Ever since I heard a Twain impersonator playing the banjo, I have looking for such evidence. He played the piano - I don't know how well. He loved minstrel shows. And he could sing - although I seriously doubt that he had a bass voice - assuming reviewers of the day knew the difference between bass and (more likely) high baritone. On Feb 8, 2013, at 12:23 PM, Jeff Smith wrote: > I'll just copy and paste: > > I can't remember ever hearing that he played the banjo. Just recently a > friend lent me his copy of a Mark Twain edition in 1929 which included an > article by Cyril Clemens talking about visiting the Gilles family in our > California foothills. I'd love to hear that it is TRUE Mark Twain played > the banjo. Can any of you confirm or deny this story? It is the bass > voice and the banjo playing that has me interested. > > Here are the notes I made: > > Overland Monthly and Out West Magazine April 1929 > Founded by Bret Harte in 1868 > > Mark Twain Number > Vol 87 April 1929 No. 4 > price 25 cents > > page 116 Article by Cyril Clemens > "A Visit to Mark Twain's Country" > 127 cont. > Author visited Tuttletown, (or Turtletown) where Bill Gillis lived. Mr & > Mrs Gillis (he 90) told stories they remembered of Mark Twain's visits. > One incident involving two local girls, "The Chapperal Quails" two sisters > who lived not far away. Sam and Bill took them for a walk one Sunday > afternoon and got lost, not returning til 11PM! The mother blamed Sam > saying they'd been out with Bill Gillis before and were never late. > > "Sam saw that his presence was no longer desired, and was casting one final > despairing glance around the room preparatory to his departing, when his > gaze lighted upon a banjo. Snatching this up quickly he began to play such > favorite airs as, "Fly Away, Pretty Moth" and "Araly's Daughter" He sang > so well__Sam had an excellent bass voice--that before long the household > was in tears. Sam and Bill then arose to depart, but the mother said that > she couldn't let them go without a bit to eat. They heard a chicken squawk > in the kitchen and in about twenty minutes the old lady came in with a > large plater of fried chicken and a plate of biscuits. > > As they were going home Bill said to Sam: > > "Well, you saved your bacon." > > "Saved my bacon," Sam replied indignantly, "that was the best fried chicken > I have ever eaten in my life,"" > > Gillis also pointed out a large bed in the cabin and said they used to > sleep in it during his visit. "Sam always slept on the outside so he could > be near his pipe and tobacco which he smoked incessantly. Gillis said that > Sam was extremely ticklish and used to get terribly provoked when Bill > would torment him by tickling." > > Look forward to enlightenment, > Arianne Laidlaw > > > On Fri, Feb 8, 2013 at 11:04 AM, Robert E Stewart <[log in to unmask]> wrote: > >> In the Feb. 2, 1863 atricle in which the name Mark Twain first appears, >> the article concludes with the writer playing the piano. I can't speak to >> the banjo, but he did claim some musical talent in that writing. >> >> Bob Stewart >> >> In a message dated 2/8/2013 4:36:47 A.M. Pacific Standard Time, >> [log in to unmask] writes: >> >> I can't remember ever hearing that [Sam Clemens] played the banjo. Just >> recently a >> friend lent me his copy of a Mark Twain edition in 1929 which included an >> article by Cyril Clemens talking about visiting the Gilles family in our >> California foothills. I'd love to hear that it is TRUE Mark Twain played >> the banjo. Can any of you confirm or deny this story? It is the bass >> voice and the banjo playing that has me interested. >> >> Overland Monthly and Out West Magazine April 1929 >> Founded by Bret Harte in 1868; and Mark Twain Number Vol 87 April 1929 No. >> 4 >> Article by Cyril Clemens: "A Visit to Mark Twain's Country" >> . >> >> Arianne Laidlaw >> > > > > -- > "It is one of the great mysteries of our nature, that a man, all > unprepared, can receive a thunder-stroke like that and live. There is but > one reasonable explanation of it. The intellect is stunned by the shock and > but gropingly gathers the meaning of the words. The power to realize their > full import is mercifully lacking." > *- Mark Twain, writing on the anniversary of receiving news of his daughter > Susy's death at age 24.* > http://whit-superfriends.blogspot.com > https://picasaweb.google.com/102502945213775366565 > http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000124911516 Alan Kitty 609-219-9339 [log in to unmask] www.marktwainslaststand.com