Eric Von Schmidt facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Eric Von Schmidt
Background information
Born	(1931-05-28)May 28, 1931 Bridgeport, Connecticut, U.S.
Died	February 2, 2007(2007-02-02) (aged 75) Fairfield, Connecticut, U.S.
Genres	Folk blues
Occupation(s)	Musician painter
Instruments	Guitar vocals
Years active	1950s–2007
Labels	Folkways Folklore Prestige Transatlantic Smash Poppy Philo Gazell Tomato

Eric Von Schmidt (born May 28, 1931 – died February 2, 2007) was an American folk musician and painter. He was a big part of the "folk boom" in the late 1950s and early 1960s. This was a time when folk music became very popular. Eric was especially important in the Cambridge, Massachusetts, folk music scene. He was known for his singing and guitar playing, especially his country blues style. He was seen as the top country blues expert in Cambridge. Eric Von Schmidt also wrote a book called Baby, Let Me Follow You Down: The Illustrated Story of the Cambridge Folk Years with Jim Rooney.

Early Life and Artistic Beginnings

Eric Von Schmidt's father, Harold von Schmidt, was a famous Western painter. His dad created illustrations for a magazine called Saturday Evening Post. Eric started selling his own artwork when he was still a teenager.

After serving in the army, he won a special scholarship called a Fulbright scholarship. This allowed him to study art in Florence, Italy. In 1957, he moved to Cambridge, Massachusetts. There, he continued to paint and became part of the local coffeehouse music scene.

Influencing the Folk Scene

Eric Von Schmidt knew many traditional folk songs. He shared these songs with new performers who were creating a more modern folk sound. He greatly influenced musicians like Tom Rush. Together, they brought back and arranged an old song called "Wasn’t That a Mighty Storm?". This song is about a terrible hurricane that hit Galveston, Texas, in 1900.

When Eric met Bob Dylan, they quickly became friends. They traded harmonica tunes, drank red wine, and played games. Dylan was eager to learn from Eric's huge knowledge of music. This included folk, country, and blues music. Eric once said in The Boston Globe that he sang many songs to Dylan. He noted that Dylan, with his "spongelike mind," remembered almost all of them.

The Story Behind "Baby, Let Me Follow You Down"

Many people mistakenly thought Eric wrote the song "Baby, Let Me Follow You Down". This song was a favorite of Bob Dylan's for many years. On his first album in 1962, Dylan jokingly said he first "heard" the song from "Rick von Schmidt." He also mentioned meeting him near Harvard University.

However, Eric Von Schmidt had actually adapted the song from an artist named Blind Boy Fuller. He also gave credit to Reverend Gary Davis for about "three-quarters" of the song. Eric's 1979 book about the Cambridge music scene was named after this very song.

"Joshua Gone Barbados" and Its Meaning

One of Eric's most famous songs is "Joshua Gone Barbados." This song tells the story of Ebenezer Joshua, a labor union leader and head of government on the island of Saint Vincent (island). The song describes him vacationing during a time of serious worker problems. These problems indirectly led to the deaths of three men.

Some people have disagreed with how Eric described Joshua's role in the incident. Mr. Joshua died without much money and is still a respected figure on the island. So, his portrayal in the song might be less fair than it should be. Still, the song powerfully shows the struggles of poor people in Saint Vincent.

Collaborations and Recognition

In 1963, Eric Von Schmidt and Richard Fariña recorded music in London. Bob Dylan even played harmonica on some of these recordings. Two years later, Eric's album The Folk Blues of Eric von Schmidt appeared on the cover of Dylan's album Bringing It All Back Home. It was shown on top of a pile of other records.

In May 1964, Dylan visited Eric at his home in Sarasota, Florida. They recorded several songs there, including an early version of "Mr. Tambourine Man". These recordings were later released in 2014.

Bob Dylan wrote some special notes for Eric's 1969 album, Who Knocked The Brains Out Of The Sky?. Dylan described Eric as a truly unique artist. He said Eric could "sing the bird off the wire and the rubber off the tire." He also wrote that Eric could "separate the men from the boys and the note from the noise." Dylan's words showed how much he admired Eric's talent and spirit.

Eric Von Schmidt as a Painter

Eric Von Schmidt had a successful career as a painter alongside his music. He designed many album covers for other famous musicians. These included Joan Baez, Cisco Houston, John Renbourn, and Reverend Gary Davis. He also created the cover for a collection of white blues performers called The Blues Project.

Album Covers and Illustrations

Eric also illustrated a book of twenty-five ghost stories in 1973. It was called The Haunting of America. For the last 30 years of his life, Eric focused more on his art career. He only recorded two more music albums during this time.

Later Artworks

Four years before he passed away, Eric painted a huge artwork about American history. This painting showed Lewis and Clark's Corps of Discovery. He also continued to work on his "Giants of the Blues" series of paintings.

Eric Von Schmidt also drew pictures for many children's books. He often worked with the author Sid Fleischman on these projects.

Awards and Lasting Impact

Eric Von Schmidt was known for his lively and energetic musical style. He loved to put his own spin on classic American folk songs. Ramblin' Jack Elliott, another folk musician, once said that Eric had a "wild spirit." He added that Eric didn't make his music too soft for polite audiences.

Musical Style and Influence

Other artists like Travis MacRae and Jeff Buckley have recorded Eric Von Schmidt's music. In 2000, the same year he was diagnosed with throat cancer, he received a special award. He was given the ASCAP Foundation Lifetime Achievement Award. This event was held at Club Passim, which used to be called Club 47. This was one of his favorite places to perform.

Honored for His Contributions

A highlight of the award event was a reunion of the Jim Kweskin Jug Band. This group included Maria Muldaur and Geoff Muldaur. It was the first time in over twenty years that Jim Kweskin had performed with them.

In 1997, Eric won a Grammy Award for his work on a compilation album called Anthology of American Folk Music, Vol. 1-3. He continued to paint until his death. One of his last major works was a large mural depicting the Battle of the Alamo.

Eric Von Schmidt was married twice and had two daughters. He had a stroke in August 2006. He passed away six months later, at the age of 75.

Music Albums

Studio Albums

Compilation Albums

• Come for to Sing, Pathways of Sound, 1963
• The Blues Project, Elektra, 1964
• Folklore Jamboree, Prestige Records, 1964
• The Newport Folk Festival 1965, Vanguard Records, 1965
• Bleecker & McDougal: The Folk Scene of the 60s, Elektra, 1984
• Blues in the Bottle, Big Beat Records, 1988
• Troubadours of the Folk Era, Vol. 1, Rhino Records, 1992
• Blues with a Feeling (Newport Folk Festival Classics), Vanguard, 1993
• The Prestige/Folklore Years, Vol. 1, Prestige Records, 1995
• The Prestige/Folklore Years, Vol. 2, Prestige Records, 1995
• The Acoustic Highway Collection: The Road to Country Rock, EMI, 1996
• Blues in the Sun, Vol. 7 (Blues Blue, Blues White): The Bluesville Years, Prestige Records, 1996
• Blues with a Feeling, Part Two, Vanguard Records, 1997
• Washington Square Memoirs: The Great Urban Folk Boom (1950–1970), Rhino Records, 2001
• Evening at Greasy Spoon Diner, P-Vine Records, 2002