James Stevens (musician)
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| James Stevens | |
| Born | 1892 Albia, Iowa |
|---|---|
| Died | 1971 |
| Known for | Paul Bunyan, The Frozen Logger, |
James Stevens (1892 – December 31, 1971) was an American author and composer. Born in Albia, Iowa[1], he lived in Idaho from a young age, and based much of his later novel Big Jim Turner (1948) on his childhood spent in Pacific Northwest logging camps.
Among his literary works were Paul Bunyan (1925), Brawny Man (1926), "Mattock" (1927), "Homer in the Sagebrush" (1928), The Saginaw Paul Bunyan (1932), "Paul Bunyan Bears" (1947), and "Tree Treasure" (1950).[2] along with H. L. Davis, Stevens was a protege of H. L. Mencken.
His song "The Frozen Logger" was recorded by Odetta/Odetta & Larry on The Tin Angel (1954), Cisco Houston on Hard Travelin' (1954), Walt Robertson on American Northwest Ballads (1955), Jimmie Rogers on At Home with Jimmie Rodgers: An Evening of Folk Songs (1960), and many others including The Weavers and Oscar Brand, and the song was even sung (although never recorded) by Bob Weir of The Grateful Dead.[2]
[edit] External links
- ^ University of Washington, James Stevens Collection
- ^ a b James Stevens biography by Stewart Hendrickson, stolaf.edu
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