American Songbag in 1927 under the title "Yonder Comes the High Sheriff" and several variations were recorded in the 1920s, but the best kno ...

", a song copyrighted by Clayton, as the 14th track of his album ''

Self Portrait A self-portrait is a representation of an artist that is drawn, painted, photographed, or sculpted by that artist. Although self-portraits have been made since the earliest times, it is not until the Early Renaissance in the mid-15th century tha ...

''.

Suicide

On March 30, 1967, he died by suicide by taking an electric heater into his bathtub. He is buried at Oak Grove Cemetery, New Bedford, Massachusetts.

Discography

Albums

* 1954? ''Whaling Songs & Ballads'', Stinson Records * 1956? ''Waters of Tyne: English North Country Songs & Ballads'', Stinson Records * 1956 ''Bay State Ballads'',

* 1956 ''Folk Songs and Ballads of Virginia'', Folkways Records * 1956 ''Cumberland Mountain Folksongs'', Folkways Records * 1956 ''Viking Record of Folk Ballads of the English Speaking World'', Folkways Records * 1956 '' Whaling and Sailing Songs from the Days of Moby Dick'',

* 1956 ''Bloody Ballads: British and American Murder Ballads'',

* 195? ''Wanted for Murder: Songs of Outlaws and Desperados'', Riverside Records * 1957 ''American Broadside Ballads in Popular Tradition'', Folkways Records * 1957 ''Dulcimer Songs and Solos'', Folkways Records * 1957 ''American Songs of Revolutionary Times'', Olympic Records * 1958 ''Timber-r-r! Lumberjack Folk Songs & Ballads'', Riverside Records * 195? ''Concert of British and American Folksongs'', Riverside Records * 1958 ''Unholy Matrimony'', Elektra Records * 1958 ''Bobby Burns' Merry Muses of Caledonia'', Elektra Records * 1959 ''Foc'sle Songs and Shanties'' (with The Foc'sle Singers), Folkways Records * 1961 ''Home-Made Songs & Ballads'',

Monument Records Monument Records is an American record label in Washington, D.C. named for the Washington Monument, founded in 1958 by Fred Foster, Buddy Deane (a prominent Baltimore disc jockey at WTTG), and business manager Jack Kirby. Buddy Deane soon left ...

* 1965 ''Paul Clayton: Folk Singer!'', Monument Records * 1975 ''

& Paul Clayton: The First Recordings, A Bluegrass Session, 1952'',

Bear Family Records Bear Family Records is a Germany-based independent record label, that specializes in reissues of archival material, ranging from country music to 1950s rock and roll to old German movie soundtracks. History The label has been in existence since ...

* 2008 ''Folk Singer & Sings Home Made Songs & Ballads'', Monument albums and singles, Bear Family Records

EP

* 1961 ''Home-Made Songs and Ballads'', Monument Records

Singles

* 1959 "Who's Gonna Buy You Ribbons (When I'm Gone)" (Clayton), Monument Records ::"This Land Is Your Land" ( Guthrie) * 1960 "Pharaoh's Army (Got Drownded) (Clayton), Monument Records ::"Pretty Peggy-O" (Clayton) * 1960 "Last Cigarette" (Clayton), Monument Records ::"So Long (It's Been Good to Know You)" (Clayton) * 1960 "So Long (It's Been Good to Know You)" (Clayton),

London Records London Recordings (or London Records and London Music Stream) is a British record label that marketed records in the United States, Canada, and Latin America for Decca Records from 1947 to 1980 before becoming semi-independent. The London nam ...

::" Wings of a Dove" ( Ferguson) * 1962 " Wings of a Dove" (Ferguson), Monument Records ::"The Convent at Ronda" (Clayton) * 1964 " Yellow Bird" (Monton, Durand), Monument Records ::"Kilgary Mountain" (

Gibson Gibson may refer to: People * Gibson (surname) Businesses * Gibson Brands, Inc., an American manufacturer of guitars, other musical instruments, and audio equipment * Gibson Technology, and English automotive and motorsport company based * Gi ...

Camp Camp may refer to: Outdoor accommodation and recreation * Campsite or campground, a recreational outdoor sleeping and eating site * a temporary settlement for nomads * Camp, a term used in New England, Northern Ontario and New Brunswick to descri ...

, Warner) * 1965 "

San Francisco Bay Blues "San Francisco Bay Blues" is an American folk song and is generally considered to be the most famous composition by Jesse Fuller. Fuller first recorded the song in 1954, which was released by the World Song label in 1955. A "one-man band" renditio ...

" ( Fuller), Monument Records ::"Green Rocky Road" (L. Chandler, Kaufman, arr. Van Ronk)

Notes

References

* * * * * * * * * * *

External links

Paul Clayton
The Bob Dylan Who's Who, expectingrain.com
Paul Clayton (1931–1967) Papers, 1937–1967 Manuscript Collection
Archives and Special Collections,

University of Massachusetts Dartmouth The University of Massachusetts Dartmouth (UMass Dartmouth or UMassD) is a public research university in Dartmouth, Massachusetts. It is the southernmost campus of the University of Massachusetts system. Formerly Southeastern Massachusetts Un ...

Library
Paul Clayton Discography
{{DEFAULTSORT:Clayton, Paul 1931 births 1967 suicides American folk singers American folk-song collectors American folklorists American acoustic guitarists American male guitarists American folk guitarists American gay musicians LGBT people from Massachusetts LGBT singers from the United States LGBT people from Connecticut Singers from Connecticut People from Greenwich Village Suicides by electrocution University of Virginia alumni Elektra Records artists Riverside Records artists Tradition Records artists Monument Records artists 20th-century American singers 20th-century American guitarists Guitarists from Connecticut 20th-century American male singers 20th-century LGBT people