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{{More footnotes|date=August 2021}}
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==Derroll Adams==
{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2020}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| name = Derroll Adams
| image =Derroll Adams.png
| caption = Adams busking in [[Saint-Tropez]], [[France]] in 1957
| image_size =
| birth_name = Derroll Lewis Thompson
| alias =
| birth_date = {{birth date|1925|11|27}}
| birth_place = [[Portland, Oregon]], United States
| death_date = {{death date and age|2000|2|6|1925|11|27}}
| death_place = [[Antwerp]], Belgium
| origin =
| instrument = Guitar, [[banjo]], vocals
| genre = [[Folk music|Folk]]
| occupation = Singer-songwriter
| years_active =
| label =
| website = [https://derrolladams.org/en/discography.html derrolladams.org]
}}


'''Derroll Adams''' (November 27, 1925 – February 6, 2000)<ref name="AMG">{{Cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/derroll-adams-mn0000249121/biography|title=Derroll Adams &#124; Biography & History|website=[[AllMusic]]|access-date=August 12, 2021}}</ref> was an American [[folk music]]ian.
Vitals: November 27th 1925-February 6th 2000 aged 75


==Biography==
Yin/Yang: ?/Sagittarius
He was born '''Derroll Lewis Thompson''' in [[Portland, Oregon]], United States.<ref name="LarkinGE">{{cite book|title=[[Encyclopedia of Popular Music|The Guinness Encyclopedia of Popular Music]]|editor=[[Colin Larkin (writer)|Colin Larkin]]|publisher=[[Guinness Publishing]]|date=1992|edition=First|isbn=0-85112-939-0|pages=39/40}}</ref> At 16, he served in the [[United States Army|Army]], but was discharged when his true age of 16 was discovered, and later in the [[United States Coast Guard|Coast Guard]].<ref name="AMG"/> He was a tall, lanky [[banjo]] player with a deep voice. He was [[busking]] around the [[West Coast of the United States|West Coast]] music scene in the 1950s when he met [[Ramblin' Jack Elliott]] in the [[Topanga Canyon]] area of Los Angeles.<ref name="AMG"/> The two traveled around and recorded albums, among them ''Cowboys'' and ''The Rambling Boys''.


⚫
His recording career was somewhat uneven, and like Elliott he was better known for whom he influenced—[[Donovan]], among others—than for his own art. With Elliott, he had gone to England to play live and record.<ref name="AMG"/> Elliott went back, but Adams stayed.<ref name="AMG"/> He took Donovan, who had been playing around the UK with [[Gyp Mills|Gypsy Dave]], under his wing as a sort of protégé; as a result, the influence of American traditional music can be distinctly heard in Donovan's earlier work, including the song "[[A Gift From A Flower To A Garden|Epistle To Derroll]]".<ref name="AMG"/>
Place of Birth: Portland, OR


In celebration of Adams 65th birthday, a concert featuring [[Allan Taylor (musician)|Allan Taylor]], [[Wizz Jones]], former members of [[Pentangle (band)|Pentangle]] and [[Happy Traum]], plus Adams former travelling partner Elliott, was recorded and released on album.<ref name="LarkinGE"/>
Place of Death: unknown, probably somewhere in Belgium


⚫
Adams died in [[Antwerp]], Belgium, in February 2000.<ref name="AMG"/> His collaboration with Elliott left behind a body of influence that prevails today. [[Topic Records]] has made most of his and Elliott's recordings available on CD.{{Citation needed|date=March 2016}}


==Discography==
Derroll Adams was a tall, lanky banjo player with a deep voice. He was bummin' around the West Coast music scene in the 50s when he met Ramblin' Jack Elliott in the Topanga Canyon area of Los Angeles, CA. The two travelled around and recorded as many as (2) albums, among them Cowboys and Ramblin's Boys (cf Pennebaker's Don't Look Back, or DLB). According to legend, Derroll & Jack would go in the studio with whatever they had, which may have included whiskey and marijuana, and they recorded whatever they felt like recording on the spur of the moment. This style of recording was probably more prevalent in the 40s, 50s & 60s--the result of this particular style or recording process is that the recording is loose around the edges but preserves some of the spontaneity and vigor of a live performance. It is a performative style rather than a compositional style. (cf Paul Williams' Bob Dylan: Performing Artist series, particularly vol. 1, for a more in-depth discussion of the tension between the performative and the compositional.)
'''Solo projects'''
*1967: ''Portland Town''
*1972: ''Feelin' Fine''
*1974: ''Movin' On''
*1977: ''Along the Way''
*1978: ''Folk Friends'', [[Double album|double LP]] recorded in Germany with [[Davey Arthur]], [[Alex Campbell (singer)|Alex Campbell]], [[Guy Carawan|Guy]] & Candie Carawan, Finbar Furey ([[The Fureys]]), [[Wizz Jones]], [[Werner Lämmerhirt]] and [[Hannes Wader]].
⚫
*1994: ''Derroll Adams LIVE''
*1997: ''Songs of the Banjoman''
*2002: ''Banjoman – a tribute to Derroll Adams'', Blue Groove BG-1420
*2016: ''Live in Haarlem 1977'', SCR-78 StrictlyCountryRecords.com.


