John Hartford was many things in life, from steamboat captain, fiddle and banjo player, to hit songwriter, Grammy-winning artist, author, folklorist and father.
Born John Cowan Harford on Dec. 30, 1937, in New York City, the Grammy-winning artist grew up in St. Louis, Mo., with a love for two things: the Mississippi River and music, especially old-time music and bluegrass. When it came to the latter, he brought new life to his genre of choice, influencing the likes of critically acclaimed musicians Bela Fleck, Emmylou Harris, Sam Bush of New Grass Revival and Tim O’Brien, among many.
Although many best know Hartford as the tunesmith behind Gentle on My Mind, a signature song that country artist Glen Campbell is usually associated with, his life is a storied and compelling portrait that will be reflected in the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum’s upcoming Spotlight exhibit in his honor, John Hartford: Ever Smiling, Ever Gentle on My Mind, which will open Jan. 24, 2009, and continue through Jan. 2, 2010.
Bluegrass Player's Love for Old-Time Music Inspires 'New Grass' Sound
“In many ways, John Hartford is the Mark Twain of traditional music,” Mick Buck, the museum’s curator of collections, has said. “He was a beloved American figure whose influence went far beyond his commercial success. He brought literacy, humor and inventiveness to his music and an eclectic sense of adventure to his life. He was a true artist in every sense of the word.”
Jeremy Rush, a representative for the Nashville-based hall of fame and museum, reported that the exhibit in Hartford’s honor—which will feature moving images, photographs, costumes, handwritten lyrics and instruments from both the museum’s collection and from the Hartford family—will explore numerous aspects of his career, including his songwriting success and his experimental and influential approach to traditional music, as well as his pursuits “as an artist, performer, steamboat pilot, author and historian.”
Banjo Music of Earl Scruggs Shapes Hartford's Life
Hartford—who added the “t” to his given surname upon the request of the late producer-guitar legend Chet Atkins—credited the music of banjo player Earl Scruggs, a bluegrass legend, as changing his life forever. After hearing Scruggs’ music, a young Hartford was instantly attracted to traditional string music set about becoming proficient at not only banjo but also fiddle and guitar.
In his teen years, Hartford began performing professionally in bluegrass groups in central Missouri and Illinois, before moving to Nashville in 1965, where he served as an overnight disc jockey at country-radio station WSIX while striving to establish his music career.
