Humphrey Bate
Encyclopedia
Humphrey Bate was an American harmonica
player and string band
leader. He was the first musician to play old-time music
on Nashville
-area radio, and is generally regarded as the first performer on what would eventually become the Grand Ole Opry
. Bate and his band, which had been given the name "Dr. Humphrey Bate & His Possum Hunters" by Opry founder George D. Hay
, remained regulars on the Grand Ole Opry until Bate's death in 1936. The band's recordings, while scant, are considered some of the most distinctive and complex string band compositions in the old-time genre.
on May 25, 1875 to a prominent Middle Tennessee family. Several of Bate's relatives had served as Confederate
officers in the American Civil War
, including a captain— also named Humphrey Bate— who was killed at the Battle of Shiloh
. Bate's cousin, William Brimage Bate, served as Governor of Tennessee in the 1880s. The Bate family owned several plantations throughout the southeast, and Humphrey probably learned to play dance tunes from freed slaves living on his father's plantation in Castalian Springs.
Throughout his teen years, Bate collected pocket change by playing harmonica on steamboats travelling up and down the Cumberland River
. He eventually attended medical school at Vanderbilt University
in Nashville and served as a surgeon in the Spanish American War (1898). While Bate worked primarily as a physician for most of his life, he never lost his passion for playing music. He likely formed his first string band sometime around 1900, and subsequently acquired a reputation in the Nashville area by playing at various rallies and silent movie theaters.
, invited Bate to play on the company's new radio station, WSM
, which could reach a much wider audience than WDAD. Bate happily accepted, and over the following weeks, he and his band— which was typically called "Dr. Bate's Band" or some similar variation— played on WDAD in the afternoon and WSM in the evening.
In November 1925, WSM hired announcer George Hay, who had developed a popular program called National Barn Dance
for Chicago
radio station WLS. Hay kept the barn dance format for WSM, and sought rural musicians from the Nashville area to play on the program. WSM's Barn Dance first aired on November 28, 1925 with legendary fiddler Uncle Jimmy Thompson
as its first performer. Bate made his first appearance on the program three weeks later. The band was first introduced as "Dr. Humphrey Bate and His Augmented String Orchestra," but Hay eventually changed the name to the more rural-sounding "Dr. Humphrey Bate and His Possum Hunters."
In 1927, Hay changed the name of WSM's Barn Dance to the "Grand Ole Opry." Over the next several years, Bate— dubbed the "Dean of the Opry" by Hay— performed regularly on the program. Bate's band was unusually large for a string band, typically consisting of two fiddles, two guitars, a banjo
, a cello
, and a bowed bass
. Regular bandmates included guitarists Burt Hutcherson and Staley Walton, fiddlers Oscar Stone and Bill Barrett, banjo player Walter Ligget, and bassist Oscar Albright. Bate's daughter Alcyone Bate Beasley often performed with the band as a ukelele player. The band's set usually opened with the song, "There'll Be a Hot Time in the Old Town Tonight
," and the band's repertoire included "Old Joe," "Greenback Dollar," "Going Uptown," and "Eighth of January."
Dr. Humphrey Bate and His Possum Hunters held their only major recording session on March 3, 1928 in Atlanta
, when they recorded twelve sides for Brunswick Records
. In 1931, the band became the first Opry band to go on tour. Bate was also instrumental in introducing Hay to various Nashville-area musicians, including the Crook Brothers and DeFord Bailey
. On June 12, 1936, Bate died of a heart attack at his home in Castalian Springs. The Possum Hunters continued playing with various line-ups (some of which included Bate's son, Humphrey, Jr.) until the 1960s.
Harmonica
The harmonica, also called harp, French harp, blues harp, and mouth organ, is a free reed wind instrument used primarily in blues and American folk music, jazz, country, and rock and roll. It is played by blowing air into it or drawing air out by placing lips over individual holes or multiple holes...
player and string band
String band
A string band is an old-time music or jazz ensemble made up mainly or solely of string instruments. String bands were popular in the 1920s and 1930s, and are among the forerunners of modern country music and bluegrass.-String bands in old-time music:...
leader. He was the first musician to play old-time music
Old-time music
Old-time music is a genre of North American folk music, with roots in the folk music of many countries, including England, Scotland, Ireland and countries in Africa. It developed along with various North American folk dances, such as square dance, buck dance, and clogging. The genre also...
on Nashville
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
-area radio, and is generally regarded as the first performer on what would eventually become the Grand Ole Opry
Grand Ole Opry
The Grand Ole Opry is a weekly country music stage concert in Nashville, Tennessee, that has presented the biggest stars of that genre since 1925. It is also among the longest-running broadcasts in history since its beginnings as a one-hour radio "barn dance" on WSM-AM...
