| Joe Morley (1867 - 1937)  United Kingdom Joe Morley (born December 3, 1867 Kinver, South
Staffordshire, Great Britain - died September 16,
1937 London) was a British classical banjoist who
achieved great fame and renown in his homeland and
abroad. During his lifetime, he composed hundreds
of banjo solos.
Early life
Morley's father was a busker playing the
concertina and entertaining crowds in the streets.
At the age of five, he accompanied his father to
Wiltshire, and while his father played on his
instrument, the young boy would step-dance dressed
in jacket and knickerbockers. In 1887, his father
bought him an old seven-string banjo without frets
and soon he was learning how to play from
different music books he had purchased. Eventually
he invented his own finger picking style.
Professional career
About 1890, Morley formed a busker quartet
consisting of himself, Fred Sanders, and Ben
Hollingworth on banjos, and Alf Wentworth on
concertina. They toured North Wales performing
tunes composed by Morley. The quartet broke up and
he toured West England as a solo act. His
popularity grew steadily. He joined the Victorian
Minstrels in 1891, performing at Sandown, Isle of
Wight. The minstrel band consisted of a banjo, a
concertina, a harp, a tambourine, a tin whistle
and bones. The band changed its name to the Royal
Osborne Minstrels after a successful performance
on the Royal yacht Osborne. In 1893, the
'Minstrels' disbanded and Morley was hired by the
Clifford Essex Pierrots, formed in 1891. He bought
himself a six-string banjo with frets, but since
he was accustomed to play without frets, he
removed them.
Breakthrough
The 'Pierrots' went to London in December 1893 for
a performance at the Prince's Hall. His fame was
instant, followed by numerous private engagements.
The following months, he performed at St. James's
Hall together with the Moore and Burgess
Minstrels. That summer, Morley re-formed the Royal
Osborne Minstrels and they appeared in Colwyn Bay.
In 1896, he once again joined the Clifford Essex
Royal Pierrots - the word 'Royal' was added when
the 'Pierrots' had performed before Royalty - and
they appeared at Folkestone. He stayed with them
for the next thirteen years and during that period
he met the American banjo player Vess Ossman who
happened to be in London for an appearance. Morley
became influenced by that meeting and bought
himself a five-string banjo with frets and
eventually learned to play it.
Later in 1909, he became a member of Will Pepper's
White Coons. Three years later, Morley conducted
the Palladium Minstrels, composed of 34 banjoists
at the London Palladium minstrel show. In 1914, he
joined Alec Hurley's The Jesters touring Ireland.
During World War I, Morley entertained the troops
at Aldershot and Salisbury, as well as abroad in
Cologne and Koblenz.
Later career
Morley began to make recordings with the banjo
player Olly Oakley for Pathé Records.Out of all
records he made, he only made one solo record on
Homochord label: Jovial Huntsman and Donkey Laugh.
In August 1932, he made his radio debut as a banjo
soloist. Five months later, he went on the air
with the Kentucky Minstrels. Morley who never
married, died at the Lambeth Hospital in London.
Text source : Wikipedia
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