Unidentified Artist Acetate Disc (Audio)

This undated acetate, recorded by an unidentified artist, was located by John Horton in 2023 at an estate sale in Brierfield, Alabama.

Side One: Four Songs



Side Two: Three Songs



Horton notes that one of the seven songs recorded on these two sides is "Why," which singer Oscar Mikell recorded for Birmingham's Big 10 record label. “A truck mechanic by trade," Horton writes, “Mikell was a prominent country music performer in the Birmingham area and made regular appearances on WSGN in the 1950s. After the ‘60s, Mikell’s trail runs cold like many other country artists and DJs in the Birmingham area at the time." The vocals on this disc do not appear to be Mikell's; the disc could be a demo by the original songwriter or a home recording by a fan of the song.

The Southern Music Research Center welcomes any information about this unknown artist; if you can tell us more, please contact burgin@southernmusicresearch.org.

Courtesy John Horton.