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Lloyd Chandler

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Lloyd Chandler
Born1896
Died1978 (aged 81–82)
GenresAppalachian music
Occupation(s)Musician
Free Will Baptist preacher

Lloyd Chandler (1896–1978) was an American Appalachian Folk musician and Free Will Baptist preacher from Madison County, North Carolina.

Research has asserted that Chandler is the writer of "O, Death", a song featured on the acclaimed O Brother, Where Art Thou? soundtrack.[1] Ralph Stanley won a Grammy Award for Best Male Country Vocal Performance for his rendition of this song.[2]

Indiana University Press' The Journal of Folklore Research features articles in a 2004 issue asserting that "O, Death" is Chandler's song "A Conversation with Death", which he performed for several years while preaching in Appalachia.[1]

One of the articles is from folklorist Carl Lindahl, who researched claims from Western North Carolina that O Brother's "O, Death" is Chandler's composition.[1] The article states that Chandler authored the song after a vision from God in 1916. Lindahl also chronicles his unsuccessful research in trying to find any trace of the song before Chandler's version, debunking previous claims that the song traces back to a 16th-century British composition.[3] The other article is from Chandler's daughter-in-law, Barbara, who asserts that "O, Death" was based on Chandler's composition.[4]

"A Conversation with Death" appears on Rounder Records 1975 release High Atmosphere: Ballads and Banjo Tunes from Virginia and North Carolina, a collection of recordings made by John Cohen.

Lloyd Chandler was a cousin of the folk singer Dillard Chandler.[5]

Discography

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Notes and references

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  1. ^ a b c Smith, Hazel (April 25, 2005). "HOT DISH: The Preacher and the Song". CMT.com. Country Music Television. Archived from the original on June 6, 2011. Retrieved 2008-12-28.
  2. ^ "Ralph Stanley brings his Grammy-winning bluegrass to the Jubilee stage". Kentucky Educational Television. KET.org. March 11, 2002. Archived from the original on November 7, 2009. Retrieved 2008-12-29.
  3. ^ Lindahl, Carl (May–August 2004). "Thrills and Miracles: Legends of Lloyd Chandler". Journal of Folklore Research. 41 (2–3). Indiana University Press: 133–171. doi:10.2979/JFR.2004.41.2-3.133. ISSN 0737-7037. JSTOR 3814588.
  4. ^ Chandler, Barbara (May–August 2004). "Why I Believe That Lloyd Chandler Wrote "Conversation with Death," also Known as "O Death"". Journal of Folklore Research. 41 (2). Indiana University Press: 127–132. doi:10.1353/jfr.2005.0001. ISSN 0737-7037. Retrieved 2008-12-28.
  5. ^ "Dillard Chandler". Discogs. Retrieved 2021-10-20.