“W” is for White, Josh (1914-1969). Musician. A native of Greenville, White was a sophisticated guitarist and singer, Broadway actor, and favorite of the New York City folk music and leftist political scenes of the 1940s. He played a major role in introducing the African American blues tradition to white audiences and establishing the blues singer as an American cultural icon. While his repertoire spanned pop tunes, protest songs, and folk ballads, he remained rooted in the blues and spirituals he learned growing up in Greenville. He moved to New York City and by the early 1930s had become a popular recording artist among African American audiences in both blues (as “Pinewood Tom”) and gospel. Although his career declined in the 1950s, Joshua Daniel White found new fans during the folk revival of the 1960s.
“W” is for White, Josh (1914-1969)
