A legend comes to new life in this dynamic biography by David C. Morton. DeFord Bailey was one of the first musicians to have his sounds recorded in Nashville as country music hit the airwaves in the mid-1920s.

The son of sharecroppers who was raised by his aunt after his mother died, Bailey was afflicted with polio as a three-year-old. He could barely move but had enough dexterity in his head and arms to play a harmonica. He began by imitating sounds heard in his isolation --- bird songs, dogs howling, the mournful whistle of trains passing by --- and acquired a sense of rhythm that would never fail. After recovering from the worst ravages of the disease, Bailey’s growth was stunted. So in photographs offered here, he appears almost childlike, even on his 75th birthday when surrounded by such notables as Roy Acuff and his band.

"Bailey wanted the full truth to be known, and Morton has written and amplified his personal history with that motivation at the forefront."

When his family moved to Nashville, Bailey’s fate took an upturn. He was hired to play for various radio stations promoting the country sound, a stint that lasted 14 years. He made several records and toured with Acuff, Bill Monroe and Uncle Dave Macon. These fellow musicians protected him; as a Black man, he would not generally have been allowed to sleep in a motel or eat in a restaurant with his bandmates.

In 1941, Bailey was fired from radio station WSM where he had been a regular performer due to a dispute among newly burgeoning recording companies. This forced Bailey, who had a strong entrepreneurial streak and determination to survive, into a business shining shoes. Morton met him during those retirement years and developed a deep alliance that resulted in the musician urging him to create his life story for the benefit of his heirs and others. Bailey wanted the full truth to be known, and Morton has written and amplified his personal history with that motivation at the forefront.

Like his co-author, Charles K. Wolfe, Morton is a historian as well as a music fan. His father encouraged him to meet Bailey, recalling his own youthful enchantment with the remarkable tones that this energetic Black performer was able to create on the harmonica. This work is a tribute to a pioneer of music who undeniably helped ensure that country music from its nascence would be shared across racial lines and ignore racial barriers. Morton states that much of the biography arose from long, soulful conversations with Bailey in his later years.

In conclusion to this unique venture, Morton allows Bailey to speak: “I want you to tell the world about this Black man. He ain’t no fool. Just let people know what I am.” In adhering to Bailey’s wishes, Morton offers his story to a new generation, with a strong hint that further veneration of this amazing talent should now be in order.