By William “Skip” Deegans
This circa 1968-1972 photo shows John Jackson performing at one of the early John Henry Festivals near Talcott. Jackson was born in 1924 into a musical family in Woodville, Virginia, where his family were tenant farmers. His sister bought him his first guitar from Sears and Roebuck for $3.75. Jackson and his family performed locally until 1940 when his father died. To make ends meet, Jackson moved closer to Washington, DC, where he stopped performing and became a grave digger and cemetery caretaker. Just by happenstance, he was discovered by Chuck Perdue in 1964, a professor of folklore at the University of Virginia.
Following Perdue’s chance meeting, Jackson began playing at leading music festivals and recording. He was called a “songster” because his repertoire included country, gospel, old time, rock music as well as stories. He was recorded as part of the Smithsonian Folkways series. Jackson died in 2002.
The John Henry Festival was named after the African-American folk hero, John Henry. Henry worked on the Chesapeake & Ohio Railway’s Big Bend Tunnel that was constructed in 1870-1872 where many – possibly hundreds – of African-American laborers died.
Sources: Smithsonian Folkways, Journal of Appalachian Studies.
