Bessie Eldreth Transcript
- I'm Bessie Killen Eldreth, from Boone, North Carolina. I like the mountains and I like home. I can't sing too good. Certainly along, I can sing what it is. When I say it's too good, it just lets me make excuses, you know. This one's when I made the music, too and made the words.
- Hmm. ♪ Some day I'm going to heaven ♪
♪ A place I've never been ♪
♪ I'll live up there forever ♪
♪ In a world that will never end ♪
♪ I can hardly wait for tomorrow ♪
♪ When we will all be together again ♪
♪ I'll get to see my mother ♪
♪ And take her by the hand ♪
♪ We will stroll through the gates of glory ♪
♪ We'll be singing a brand new song ♪
♪ Thank God I am so happy ♪
♪ We will soon be going home ♪
- That's one I made the words and music to. My dad, he always played the guitar or not the guitar, but the banjo and the fiddle. When I told the children not too long ago, I said, "I'd given anything in the world, if you children could have heard my daddy play music." Now, many of the time I'd sit and hear him play. Honest to goodness, , he just, it just almost seemed like the music talked. It just seemed like he'd play it so plain that it's just like it, it would almost say the words. Well, shortly after my husband passed away I went in the bedroom, to get ready to go to bed. And there was the prettiest light, it was something like that big, it was so bright that it hurt your eyes. And it would just go on, all over my bed. And I looked at the windows, and I thought, "Well, could that be a flashlight? Someone's flashing the light into the window." Well, no, it wasn't. It was too bright for that. And then I had curtains, you know, I keep curtains over my windows, good. And I kept watching it, and it, I just can't tell you how pretty and bright that light was. But I just, I turned my light off. I didn't see it on, when the light was turned off. And when I had turned my light off in the bedroom, that light would flash up. Well, I turned my cover down and believe it or not this light went down under the cover in my bed. Well, I got to where when I'd start to bed at night, I'd close my eyes as tight as I could when I had turned the light off, and get in the bed. Well, that went on for a good while, the light. And I had a quilt on my bed that my husband slept under. I rolled that quilt up and sent it to the dump. I felt like if that might have something to do with it It didn't change a thing. I changed bedrooms and slept in another room and that light still followed me. It was a pretty light. I said, I did think one time, that it might be, that it was my husband. That light keep coming back. And I said, but I don't believe that now, because he was not that protective over me when he was living. Well I'm going to try to sing this song that I think matches the light, real good.
♪ Oh a glorious light is dawning ♪
♪ That I see, that I see ♪
♪ And it brings me heaven beauty ♪
♪ Unto me, unto me ♪
♪ There's a light, there's a light ♪
♪ That I see, that I see ♪
♪ And it shines, and it shines ♪
♪ Over me, over me ♪
Yeah, my dad learnt his music from his dad, John Killen, and he was a musician. And dad said that he would sit on the front porch most of the time and played music. And that's where dad picked up his music from, his playing. I've often wished that I'd have took up playing some kind of instruments. But I didn't have time. I had to work too hard. You see, I raised 11 children. And then I've babysitted for all the grandchildren. Mom said, that's where you got a whole lot of your singing, is babysitting, rocking the cradles. This is my mother, she was 38. And this is one of the beds that her and dad slept in. That's my mother, Flora Killen. And this is my oldest sister, Clyde. And this is my next sister, Mog and this little white head, down here in the bottom, this is myself, Bessie. I was going through the house one morning, skipping and carrying on, my son was laying on the couch, I've always done things like that. And he was laying on the couch and he said, and he said, would you like, sending, you know names, to "Would You Like to be a Star?" And I just twisted and laughed, I said, "Oh, I'd like to be a star, believe it right here." Just kidding, you know? And the next morning the phone rang and it was a news broadcaster from Winston-Salem. And so it hit me, I didn't call him or write him or nothing. And my mama was sitting there and I said, "Oh Lord, mamma, I'm scared to death." And she said, "What do you mean?" And I said, 'That was from a broadcasting station at Winston-Salem." They wanted to come and interview me and the family for a broadcasting station in Winston. And she says, "Well, are you going to do it?" I says, I told him, "I didn't care."
