Prater & Hayes Explained
Prater & Hayes were American black musicians from Vicksburg, Mississippi, United States, who made recordings in the 1920s.[1] Matthew Prater was a mandolin player; Napoleon Hayes played the guitar.[1] They were the first to record Scott Joplin's "The Entertainer", under the title "Easy Winner", combining it with another song.[1] Another tune they borrowed from Joplin was "Somethin' Doin'."
Hayes was born in West Corinth, Mississippi in 1885, and Prater in New Albany, Mississippi on June 30, 1889.[2]
Their recordings showed a fusion of musical styles, of string band, blues and ragtime.[1] [3] Prater took the lead with his mandolin, while Hayes played rhythm guitar.[1] They recorded music under two different group names, the 'Blue Boys' and the 'Johnson Boys' (with Lonnie Johnson).[1]
The three records that they produced were recorded in Memphis, Tennessee, on February 15, 1928.[4]
- "Easy Winner", the Blue Boys (combined Joplin's "The Entertainer" with "Creole Belles", by J. Bodewalt Lampe)[1] [5]
- "Memphis Stomp" (side 2) with Lonnie Johnson on fiddle[4] [5]
- "Prater Blues" (side 1), the Johnson Boys[5]
- "Violin Blues" (side 2), the Johnson Boys (Lonnie Johnson on fiddle)[4] [5]
- "Somethin' Doin'"[5]
- "Nothin' Doin'"[5]
Their lives after 1928, and the dates of their deaths, are unreported.[2]
Notes and References
- Web site: Prater and Hayes. 2013 . Oldtimeparty.wordpress.com. July 20, 2017 .
- Book: Bob. Eagle. Eric S.. LeBlanc. 2013. Blues – A Regional Experience. Praeger Publishers. Santa Barbara. 110 . 978-0313344237.
- Book: Oliver, Paul. Yonder Come the Blues: The Evolution of a Genre. registration. 168. Prater .. February 22, 2001. Cambridge University Press. 978-0521787772. en.
- Book: Sullivan, Steve. October 2015 . Encyclopedia of Great Popular Song Recordings, Volume 1 . Scarecrow Press. 446 . 1 . 978-0810882959 .
- Book: Rust. Brian. Shaw . Malcolm . Jazz and Ragtime Records (1897–1942): A-K. Mainspring Press . 978-0967181929 . 755 .
