Bruce Langhorne facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Bruce Langhorne
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| Background information | |
| Born | May 11, 1938 Tallahassee, Florida, U.S. |
| Died | April 14, 2017 (aged 78) Venice, California, U.S. |
| Genres | Folk music |
| Occupation(s) | Musician |
| Instruments | Guitar, percussion |
Bruce Langhorne (born May 11, 1938 – died April 14, 2017) was an American folk musician. He was a very active part of the Greenwich Village folk music scene in the 1960s. He was mostly known as a session guitarist. This means he played guitar for many other folk artists on their albums and during their live shows.
Contents
Bruce Langhorne's Life
Early Years
Bruce Langhorne was born in Tallahassee, Florida. His father taught at a college there. When Bruce was four, he moved with his mother to Spanish Harlem in New York City.
He first learned to play the violin. However, he lost parts of three fingers on his right hand in an accident as a child. This happened when he was lighting a homemade rocket. Later, he was expelled from Horace Mann Prep School. He also lived in Mexico for two years. Bruce started playing guitar when he was 17. The way he played was very unique because of his finger injury.
Starting His Music Career
Bruce began his career by playing with folk singer Brother John Sellers in clubs in Greenwich Village. Soon, he started working with many other musicians. He played with some of the biggest names in the folk revival movement of the 1950s and 1960s.
Some of these famous musicians included Joan Baez, Richie Havens, Odetta, and Peter, Paul and Mary. Bruce first recorded music in 1961 with Carolyn Hester. This is when he met Bob Dylan. Bruce later played on two of Bob Dylan's albums: The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan in 1963 and Bringing It All Back Home in 1965.
The "Mr. Tambourine Man" Story
Many people believe that Bruce Langhorne was the inspiration for Bob Dylan's famous song, "Mr. Tambourine Man". Bruce often played a large Turkish frame drum during his performances and recordings. He bought this drum at a music store in Greenwich Village.
This special drum had small bells attached inside it. This made it jingle, much like a tambourine. Bruce used this drum a lot on recordings by Richard and Mimi Fariña. Today, this unique drum is kept at the Museum of Pop Culture in Seattle, Washington.
Playing with Bob Dylan
Besides inspiring "Mr. Tambourine Man," Bruce Langhorne also played the electric guitar on the song. His guitar playing is also very noticeable on other songs from Dylan's Bringing It All Back Home album. These include "Love Minus Zero/No Limit" and "She Belongs to Me". He also played the main guitar parts on songs like "Subterranean Homesick Blues" and "Maggie's Farm".
Bruce also played guitar for Dylan's TV performances in 1965. Two years earlier, he played on "Corrina, Corrina" from The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan. Years later, Bruce also played on songs for Dylan's album Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid.
Composing Music for Movies
Bruce Langhorne also created music for movies. He composed the music for the Peter Fonda western film The Hired Hand (1971). His music for this movie used a mix of instruments like the sitar, fiddle, and banjo.
He also wrote the music for Peter Fonda's science fiction film Idaho Transfer (1973). Other movies that featured Bruce's music include Stay Hungry (1976) and Melvin and Howard (1980).
Later Life and Legacy
In 1992, Bruce Langhorne started his own hot sauce company. It was called Brother Bru-Bru's African Hot Sauce. His hot sauce was special because it used "African spices" and natural ingredients. It also had no or very little salt.
Bruce had a serious stroke in 2006. He was able to live at home with his family until he passed away. He died from kidney failure on April 14, 2017, in Venice, California.
Images for kids
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Bruce Langhorne, the inspiration for "Mr. Tambourine Man."
See also
In Spanish: Bruce Langhorne para niños
