Nimrod Workman (November 5, 1895 – November 26, 1994) was an American folk singer, coal miner and trade unionist. His musical repertoire included traditional English and Scottish ballads passed down through his family, Appalachian folk songs and original compositions.
Nimrod Workman was born in Inez, Martin County, Kentucky and was named after his grandfather Nimrod Workman (1842–1914), who taught his namesake "the old ballads from Britain about lords and ladies and the ancient Scottish wars".[1] At the age of 14, he went to work in the Howard Collieries coal mines in Mingo County, West Virginia, and he continued working as a coal miner for forty-two years until he was forced to retire due to black lung and a slipped disc. His wife, Mollie Bowens (1912–1998), was of Italian descent on her mother's side. The couple had thirteen children.[1]
Activismedit
Throughout his coal mining career, Workman was active in union politics and United Mine Workers of America organizing. In 1920–1921 he worked alongside the union activist Mary Harris "Mother" Jones in West Virginia, and participated in the Battle of Blair Mountain uprising. In later years, he advocated on behalf of black lung victims, and was able to receive union compensation for his own health problems in 1971.
Following his retirement as a miner he became known as a folk singer, with frequent performances around Appalachia as well as the Smithsonian Folklife Festival and the 1982 World's Fair. He recorded two albums: Passing Thru the Garden, with his daughter Phyllis Boyens, which was released by June Appal Recordings in 1975; and Mother Jones' Will on the Rounder Records label in 1978. In addition, he contributed songs to several albums of traditional and coal mining music.
Workman was filmed by the famous archivist and ethnomusicologistAlan Lomax. He was also the subject of the documentary Nimrod Workman: To Fit My Own Category, produced by Appalshop Films, and appeared as himself in the documentaries Harlan County, USA, Chase the Devil: Religious Music of the Appalachians, and The Grand Generation. He is heard leading the singing of "Amazing Grace" in the funeral scene in Coal Miner's Daughter, which also featured Phyllis Boyens as Loretta Lynn's mother.
Mother Jones' Will (1978, Rounder Records) - this has been reissued, with an additional 7 tracks (2011, Musical Traditions Records MTCD512)
I Want to Go Where Things Are Beautiful (2008, Twos & Fews / Drag City. Recorded by Mike Seeger, 1982.)
Compilation Tracksedit
The Land of Yahoe (1996, Rounder) "Way Out West in Kansas"
Meeting's A Pleasure: Folk Songs of the Upper South, Vols. 2-4 (2005, Musical Traditions) "Dixon Said to Johnson" "Charlotte of Edinboro Town" "The House Carpenter" "I'm Drinking from the Fountain (with Mollie Workman)" "Day Is Breaking In My Soul" "Black Dress Blues"
Traditional Music on Rounder (1981, Rounder) "Watergate Boogie"
Come All You Coal Miners (1973, Rounder; Albatros) "Both Lungs is Broke Down" "The N and W (Don't Stop Here No More) " "Don't You Want to Go to that Land"
Harlan County USA: Songs of the Coal Miner's Struggle (2006, Rounder) "Coal Black Mining Blues"
Filmsedit
Nimrod Workman: To Fit My Own Category (1975). Directed by Anthony Slone and Scott Faulkner. Whitesburg, Kentucky: Appalshop.
nimrod, workman, this, article, needs, additional, citations, verification, please, help, improve, this, article, adding, citations, reliable, sources, unsourced, material, challenged, removed, find, sources, news, newspapers, books, scholar, jstor, november, . This article needs additional citations for verification Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed Find sources Nimrod Workman news newspapers books scholar JSTOR November 2019 Learn how and when to remove this message Nimrod Workman November 5 1895 November 26 1994 was an American folk singer coal miner and trade unionist His musical repertoire included traditional English and Scottish ballads passed down through his family Appalachian folk songs and original compositions Nimrod WorkmanBorn 1895 11 05 November 5 1895Inez Kentucky U S DiedNovember 26 1994 1994 11 26 aged 99 Knoxville Tennessee U S Occupation s Folk singer coal miner and union activist Contents 1 Background 2 Activism 3 Traditional music and later life 4 Discography 4 1 Albums 4 2 Compilation Tracks 5 Films 6 References 7 External linksBackground editNimrod Workman was born in Inez Martin County Kentucky and was named after his grandfather Nimrod Workman 1842 1914 who taught his namesake the old ballads from Britain about lords and ladies and the ancient Scottish wars 1 At the age of 14 he went to work in the Howard Collieries coal mines in Mingo County West Virginia and he continued working as a coal miner for forty two years until he was forced to retire due to black lung and a slipped disc His wife Mollie Bowens 1912 1998 was of Italian descent on her mother s side The couple had thirteen children 1 Activism editThroughout his coal mining career Workman was active in union politics and United Mine Workers of America organizing In 1920 1921 he worked alongside the union activist Mary Harris Mother Jones in West Virginia