Thursday, September 19, 2024
For John Lomax III, music is more than a passion; it’s a family tradition that has shaped the history of American folk music for over a century. Lomax III is the grandson of legendary folklorist John Avery Lomax Sr. and the son of Texas folk music icon John A. Lomax Jr.
Lomax III is carrying on the family’s mission of preserving and sharing America’s rich cultural heritage. He will perform at the Texas Cowboy Symposium in Granbury Sept. 27-28, bringing with him a legacy deeply rooted in the American folk tradition.
Growing up in Houston, Lomax III was surrounded by the songs and stories his father collected.
“My father started the Houston Folklore Society in our living room around 1951,” Lomax III said. The society nurtured a young generation of Texas musicians, including luminaries like Townes Van Zandt, Steve Earle, K.T Oslin, Lucinda Williams, Nancy Griffith and Shake Russell. “They all came through the folklore society and went on to greater fame and glory,” he added.
Although his father was prominent in Texas’ folk scene, Lomax III initially pursued different paths. It wasn’t until 2022 when a friend invited him to perform at a house concert, he began sharing his own songs. “I’d been around it all my life, but I hadn’t done it seriously until then,” he reflected.
Since that turning point, Lomax III has crafted his performance into the “Lomax on Lomax” show, which blends storytelling, music and historical images to educate and entertain audiences.
Lomax III’s show was named by Joe Nick Patoski, a renowned writer and Texas literary figure known for his contributions to Texas Highways magazine and Texas Monthly magazine. Patoski has also authored notable books about the Dallas Cowboys and Willie Nelson.
The Lomax family’s legacy in American music began in 1867 with John Avery Lomax Sr. “He moved to Texas — to Meridian, just down the road there, and started writing down the words to cowboy songs that he heard the cowboys singing because it turned out Chisholm Trail ran right through the backyard of the Lomax farm,” said Lomax III.
In the late 1870s, Lomax Sr. began writing down the lyrics to the songs he heard. “He figured out a way to remember the melodies without having any training or teachers or books or anything,” Lomax III explained. “He continued doing this for about 25 years, and eventually, he was able to make recordings, so he didn’t have to remember the melodies.”
As recording technology developed around the turn of the century, Lomax acquired equipment to capture the music. He initially used wax cylinders, but they proved impractical in the hot Texas summers.
Over time, he upgraded to better equipment. All these efforts culminated in his first book, “Cowboy Songs and Other Frontier Ballads,” published in 1910.
The book preserved iconic songs like “Home on the Range,” ensuring they were not lost to history. This was just the beginning of the Lomax family’s significant contributions to preserving American folk music.
Lomax Sr. and his son, Lomax Jr., later traveled the country, recording folk songs, spirituals and personal narratives for the Library of Congress.
Their fieldwork contributed 17,000 recordings to the national archive, helping preserve the cultural expressions of communities that might have been overlooked. They also played a pivotal role in discovering legendary artists like Lead Belly and Muddy Waters, among many others.
Lead Belly, born Huddie William Ledbetter Jan. 20, 1888, was a pivotal American folk and blues musician renowned for his powerful voice and 12-string guitar skills. His music is rooted in African American folk traditions and encompasses blues, folk and spirituals.
“The achievements of my family are really monumental, and they haven’t been generally known by the public,” Lomax said. Lomax Jr. and his sister, Bess Lomax Hawes, were awarded the National Medal of Arts for their contributions.
Lomax Jr.’s recordings, including a historic 1938 interview with jazz pioneer Jelly Roll Morton, aka Ferdinand Joseph LaMothe, earned him two Grammys. Morton’s compositions, including “King Porter Stomp,” are foundational in jazz history.
Lomax III’s performances pay tribute to his family’s legacy while bringing the music to new audiences.
“The show takes listeners through 140 years of history and five generations of the Lomax family, all of which have been devoted to finding, preserving and presenting American music and cultural expression,” Lomax said. His performances include folk classics like “The Old Chisholm Trail” and “Froggy Went A-Courtin,’” a 400-year-old Scottish ballad featured in his family’s iconic collection, “American Ballads and Folk Songs.”
Lomax III also continues his family’s tradition of documenting and sharing American roots music through a blog, Of American Origin, on Substack and his work exporting hard-to-find country records to Europe.
At 80 years old, he shows no signs of slowing down. “I’m not retired,” he said. In fact, he will soon release his version of “Froggy Went A-Courtin’” across digital platforms, with a full CD album to follow later this year.
“The song itself is about 400 years old, originating in Scotland. It was published in the U.S. by Uncle Alan and Grandfather in 'American Ballads and Folk Songs,' with that version featuring 35 verses,” Lomax III said. He decided to trim it down, saying “It takes a while to sing anyway with 18 verses.”
Performing solo and often a cappella, Lomax III brought together a talented group of musicians for his CD. Shawn Camp, Richard Bennett, Jim Hoke, Vincent Farsetta and Ben "Jonesy" Jones all contributed to the project.
The album also features two special guests: Rattlesnake Annie, who performs her poignant song "Goodbye to a River," and James Tristan Redding, who plays guitar and collaborates with Lomax on their co-written track "They Came but Did Not See."
The Lomax family legacy lives on through Lomax III’s performances and the next generation. His son, John Nova Lomax, was a well-known Texas journalist until his death. Now, his grandson, John Lomax V, is interning at the Houston Chronicle, continuing the family’s deep connection to storytelling.
Lomax III lives in Nashville, Tennessee, with his wife of 33 years, Melanie Wells. He is also the father of two adult children. Next weekend, he will travel to Hood County to perform.
“For the Granbury show,” Lomax III said, “I’ll focus more on cowboy songs, as this is where it all began.” He explained that his grandfather attended college in Granbury for his first higher education before going on to Texas A&M, the University of Texas, and eventually Harvard.
“The ‘Lomax on Lomax’ show is meant to be both educational and entertaining,” said Lomax III. And for those attending the Texas Cowboy Symposium, where Lomax III will perform, it offers a rare opportunity to experience the history of American folk music through the eyes and voice of a man whose family has shaped it for generations.
UPOCOMING PERFORMANCE
What: “Lomax on Lomax” show at the Texas Cowboy Symposium — Texas State Championship Chuckwagon Cook-off and Western Swing Festival
When: Noon and 2 p.m. this weekend
Presented by: Warren’s Backyard
Dates: Sept. 27-28
For anyone interested in the roots of American folk music, it’s an opportunity not to be missed.
