Annotation:Texas John
X:1 T:Texas John N:From the playing of fiddler Emma Lee Dickerson (1923-2001, born Emma Lee N:Johnson on Little Fork in Elliot County, Ky.) N:recorded in the field by Barbara Kunkle, Feb., 1974. N:"An unusual and uptempo version of 'Walk Along, John'" (Mark Wilson) N:Mrs. Dickerson sometimes played 3 phrases instead of two in the first strain. M:C| L:1/8 R:Reel Q:"Fast" D:https://dla.acaweb.org/digital/collection/berea/id/341/ D:https://www.slippery-hill.com/content/texas-john D:Rounder 1161-054402, Emma Lee Dickerson - "Along the Ohio's Shores vol. 1" (2005) Z:Andrew Kuntz K:G ((3D/E/F/|G2)EE DDGA|EE DDGA|BGAG EG2G-|GGEG D2dd|BGAG- G3[G_B]-| [G=B])GEE DGGA|BGAA EG2G-|G2EG D2dd|BGAG- G3|| e-|gagg edBB|eBdB AGG2|GGEE DEGG|(B-[ee]) [e2e2][e4e4][ee]-|[M:2/4][e4e4]-| [M:C|][e2e2]a-g e2d2|edBG AGED| GGEE D2 dd|BGAG- G3||
TEXAS JOHN. American, Reel (cut time). G Major. Standard tuning (fiddle). AB. "Texas John" was played by fiddler Emma Lee Dickerson (1923-2001), born Emma Lee Johnson on Little Fork in upland Elliot County, northeast Kentucky. She learned to fiddle from her family, particularly her uncle Walter Brickey, and played for dances and house parties around the county. After marrying, she moved to Baltimore (where her husband worked in the Navy yards in WWII), then moved back to Kentucky, settling in Ashland where she ran a grocery store. According to Mark Wilson (who met her just before she died), Emma continued to play the fiddle for her and her family's enjoyment[1].
The tune was known in her family as "Run, N....., Run," but her playing partner, guitarist Quentin Brickey "found out it was really 'Texas John'"[2]. The first strain is similar to "Walk along John (1)", although the second parts differ. The word 'John' in the title may also be indicative of a relationship between the two tunes\. Beisswegner and Andrade (2001) suggest comparison also with "No Corn on Tygart (2)."