and participated in the Battle of Blair Mountain uprising In later years he advocated on behalf of black lung victims and was able to receive union compensation for his own health problems in 1971 Traditional music and later life editThe songs Workman had inherited from his grandfather included versions of many Child Ballads such as Young Beichan 2 Young Hunting 3 Edward 4 Little Musgrave 5 Sir Lionel 6 The Wife of Usher s Well 7 The Farmer s Curst Wife 8 Barbara Allen 9 Captain Wedderburn s Courtship 10 and The House Carpenter 11 Following his retirement as a miner he became known as a folk singer with frequent performances around Appalachia as well as the Smithsonian Folklife Festival and the 1982 World s Fair He recorded two albums Passing Thru the Garden with his daughter Phyllis Boyens which was released by June Appal Recordings in 1975 and Mother Jones Will on the Rounder Records label in 1978 In addition he contributed songs to several albums of traditional and coal mining music Workman was filmed by the famous archivist and ethnomusicologist Alan Lomax He was also the subject of the documentary Nimrod Workman To Fit My Own Category produced by Appalshop Films and appeared as himself in the documentaries Harlan County USA Chase the Devil Religious Music of the Appalachians and The Grand Generation He is heard leading the singing of Amazing Grace in the funeral scene in Coal Miner s Daughter which also featured Phyllis Boyens as Loretta Lynn s mother Workman was a recipient of a 1986 National Heritage Fellowship awarded by the National Endowment for the Arts which is the United States government s highest honor in the folk and traditional arts 12 He spent most of his life in Chattaroy West Virginia though in later years he lived in Mascot Tennessee He died in Knoxville Tennessee in 1994 at the age of 99 Discography editAlbums edit Passing Thru the Garden with Phyllis Boyens 1974 June Appal Recordings JA0001 Mother Jones Will 1978 Rounder Records this has been reissued with an additional 7 tracks 2011 Musical Traditions Records MTCD512 I Want to Go Where Things Are Beautiful 2008 Twos amp Fews Drag City Recorded by Mike Seeger 1982 Compilation Tracks edit The Land of Yahoe 1996 Rounder Way Out West in Kansas Meeting s A Pleasure Folk Songs of the Upper South Vols 2 4 2005 Musical Traditions Dixon Said to Johnson Charlotte of Edinboro Town The House Carpenter I m Drinking from the Fountain with Mollie Workman Day Is Breaking In My Soul Black Dress Blues Traditional Music on Rounder 1981 Rounder Watergate Boogie Come All You Coal Miners 1973 Rounder Albatros Both Lungs is Broke Down The N and W Don t Stop Here No More Don t You Want to Go to that Land Harlan County USA Songs of the Coal Miner s Struggle 2006 Rounder Coal Black Mining Blues Films editNimrod Workman To Fit My Own Category 1975 Directed by Anthony Slone and Scott Faulkner Whitesburg Kentucky Appalshop Harlan County USA 1976 Directed by Barbara Kopple American Patchwork Appalachian Journey 1991 Directed by Alan Lomax American Patchwork Dreams and Songs of the Noble Old 1991 Directed by Alan Lomax Coal Miner s Daughter 1980 Directed by Michael Apted Chase the Devil Religious Music of the Appalachians 1990 Directed by Jeremy Marre The Grand Generation 1993 Directed by Marjorie Hunt Paul Wagner and Steven ZeitlinReferences edit a b Nimrod Workman Appalachian Ballad Singer www arts gov National Endowment for the Arts Retrieved December 1 2020 Lord Bateman Roud Folksong Index S182411 The Vaughan Williams Memorial Library Retrieved December 4 2020 Loving Henry Roud Folksong Index S183032 The Vaughan Williams Memorial Library Retrieved December 4 2020 What is that Blood on Your Shirt Sleeve Roud Folksong Index S194408 The Vaughan Williams Memorial Library Retrieved December 4 2020 Lord Daniel Roud Folksong Index S182535 The Vaughan Williams Memorial Library Retrieved December 4 2020 Biler and the Boar Roud Folksong Index S169117 The Vaughan Williams Memorial Library Retrieved December 4 2020 Lady Gay Roud Folksong Index S401602 The Vaughan Williams Memorial Library Retrieved December 4 2020 The Devil and the Farmer Roud Folksong Index S173351 The Vaughan Williams Memorial Library Retrieved December 4 2020 Barbara Allen Roud Folksong Index S318722 The Vaughan Williams Memorial Library Retrieved December 4 2020 The Riddle Song Roud Folksong Index S219590 The Vaughan Williams Memorial Library Retrieved December 4 2020 The House Carpenter Roud Folksong Index S307900 The Vaughan Williams Memorial Library Retrieved December 4 2020 NEA National Heritage Fellowships 1986 www arts gov National Endowment for the Arts Archived from the original on May 19 2020 Retrieved December 1 2020 External links edit nbsp Organized labour portal New York Times obituary November 29 1994 Internet Radio Show on Nimrod Workman Extensive sleevenotes from Musical Traditions reissue of Mother Jones Will Nimrod Workman To Fit My Own Category interview on Appalshop June 3 1975 at the American Archive of Public Broadcasting Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Nimrod Workman amp oldid 1207830459, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
