Video of the Week #77

Josh White was a popularizer of the blues. He recorded authentic country blues in the 1930s. After World War II, he developed a smoother style, billed himself as a folk singer, and played concert halls and coffee houses to primarily white audiences.

I recently saw a movie on TV with Josh White in a supporting role. The Walking Hills (1949) is a Western in a contemporary setting directed by John Sturges and starring Randolph Scott. It's a story of greed, similar to 1948's successful The Treasure of the Sierra Madre, but not as good. Josh White sings parts of three other songs, but gets to sing "The Riddle (I Gave My Love a Cherry)" all the way through. You may recognize cast members John Ireland, Edgar Buchanan, Ella Raines and William Bishop.

The other song fragments can be found here and here.

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