. Bate and his band, which had been given the name "Dr. Humphrey Bate & His Possum Hunters" by Opry founder George D. Hay
George D. Hay
George Dewey Hay was an American radio personality. He was the founder of the original Grand Ole Opry radio program on WSM-AM in Nashville, Tennessee, from which the country music stage show of the same name evolved....
, remained regulars on the Grand Ole Opry until Bate's death in 1936. The band's recordings, while scant, are considered some of the most distinctive and complex string band compositions in the old-time genre.
Early life
Humphrey Bate was born in Castalian Springs, TennesseeCastalian Springs, Tennessee
Castalian Springs is an unincorporated community in Sumner County, Tennessee, United States. It is located along Tennessee State Route 25 about seven miles east of Gallatin, Tennessee. The area has its own post office. The Zip Code for Castalian Springs is 37031...
on May 25, 1875 to a prominent Middle Tennessee family. Several of Bate's relatives had served as Confederate
Confederate States of America
The Confederate States of America was a government set up from 1861 to 1865 by 11 Southern slave states of the United States of America that had declared their secession from the U.S...
officers in the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
, including a captain— also named Humphrey Bate— who was killed at the Battle of Shiloh
Battle of Shiloh
The Battle of Shiloh, also known as the Battle of Pittsburg Landing, was a major battle in the Western Theater of the American Civil War, fought April 6–7, 1862, in southwestern Tennessee. A Union army under Maj. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant had moved via the Tennessee River deep into Tennessee and...
. Bate's cousin, William Brimage Bate, served as Governor of Tennessee in the 1880s. The Bate family owned several plantations throughout the southeast, and Humphrey probably learned to play dance tunes from freed slaves living on his father's plantation in Castalian Springs.
Throughout his teen years, Bate collected pocket change by playing harmonica on steamboats travelling up and down the Cumberland River
Cumberland River
The Cumberland River is a waterway in the Southern United States. It is long. It starts in Harlan County in far southeastern Kentucky between Pine and Cumberland mountains, flows through southern Kentucky, crosses into northern Tennessee, and then curves back up into western Kentucky before...
. He eventually attended medical school at Vanderbilt University
Vanderbilt University
Vanderbilt University is a private research university located in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. Founded in 1873, the university is named for shipping and rail magnate "Commodore" Cornelius Vanderbilt, who provided Vanderbilt its initial $1 million endowment despite having never been to the...
in Nashville and served as a surgeon in the Spanish American War (1898). While Bate worked primarily as a physician for most of his life, he never lost his passion for playing music. He likely formed his first string band sometime around 1900, and subsequently acquired a reputation in the Nashville area by playing at various rallies and silent movie theaters.
The Opry years, 1925–1936
In September 1925, Bate and his band became the first musicians to play old-time music on Nashville radio when they performed on the small local station WDAD. A month later, William Craig, a purchasing agent for the National Life and Accident Insurance CompanyNational Life and Accident Insurance Company
The National Life and Accident Insurance Company is a former life insurance company which was based in Nashville, Tennessee.National Life and Accident began in 1900 as the National Sick and Accident Association, a mutual company...
, invited Bate to play on the company's new radio station, WSM
WSM (AM)
WSM is the callsign of a 50,000 watt AM radio station located in Nashville, Tennessee. Operating at 650 kHz, its clear channel signal can reach much of North America and various countries, especially late at night...
, which could reach a much wider audience than WDAD. Bate happily accepted, and over the following weeks, he and his band— which was typically called "Dr. Bate's Band" or some similar variation— played on WDAD in the afternoon and WSM in the evening.