- [Reporter] Every year we perform for music teachers, they come here to Appalachian State University. And myself and Ms. Bessie, and a gospel group named the Hayes family, we've played for them every year. And I think that's been going on about, for me, about eight years. I don't know if for you if it's been?
- [Bessie] It's about the same time for me.
- [Reporter] About the same time for you?
- About the same time.
- Well I think that's how we first met, but I'm not sure.
- I wouldn't know.
- Today is mother's day, and I don't know this myself, I know you're a mother and a grandmother. How many children do you have?
- I'm a mother of 11 children. I have 28 grandchildren, I have 33 great-grandchildren. I have three great-great-grandchildren.
- So give Miss Bessie a hand. [Applause] Now ladies and gentlemen, I don't need to tell you, that's great. But I'll tell you, the Lord saved me when I was about nine years old. And I've never, I know I've strayed away in different ways, I mean, I believe with all my heart, He saves me daily in some way.
- [Man] Amen.
- And that's why we have to pray daily. I know I'm not a singer, but I'm trying to make a joyful noise for the Lord. This is an old song I'm going to try to sing, 'The Beautiful River.'
♪ Is it far to that beautiful river ♪
♪ Tell me, is it far ♪
♪ Is it far ♪
♪ Where we'll sing and shout forever ♪
♪ Tell me brother, is it far ♪
♪ Is it far to that beautiful home ♪
♪ I am weary waiting here alone ♪
♪ 'Tis the soul that cheers me on my way ♪
♪ That there is a bright eternal day ♪
♪ Is it far where we'll sing around the throne ♪
♪ I am weary waiting here alone ♪
♪ We shall soon cross Jordan through the tide ♪
♪ And with Jesus ever safe abide ♪
♪ Is it far to that beautiful river ♪
♪ Tell me, is it far ♪
♪ Is it far, ♪
♪ Where we'll sing and shout forever ♪
♪ Tell me brother, is it far ♪
- Stand right still. You can't get in it, though.
♪ T for Texas ♪
♪ T for Tennessee ♪
♪ T for Texas ♪
♪ T for Tennessee ♪
♪ T for Thelma ♪
- We're all done, we're all done.
♪ That girl made a wreck out of me ♪
- We're all done. We're all done.
- [Bessie] It's a Jimmie Rogers song. Do you know that, 'T.B. Blues'?
- [Granddaughter] It sounds good. The biscuits are made. And what kind of pie is that one? And did you make the apple butter? We'd better start eating.
- [Bessie] Anywhere you want. And I'm going to play some music.
- [Lady] Okay, that sounds good.
- Oh, that's good.
- If he's not going to get them, I'm going to-- Now, tell us about the bear. Look up here. Do you remember what we was talking about the other night? Do you remember?
- What?
- [Bessie] Well, when the old black, the big old black bear went fishing, do you remember? It went fishing, and the old sly fox and the bad, bad wolf come along. And it told the bear, he said, "You don't know how to fish. You turn around and put your tail down in the water and sit their all night. Is that right?" Now he went and sat there all night. And you in the morning, you have a multitude of fish. So the old bear went and sat down backwards in the water. And the next morning he pulled and pulled and pulled and it was so cold, that his tail froze in the ice. He didn't have the fish, but his tail froze off. And he pulled and he finally got loose and left his tail down in the water, in the ice, so, look up here. So ever since then, bears have had short tails.
- [Boy] Oh, yuck.
- [Bessie] You see what Lily wants.
- [Lady] Okay.
- Now, were you in that movie, Bessie?
- [Bessie] Not in that movie, but I was in the movie with that girl that's on the side.
- [Lady] You were?
- [Bessie] Stella Stevens.
- [Lady] What kind of movie were y'all in?
- [Bessie] American Heroine. I've worked with a lot of children, you know, in teaching them songs and teaching them stories. I call them bear tales and all this. There were three little pigs.
- Yes, three little pigs.
- And mama pig.
- And mama pig.
- And mama pig told the three little pigs to go out and seek their fortunes.
- And mama pig said go out and seek porches.
- Yeah. So the little pigs started out.
