Boxwell Music, Part IV

We continue our look at Boxwell musicians, continuing to move forward with Old Hickory Lake. With a history of almost 60 years at this one location, there are undoubtedly quite a few musical acts. However, after the Hooten-nannies, we have no documentation for anyone throughout the next two decades! We’re sure they exist, but we have no photos of them to share.

So, the next musical entourage we do have evidence for comes in 1997. That summer was the first for Ron Turpin as Reservation Director and we wanted regular joint campfires, not just a joint campfire at July 4th as had become the custom. Thus, every week, there was a Sunday night campfire in camp and a Friday night campfire at the Amphitheatre. It was this joint campfire we see this week’s musicians.

There are four people on the stage here. Three of them are from Parnell, one is from the reservation staff. Left to Right are Ben Houser (guitar, front), Jason Bradford (guitar, front), Bo Collier (drum, back), and Red Kirby (harmonica, front). The four played two songs at the joint campfire that summer: the Grateful Dead’s “I Know You Rider” and a mash-up of “Amazing Grace” with the Eagle’s “Peaceful, Easy Feeling.” The group existed this one summer and were no more.

As for the image, it is still from a short film Jason Bradford created, entitled “Boxwell Reservation.” It has never (and probably wont’) seen the warm glow of a general audience, but it captures life at Boxwell from a Parnell staff member’s perspective in the mid-1990s.

Left to Right: Ben Houser (guitar), Jason Bradford (guitar), Bo Collier (drum), and Red Kirby (harmonica).

Boxwell Music, Part II

We continue our look at Boxwell musicians, this week looking at Rock Island. The only musical act we know of from the Rock Island years (1949-1959) were the Poison Ivy Leaguers, shown here.

The Poison Ivy Leaguers were led by Terrence Cooksey, who was joined by Cliff Briley (son of Beverly Briley), Bob Alley, John Oliver, Richard McWhorter, Wolf Goethart, and Brownie Dean Grissom. The group only performed at campfires and only for a year or two, mostly like 1956 and/or 1957.

According to Bob Alley, “Two songs I remember were “In the Still of the Night”, originally recorded by The Five Satins in 1956; and “Rock Island Line”, originally recorded by Lead Belly, Golden gate Quartet, 1939, but heard by us by The Big Chris Barber Band, 1955. We sang the original lyrics in their recorded style for “In the Still of the Night”, and re-wrote the lyrics to suit Camp Boxwell for “The Rock Island Line”. It was about a “secret” late night line for staff members from their tents to the kitchen, to take possession of cookies and milk to compensate them for their meager pay. All the staff and leadership knew about the line, but not the campers.”

The other item to note in this photo is that it was taken at Rock Island’s Friday Night Campfire Area. Note the wall in the background as well as a small stage. A very different set up from what exists at the modern Boxwell!

Rock Island’s “Poison Ivy Leaguers” included a ukulele and drums. The members were (L-R):From the photo, left to right: Terrence Cooksey, Cliff Briley, Bob Alley, John Oliver, Richard McWhorter, and Wolf Goethert, and, Brownie Dean Grissom.

Boxwell Music, Part I

We thought it might be fun to spend this month focusing on one of the favorite aspects of camp: camp music. By camp music, we don’t mean Music merit badge or even camp songs, though we know how well you can all sing! We want to look at those musicians who graced Boxwell’s campfires and camp life.

The earliest musician we know of is none other than camp cook Walter Whittaker from the Linton and Narrows of the Harpeth Boxwells. It is hard to know how musically inclined Whittaker actually was, simply because the reports tend to report him as singing “Negro spirituals.” The reviews were always positive, but it is hard to not see this phrasing as the racial stereotyping common in the period.

Nevertheless, Whittaker sang regularly at Sunday morning services (camp ran Monday to Monday) and often at campfires. While we don’t have a photo of Whittaker singing, we do know several of his songs. His repertoire included “Hallelujah, Little David,” “Steal Away,” and the incredibly uncomfortably titled song, “Some Folks Say That a Nigger Won’t Steal.” On the upside, Whittaker also sang “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot,” tying modern Boxwell to the Boxwells of the past through music…

Camp cook Walter Whittaker at the Narrows of the Harpeth Boxwell, about 1940