In November 1925, WSM hired announcer George Hay, who had developed a popular program called National Barn Dance
National Barn Dance
National Barn Dance, broadcast by WLS-AM in Chicago, Illinois starting in 1924, was one of the first American country music radio programs and a direct precursor of the Grand Ole Opry...
for Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
radio station WLS. Hay kept the barn dance format for WSM, and sought rural musicians from the Nashville area to play on the program. WSM's Barn Dance first aired on November 28, 1925 with legendary fiddler Uncle Jimmy Thompson
Uncle Jimmy Thompson
Jesse Donald "Uncle Jimmy" Thompson was an American old-time fiddle player. He is best remembered as the first performer to play on Nashville's Grand Ole Opry , appearing with founder and host George D. Hay on the evening of November 28, 1925...
as its first performer. Bate made his first appearance on the program three weeks later. The band was first introduced as "Dr. Humphrey Bate and His Augmented String Orchestra," but Hay eventually changed the name to the more rural-sounding "Dr. Humphrey Bate and His Possum Hunters."
In 1927, Hay changed the name of WSM's Barn Dance to the "Grand Ole Opry." Over the next several years, Bate— dubbed the "Dean of the Opry" by Hay— performed regularly on the program. Bate's band was unusually large for a string band, typically consisting of two fiddles, two guitars, a banjo
Banjo
In the 1830s Sweeney became the first white man to play the banjo on stage. His version of the instrument replaced the gourd with a drum-like sound box and included four full-length strings alongside a short fifth-string. There is no proof, however, that Sweeney invented either innovation. This new...
, a cello
Cello
The cello is a bowed string instrument with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is a member of the violin family of musical instruments, which also includes the violin, viola, and double bass. Old forms of the instrument in the Baroque era are baryton and viol .A person who plays a cello is...
, and a bowed bass
Double bass
The double bass, also called the string bass, upright bass, standup bass or contrabass, is the largest and lowest-pitched bowed string instrument in the modern symphony orchestra, with strings usually tuned to E1, A1, D2 and G2...
. Regular bandmates included guitarists Burt Hutcherson and Staley Walton, fiddlers Oscar Stone and Bill Barrett, banjo player Walter Ligget, and bassist Oscar Albright. Bate's daughter Alcyone Bate Beasley often performed with the band as a ukelele player. The band's set usually opened with the song, "There'll Be a Hot Time in the Old Town Tonight
There'll Be a Hot Time in the Old Town Tonight
"A Hot Time in the Old Town" is an American ragtime song, composed in 1896 by Theodore August Metz with lyrics by Joe Hayden. Metz was the band leader of the McIntyre and Heath Minstrels....
," and the band's repertoire included "Old Joe," "Greenback Dollar," "Going Uptown," and "Eighth of January."
Dr. Humphrey Bate and His Possum Hunters held their only major recording session on March 3, 1928 in Atlanta
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...
, when they recorded twelve sides for Brunswick Records
Brunswick Records
Brunswick Records is a United States based record label. The label is currently distributed by E1 Entertainment.-From 1916:Records under the "Brunswick" label were first produced by the Brunswick-Balke-Collender Company...
. In 1931, the band became the first Opry band to go on tour. Bate was also instrumental in introducing Hay to various Nashville-area musicians, including the Crook Brothers and DeFord Bailey
DeFord Bailey
DeFord Bailey was an American country music star from the 1920s until 1941, and the first performer on the Grand Ole Opry...
. On June 12, 1936, Bate died of a heart attack at his home in Castalian Springs. The Possum Hunters continued playing with various line-ups (some of which included Bate's son, Humphrey, Jr.) until the 1960s.
Discography
- Harmonica Masters (YazooYazoo RecordsYazoo Records is an American record label, founded in the late 1960s by Nick Perls. It specializes in early American blues, country, jazz, and other rural American genres ....
, 1996) — contains the track, "Take Your Foot Out of the Mud & Put it in the Sand" - Nashville - Early String Bands, Vol. 1 (CountyCounty RecordsCounty Records also expanded into the bluegrass music genre, although Freeman preferred those artists who stayed the closest to their old-time roots. The label's first bluegrass release was 1965's Blue Ridge Bluegrass featuring Larry Richardson and the Blue Ridge Boys.-Related businesses:Freeman...
, 2000) — contains the tracks "Green Backed Dollar Bill," "Eighth of January," "Throw the Old Cow Over the Fence," and "My Wife Died Saturday Night"
External links
- Grand Ole Opry — Timeline
- Juneberry78s Old-time Music Sampler— contains mp3s of three tracks recorded by Dr. Humphrey Bate and His Possum Hunters