Travis Edmonson (September 23, 1932 – May 9, 2009) was an American folk singer, who performed both as a soloist and in the duo

Bud & Travis Bud & Travis was an American folk music duo from San Francisco, California, consisting of Bud Dashiell and Travis Edmonson. Bud & Travis began recording together in 1958; Edmonson was related to Colin Edmonson, whom Dashiell had met while serving ...

Early life

Edmonson was born on September 23, 1932, in Long Beach, California, but grew up in

Nogales, Arizona Nogales (English: or , ; ) is a city in Santa Cruz County, Arizona. The population was 20,837 at the 2010 census and estimated 20,103 in 2019. Nogales forms part of the larger Tucson–Nogales combined statistical area, with a total population ...

, just across the border from Mexico. At the age of 5, he briefly played the role of Curley on the ''

Our Gang ''Our Gang'' (also known as ''The Little Rascals'' or ''Hal Roach's Rascals'') is an American series of comedy short films chronicling a group of poor neighborhood children and their adventures. Created by film producer Hal Roach, also the ...

'' comedy short-film series. Edmonson began his singing career at age seven a member of the St. Andrew's Episcopal Church choir, where he sang with his three older brothers. He attended Tucson High School where he further developed as a singer and learned to play the guitar. After high school, Edmonson attended the University of Arizona, where he studied anthropology. Edmonson took a strong interest in Native American tribes, including the Pascua Yaqui Tribe, helping to produce a Spanish-Yaqui dictionary. As a result, in 1948, the tribe made him an honorary member. Travis studied other native communities, and even lived on an

Apache The Apache () are a group of culturally related Native American tribes in the Southwestern United States, which include the Chiricahua, Jicarilla, Lipan, Mescalero, Mimbreño, Ndendahe (Bedonkohe or Mogollon and Nednhi or Carrizaleño an ...

reservation.

Music career

Edmonson did not graduate from the University of Arizona, but he "became locally famous for serenading college girls". In the early 1950s, Edmonson served in the United States Army, before beginning his musical career in San Francisco. After singing solo, he joined a quartet, the

Gateway Singers The Gateway Singers were an American folk music group who achieved national prominence in the US in the late 1950s. The group was included in the Smithsonian's ''Folk Song America'' compilation. The group is best known for their song "Puttin' on ...

with

Louis Gottlieb Louis Gottlieb (October 10, 1923 – July 11, 1996) credited as Lou Gottlieb, was an American bassist and comic spokesman for music trio The Limeliters. He held a PhD in musicology and was considered one of the so-called "new comedy" performers, ...

. In 1958, he left the Gateway Singers to form

along with Bud Dashiell, a friend of his brother. The two released 11 singles and eight albums from 1958 to 1965 and became quite popular, appearing at many nightclubs and on television, including a guest appearance on the show ''

The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet ''The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet'' is an American television sitcom that aired on ABC from October 3, 1952, to April 23, 1966, and starred the real-life Nelson family. After a long run on radio, the show was brought to television, where it ...

''. The two played folk music, infused with the influence of Mexican styles that Edmonson enjoyed, particularly

mariachi Mariachi (, , ) is a genre of regional Mexican music that dates back to at least the 18th century, evolving over time in the countryside of various regions of western Mexico. The usual mariachi group today consists of as many as eight violins, t ...

. After seven years together, the two split up and Edmonson continued to perform solo. Edmonson was considered a folk music "pioneer" and influenced groups such as The Kingston Trio. Bob Shane, the only surviving member of the trio, said in an interview that he "idolized him," saying "he had command of the stage better than anyone I've ever seen." Edmonson suffered a stroke in 1982, after which he experienced health problems and performed little until his death on May 9, 2009, in

Mesa, Arizona Mesa ( ) is a city in Maricopa County, Arizona, Maricopa County, in the U.S. state of Arizona. It is the most populous city in the East Valley (Phoenix metropolitan area), East Valley section of the Phoenix Metropolitan Area. It is bordered by ...

. For his musical accomplishments, Travis was inducted into the Hall of Fame by the Tucson Area Music Awards in 1995.

Solo discography

* ''Travis on Cue'' (Horizon WP-1606, 1962); recorded live at The Troubadour * ''Travis on His Own'' (Reprise R9-6035, 1963); reissued in 1965 minus three cuts on Tradition TR-2074 as ''Travelin' with Travis'' * ''The Liar's Hour'' (Latigo 32286, 1975); with Bill Moore * ''Ten Thousand Goddam Cattle (Katydid 10076, 1977); with Katie Lee, Earl Edmonson, and David Holt * ''The Tucson Tapes: The First Set'' (Folk Era 1460, 2001); recorded in 1966 * ''The Tucson Tapes: The Second Set'' (Folk Era 1461, 2001); recorded in 1966 * ''Live @ UC Santa Barbara 5/9/66'' (Folk Era 1466, 2002); recorded in 1966 * ''Let's All Room Together Next Semester! – The Travis Edmonson Diamond Jubilee Anthology'' (2007) * ''Viva Travis! – The Travis Edmonson Diamond Jubilee Anthology'' (2007); Spanish tracks from the ''Latin Album'' and others Appearances * ''Hootenanny at The Troubadour'' (Horizon WP-1616, 1963); "E La Bas" * ''Hollywood Hootenanny'' (Horizon WP-1631, 1964); "The Things I've Saved"

References

External links

Travis Edmonson website

Bud & Travis website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Edmonson, Travis 1932 births 2009 deaths American folk musicians People from Nogales, Arizona 20th-century American musicians Tucson High School alumni