MURDER OF THE LAWSON FAMILY

Created on 20/11/2008
Latest update on 11/03/2024

Artist: Carolina Buddies
Author: traditional
Label: Columbia
Year: 1930

Landed leader Walter 'Kid' Smith a Columbia record deal following this success.

Covers:

1931:

Cranford & Thompson [on Champion]

1959:

Spencer Moore & Everett Blevins [as The Lawson Murder; Lomax recording]

2000:

Dave Alvin

Charlie De Lanson from Stokes Co., North Carolina, murdered his wife, six of their seven children and committed suicide on Christmas day 1929. The man lost his senses the moment he was informed his oldest and unmarried daughter expected a baby. On top of the Wall Street Crash, this was all 1929 needed to end up as an annus horribilis. Newspapers headlined apocalyptically and in no time the Lanson house became a dubious tourist attraction. For 25 cents you could visit the spot with a brother of Lanson's guiding. By the end of the tour (sic), visitors were shown a sample of the Christmas cake that survived the killing, could buy the recipe and a sheetmusic copy of the murder ballad, sometimes even out of the hands of composer Walter Smith personally.

Contact


If you noticed blunt omissions, mis-interpretations or even out-and-out errors,
please let me know:

Arnold Rypens
Rozenlaan 65
B-2840 Reet (Rumst)

info@originals.be

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