J.R. "Sonny" Danville
Members
J.R. "Sonny" Danville - Guitars and Vocals
(deceased)
Where From:
Adairville, Kentucky
File Under:
Traditional southern, including country/folk/blues/bluegrass/ragtime.
J.R. Danville was a Kentuckian whose music combined elements of folk, country, ragtime, and appalachian traditions. Born in 1923 in Adairville, KY, Danville was stricken with a gastrointestinal disorder, a case of scoliosis, and, most reflected in his songs, a frequently-broken heart. "Sonny" lived a life as reckless and lonesome as that depicted in his music. He drank hard, encountered many shady ladies, and transposed it all into his brand of folky country music. He died in 1953, at the age of 29, when he was shot by his lover, Kay Marie Cole, during one of the couple's legendary arguments. Over the years, Sonny wrote a great deal of music, but none of it was ever released, and he faded into obscurity after his death. That is, until now. While on a tour stop in Lexington, KY, Riot Gear's Ben Day was in an abandoned 1940's blues club (which had been renovated from a church). Day found a small vinyl disc, caked with aged dust, in a misplaced ceiling tile. This disc, in surprisingly good condition, contained the (as of then) only known recorded material by Danville. The collection, believed to have been recorded in a Kentucky barn in 1952, featured Danville alone with his guitar and was officially released in 2002. As it so happens, in 2003, a tape surfaced of Danville playing a rare live gig in a Lexington church, backed by his friend William Prime. The two performed a collection of previously unheard tracks. The record, titled "November 12, 1952," was released on August 16, 2003. A few months later, upon the death of Danville's friend Albert Howling, a number of field recordings were discovered, featuring previously-unheard songs in a full-band setting, a first for Danville. This collection was released under the title "Reservoir Songs."
Discography
"1952: The Complete Recordings" (PSR-009)
SM(art) Productions, vol. 1 - "Leanne"
"November 12, 1952" (PSR-0016)
SM(art) Productions, vol 2. - "Headed to the Hollow," "Oh! Briana"
"Reservoir Songs" (PSR-020)
SM(art) Productions, vol 3. - "I'm Walking To The Water"
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