'''With Ramblin' Jack Elliott'''
*1957: ''[[The Rambling Boys]]''
*1963: ''Roll On Buddy''
*1969: ''Folkland Songs''
*1969: ''Riding in Folkland''
*1975: ''America''


==References==
⚫
His recording career was somewhat uneven, and like his buddy Jack, he was better known for who he influenced--like Donovan, among others--than for his own art. With Jack, he had gone to England to play live and record. Jack went back, and Derroll stayed. He took Donovan, who had been playing around the U.K. with Gypsy Dave, under his wing--Donovan became a sort of protege--and as a result, the influence of American traditional music can be distinctly heard in Donovan's earlier work. (cf DLB)
{{Reflist}}


⚫
==Sources==
⚫
*Williams, Paul: ''Bob Dylan Performing Artist vols. 1–3'' (a.k.a. ''The Early Years'', ''The Middle Years'' and ''Mind Out of Time'', respectively)
⚫
*[[D. A. Pennebaker|Pennebaker, D. A.]]: ''[[Dont Look Back]]''
⚫
*Donovan: ''Troubadour: The Definitive Collection 1964–1976''
*Folk Freak Plattenproduktion ''Folk Friends 1978''


==External links==
⚫
According to legend, Derroll drifted to somewhere in Belgium--perhaps either Antwerp or Brussels--where he reputedly remained until his death in 2000. His collaboration with Jack left behind a body of influence that prevales today--Topic Records U.K. has made most of his and Jack's recordings available on CD.
*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VLTtj44P6u8 Banjoman: A Tribute to Derroll Adams (2002 album)]


{{Authority control}}


{{DEFAULTSORT:Adams, Derroll}}
⚫
Sources:
[[Category:American folk singers]]

[[Category:American street performers]]

[[Category:Musicians from Portland, Oregon]]
⚫
Williams, Paul--Bob Dylan Performing Artist vols. 1-3 (aka The Early Years, The Middle Years & Mind Out of Time, respectively)--book
[[Category:1925 births]]

[[Category:2000 deaths]]
⚫
Pennebaker, D. A.--Don't Look Back--film
[[Category:20th-century American singers]]

[[Category:Singers from Oregon]]
⚫
Donovan--Troubadour: The Definitive Collection 1964-1976--music (dead recording)

Latest revision as of 20:50, 8 June 2024

Derroll Adams
Adams busking in Saint-Tropez, France in 1957
Adams busking in Saint-Tropez, France in 1957
Background information
Birth nameDerroll Lewis Thompson
Born(1925-11-27)November 27, 1925
Portland, Oregon, United States
DiedFebruary 6, 2000(2000-02-06) (aged 74)
Antwerp, Belgium
GenresFolk
Occupation(s)Singer-songwriter
Instrument(s)Guitar, banjo, vocals
Websitederrolladams.org

Derroll Adams (November 27, 1925 – February 6, 2000)[1] was an American folk musician.

Biography

[edit]

He was born Derroll Lewis Thompson in Portland, Oregon, United States.[2] At 16, he served in the Army, but was discharged when his true age of 16 was discovered, and later in the Coast Guard.[1] He was a tall, lanky banjo player with a deep voice. He was busking around the West Coast music scene in the 1950s when he met Ramblin' Jack Elliott in the Topanga Canyon area of Los Angeles.[1] The two traveled around and recorded albums, among them Cowboys and The Rambling Boys.

His recording career was somewhat uneven, and like Elliott he was better known for whom he influenced—Donovan, among others—than for his own art. With Elliott, he had gone to England to play live and record.[1] Elliott went back, but Adams stayed.[1] He took Donovan, who had been playing around the UK with Gypsy Dave, under his wing as a sort of protégé; as a result, the influence of American traditional music can be distinctly heard in Donovan's earlier work, including the song "Epistle To Derroll".[1]

In celebration of Adams 65th birthday, a concert featuring Allan Taylor, Wizz Jones, former members of Pentangle and Happy Traum, plus Adams former travelling partner Elliott, was recorded and released on album.[2]

Adams died in Antwerp, Belgium, in February 2000.[1] His collaboration with Elliott left behind a body of influence that prevails today. Topic Records has made most of his and Elliott's recordings available on CD.[citation needed]

Discography

[edit]

Solo projects

  • 1967: Portland Town
  • 1972: Feelin' Fine
  • 1974: Movin' On
  • 1977: Along the Way
  • 1978: Folk Friends, double LP recorded in Germany with Davey Arthur, Alex Campbell, Guy & Candie Carawan, Finbar Furey (The Fureys), Wizz Jones, Werner Lämmerhirt and Hannes Wader.
  • 1994: Derroll Adams LIVE
  • 1997: Songs of the Banjoman
  • 2002: Banjoman – a tribute to Derroll Adams, Blue Groove BG-1420
  • 2016: Live in Haarlem 1977, SCR-78 StrictlyCountryRecords.com.

With Ramblin' Jack Elliott

  • 1957: The Rambling Boys
  • 1963: Roll On Buddy
  • 1969: Folkland Songs
  • 1969: Riding in Folkland
  • 1975: America

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c d e f g "Derroll Adams | Biography & History". AllMusic. Retrieved August 12, 2021.
  2. ^ a b Colin Larkin, ed. (1992). The Guinness Encyclopedia of Popular Music (First ed.). Guinness Publishing. pp. 39/40. ISBN 0-85112-939-0.

Sources

[edit]
  • Williams, Paul: Bob Dylan Performing Artist vols. 1–3 (a.k.a. The Early Years, The Middle Years and Mind Out of Time, respectively)
  • Pennebaker, D. A.: Dont Look Back
  • Donovan: Troubadour: The Definitive Collection 1964–1976
  • Folk Freak Plattenproduktion Folk Friends 1978
[edit]
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