- And the little pigs started out.
- And the poor little things going down the road and they didn't even have a home.
- Poor little things didn't have a home.
- No, so one found some straw. And the little pig found some straw.
- And the other pig went down the road and it found some sticks.
- So it built a house of sticks.
- It built a house of sticks.
- And the third little pig went on down the road.
- And the third little pig went down the road.
- And it found some bricks.
- And it found some bricks.
- So it did a house of bricks.
- So it built a house of bricks.
- So the next day, here come the old bad, bad wolf.
- And the next day, here come the old bad, bad wolf.
- Yeah and he said little pig, little pig, may I come in?
- And little pig, little pig, can I come in?
- Not by the hair of my chinny, chin, chin.
- By the hair of my shiny chin, chin.
- You shall not come in.
- You shall not come in.
- And then I'll huff and I'll puff.
- And I'll huff and I'll puff.
- And I'll huff and I'll huff.
- And I'll puff and I'll huff.
- And I'll blow your house in.
- And I'll blow your house down.
- So he huffed and puffed.
- So he huffed and puffed.
- And it blew the house in.
- And it blew the house in.
- Poor little pig, that old bad wolf eat up the little pig.
- Poor little pig, the big bad wolf ate up the little pig.
- And so it went on down the road.
- And so it went down the road.
- And it said little pig, little pig, it come to this house where there were sticks. Little pig, little pig, may I come in? This is my pickles, pickled cucumbers. This is my applesauce. And then I've got a lot, boxed up in boxes that I've got in my closets. Because I had too much in my shelf. And I've canned all this this year. And made kraut for three or four of the neighbors. The happiest days of my life was a little over the 15 year that I was at home. And the 18 year that I've been a widow. That's saying something, isn't it? But really, it is. It's been the happiest years of my life, being, till I could do things that I wanted to do. And not fussed at, scolded for one thing or another. Some things gets old. It does, it really does. It does make sense, it makes a lot of sense. That was a song my mamma used to sing a lot. The single girl. And every once in a while, when they were talking about--
- -people talking about different things. And I'd say, I wouldn't, like mamma used to say, "I wouldn't marry at all, at all, I wouldn't marry at all." She'd sing,
♪ I wouldn't marry a man that's rich ♪
♪ He'd get drunk and fall in a ditch. ♪
♪ I wouldn't marry at all, at all ♪
♪ I wouldn't marry at all ♪
♪ I wouldn't marry a man that's poor ♪
♪ All he'd do is sit in the door ♪
♪ I wouldn't marry at all, at all ♪
♪ I wouldn't marry at all ♪
No, he didn't like it, if he heard me sing, he'd just get plum aggravated.
- [Interviewer] This was your husband?
- And I'd be in the kitchen, taping me a song, you know and he'd come in there and throw forks and spoons in the sink and just rattle them and make all kinds of noise. Till I'd have to turn my tape recorder off. Now that's the truth, you know, he would. My husband would come in, and he said, "I guess that horse has got out," says, "I guess it's killed Clyde." He was one of the little boys, he was about three. He says, "I guess it's killed Clyde." He said, "All of the children is escaped" and he says, "He's missing." And I started to run out and he said, "You're not going out," he said, "That horse will kill you." And he was, he was afraid of the horse, he wouldn't go out. And I started, and he started to hold me and I, I told him, I said, "I'm going to get Clyde." And I took out of that house and up the road just as hard as I could go. Well, I met that horse a coming. And I just throwed up my hands and screamed. And when I had done that, I scared the horse, you know and it wheeled around the other way, you know, just like that. And just as hard as it could come, and it's mane, just you know, how the tail run. And it come on down the road. And I went on, after Clyde and I met Clyde toddling along, about as far as from here to the wall over there. And I grabbed him up in my arms and I've seen the horse coming back. And we had an awful roguish cow, I mean, it'd jump the fence, you know. And we had our garden fixed, fenced high, you know to keep it from getting in the garden. And I saw that horse coming and I thought, well, I guess me and this little boy's had it. But when I seen that horse, it was getting close on me, I'll never