Clarence Ashley, born Clarence Earl McCurry on 29 September 1895 in Bristol,
Tennessee, was an American folk musician and banjo player whose early life was
shaped by Appalachian traditions and the medicine shows of the early 20th
century. After learning the clawhammer banjo from his grandfather and performing
in medicine shows from 1911, Ashley made his first recordings in February 1928
for Gennett Records with the Blue Ridge Mountain Entertainers, followed by
sessions for Columbia and Victor in 1929 that produced solo tracks such as "Coo
Coo Bird" and "House Carpenter". The Grea...