Music held a significant role in John Jacob Niles's childhood, prompting him to dedicate his existence to gathering, creating, and interpreting traditional tunes. Already at fifteen years old, he started amassing melodies from the Appalachian Mountains, persisting with this pursuit even as a ferry pilot for the U.S. Air Corps amid World War I. Following the conflict, Niles stayed in France to pursue musical education at the Universite de Lyon and the Schola Cantorum in Paris. Upon his return to America, he extended his training for an additional two years at the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music.
His arrival in New York in 1921 led to an encounter with vocalist Marion Kerby. United by their passion for folk music, they formed a partnership that took them on journeys across Europe and the United States.
While employed as a guide and chauffeur for photographer Doris Ulmann, Niles gathered folk songs in the Southwest. Throughout the 1920s and 1930s, he released volumes of folk material such as Singing Soldiers (1927), Songs My Mother Never Taught Me (1929), and Songs of the Hill-folk (1934). The 1930s saw him embark on solo performances, journeying extensively to deliver renditions at high schools, churches, and colleges. His attire featured vivid shirts paired with corduroys, and his delivery featured an arresting high falsetto. Barry Alfonso, reflecting on his initial exposure to Niles via recording, noted, "Out of my stereo came his startling, other-worldly voice, the sound of someone enraptured -- or maybe possessed. He seemed to embody his dire ballad, rather than to merely perform it."
Niles authored several enduring folk compositions frequently assumed to be age-old pieces, among them "Black Is the Color of My True Love's Hair," "Go 'Way From My Window," and "I Wonder as I Wander." Numerous recordings emerged from his efforts, such as Early American Ballads (1939) and American Folk Lore (1941). Beyond that, he crafted more structured pieces, notably the oratorio "Lamentation," which premiered at the Indiana State Teachers College in 1951. From 1967 to 1970, he developed "The Niles-Merton Songs," drawing from Thomas Merton's verses. The Songs of John Jacob Niles appeared in 1975, and Niles sustained public performances up to two years prior to his passing in 1980. A blend of Renaissance figure and itinerant minstrel, Niles bequeathed a precious collection of recordings, song compilations, and original works. His contributions have substantially supported the safeguarding and ongoing dynamism of American folk traditions.
~ Ronnie D. Lankford, Jr.