know how I went over that fence. But when I landed in that garden, I went over that fence with that little boy under one arm, and landed on my knees in the garden on the other side. And I skinned my knees all over. When I went in, you know, went over the fence. And when I looked up, that horse was standing on its hind feet, just as straight up as it could be, looking over the fence at me. And I went on down, I went through the garden, and went down to the house, where I could get in the house, you know. And my husband, he said, "Where'd that horse go?" He wasn't even going to get out to see. And he said, "If it had killed that young one," he said, "I'd have shot the horse, as it had come back down the road." He said, I'd have shot the horse, but now he would not. If he'd seen any danger. I'd always face it. Now, he wouldn't get out, he wouldn't go. He'd stay back. I would like to ask the beautiful lady that taught me all these songs, to come up with me. We're going to do one together. And then I'm going to leave the rest of the program with her. And Bessie Eldreth, if you'll, if she'll come on up? My grandmother knows lots and lots of songs. She probably knows well over a hundred, between ballads and hymns, that she has committed to memory. The reason why she knows so many, is her father, my great-grandfather, ran a still in the mountains for 27 years. A whiskey still, if anyone doesn't know what I mean by "still." And with that he raised 11 children himself by the funds brought in from that white lightning. My grandmother's job was to sit on the side of the hill and beat corn mash all day and watch for the law. So to entertain herself, she would sing songs all day. And it's how come she's got so many. This song we're going to sing together, is called "Naomi Wise,' it is a murder ballad. And it may be one that you've heard before.
♪ Now come on ye young people ♪
♪ A story I will tell ♪
♪ About a girl they call, Naomi Wise ♪
♪ Her face was fair and handsome ♪
♪ She was loved by everyone ♪
♪ Randolph County now her body lies ♪
♪ They say she had a lover ♪
♪ Young Lewis was his name ♪
♪ They say that he was heartless to the core ♪
♪ And in the stream he threw her ♪
♪ Below the old mill dam ♪
♪ Sweet Naomi's smile was seen no more ♪
♪ Next day they found her body ♪
♪ A floating down the stream ♪
♪ And all the folks from miles around did cry ♪
♪ Young Lewis left the country ♪
♪ They brought him back again ♪
♪ They could not prove that he caused her to die ♪
♪ They say that on his death bed ♪
♪ Young Lewis did confess ♪
♪ He confessed that he had killed Naomi Wise ♪
♪ And now they know her spirit ♪
♪ Still lingers around the place ♪
♪ Saves someone from sweet Naomi's fate ♪
- Thank you very much, now I'll leave you with my grandmother, Bessie Eldreth.
- I knew she'd tell on me, about the bootlegging. Because she does it everywhere we go. I'm going to try to sing, 'Little Maggie'. That's one of the first songs that I ever learned. And that was from my grandma Myland, from hearing her sing it, it was 'Little Maggie'.
♪ There yonder stands little Maggie ♪
♪ With a dram glass in her hand ♪
♪ She's trying to drown her troubles ♪
♪ And the courtings of another man ♪
♪ Pretty flowers were made for blooming ♪
♪ Pretty stars were made to shine ♪
♪ Pretty girls were made for boys' love ♪
♪ Surely Maggie was made for mine ♪
Thank you, thank you. I wake up sometimes at night and can't sleep. And I just put pillows behind my head and sit up and write songs. I've wrote some songs from three, and four, and five o'clock in the morning. Sometimes 11 or 12, whatever time I wake up. I'll put pillows behind me and sit and think up songs and write songs and write poems. And then, I made two or three, I wrote two or three poems and then I made music to them. I thought it just sounded awful pretty when I got to reading them over. And then I just made the music to them. And I sang them in church, in different places. I sang, I sing most of the time, if I'm by myself. And when I go out the door, I start singing and I sing about all day.
- [Lady] While she tells you some little rhymes?
- No, I can't have that.
- Well, get up here and let me tell you some little stories, a little story about the little pigs. Now, this is different. Now look towards the camera. I had a little pig and I fed it in a trough and it got so fed, its tail popped off. And I had a little pig and I fed it on clover And when it died, it died all over. That's the little stories my mama used to tell me.
