Gordon Powell
From Australian Traditional Music People
Jump to navigationJump to searchGordon Powell (1928-), provided details of some of the Australian tunes in this archive.
The National Library of Australia holds aural recordings of interviews conducted with Gordon Powell. He was interviewed by:
- Rob Willis in May 1994, [1], Conversation: Jack Dawson talks about his family and schooling; the poverty of the time; living off rabbits and blackberries; being paid for blackberries; his parents farm; bush games the children played; the Dasher Tea, an annual event involving singalongs and games; the Harvest Home, a church fund raising event involving auctioning vegetables. Gordon Powell joins in conversation: bushman's sense of humour; humorous stories told; bushmen forming a choir after World War II; learning words and tunes; reminiscences of playing Goodnight Irene; playing the mouth organ and learning tunes from the locals; playing for dances. Joyce: life growing up; surviving on rabbits and chooks; sugar bags for clothing. Dawson recalls games played at school; going to dances at Sheffield; the dances danced; playing drums; description of drums and Skiffle Bass (tea chest bass). Gordon: lived in Montana area; playing the guitar for dances; influence of Tex Morton 1936-37. Also available online [2]
- Rob Willis in May 1994, [3], Gordon Powell and Jack Dawson perform traditional songs and dance music ; George and Arthur Woodhouse and perform traditional songs and dance music. Gordon Powell plays electric guitar, and perform traditional songs and dance music.
Rob Willis notes "Claude Road (near Sheffield Tas) was a hotbed of players including the McCoys and other families. Most of the families were related in the area by the way - Dawson, McCoy and Powell, Febey all had connections". See Dawson family, Eileen McCoy, & Wally Febey.
