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About The Artist Howard Byrd Moore is best known as a quality old-time guitarist and for the four sides he made with his string band, the Hot Shots, released on Columbia following his October 1929 session in Johnson City, Tennessee. Moore actually made more recordings for Gennett and their subsidiary labels during a four-year association with that Richmond, Indiana firm, many released under pseudonyms. According to his death certificate, Moore was a native of Harlan, Kentucky, but spent most of his adult life in Wise County, Virginia where he worked mostly at the barbering trade although he also roamed about a bit. Moore's first recordings came about as a band member with Georgia fiddler Earl Johnson (B: August 24, 1886 — D: May 31, 1965), cutting a dozen sides with him for the OKeh label in early 1927. The following year, he began a four-year association in 1928 which included some sideman work with John D. Foster (B: June 23, 1896 — D: February 10, 1984) and Leonard Rutherford (B: March 22, 1898 — D: June 30, 1951) in addition to the 25 issued sides released (many more were unreleased) either under his own name or as a partner with Wise County fiddle ace, Melvin Robinette (B: April 10, 1905 — D: January 10, 1999). One of the Moore and Robinette sides "Birmingham Jail," released on pseudonym as by "Ezra Hill and Henry Johnson," sold over 30,000 copies on Gennett's Champion subsidiary, a high number for that label. Byrd Moore's Columbia recordings with the Hot Shots comprised of fiddler Clarence Greene (B: June 26, 1894 — D: October 22, 1961) and much-traveled guitarist Clarence (Tom) Ashley (B: September 29, 1895 — June 2, 1967) probably represented the apex of his career, based on the string-band classic "Three Men Went a Hunting" an updated-Americanized rendition of a 17th century British lyric. Through the inclusion of this number in the New Lost City Ramblers song book and on a Folkways recording by the same group it reached a whole new audience.
A Dr. S. E. Reynolds of the Elizbethton Bark(b)ers Union spoke at a banquet one night in June 1929. The attendees were entertained by the music of Byrd Moore and Clarence Green (violin and guitar, respectively). While John Fair, an ex-barber, "furnished the spice of the program by handing several "wise cracks." An old-time fiddlers' convention was held at Jonesboro, TN in August 1931. Byrd Moore won first prize for guitar, banjo and band. Clarence Greene took first prize on fiddle and second place on guitar. Tom Ashley won first prize for band. The trio was said to represent the talent from Elizabethton. It was reported that contestants came from Elizabethon, Boone, Jonesbor, Johnson City, Boone's Creek, Bluff City, Blountville and Kingsport. In September 1936, news reports indicated the Cox string band would provide entertainment for the Young Republican club of Kingsport, Tennessee. Hagan Richmond, the Scott County (Virginia) District Attorney was the scheduled speaker at the weekly meting. The Cox string band included Byrd Moore on guitar; Sam Tribmle on ukelele and S. E. Cox on violin. Sadly, this did Moore little good as he fell into poverty, lost everything he owned, suffered from chronic alcoholism, and was admitted to the Wise County poorhouse. His actual death was attributed to diabetes and he passed away as a result of or during a leg amputation at a Coeburn, Virginia hospital. He was buried on the cemetery at the Wise County Poor Farm. Hank Edenborn, a dedicated researcher, recently obtained a copy of his death certificate which he generously shared. Credits & Sources
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Recordings (78rpm/45rpm)
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