Early Gospel Singers – K

Alfred Karnes played the harp-guitar, a seldom recorded instrument from the Edwardian Era. The harp-guitar had a large guitar body with an extra set of strings above the main fretboard which were unfretted. These were struck along with the regular guitar strings to produce the effect of two separate guitarists. Karnes accented this effect by playing the fretted strings with a distinctive slapping effect. As a preacher he sang with a loud, clear, stentorian baritone which complemented his playing. His songs were exclusively gospel and were a mixture of traditional hymns and originals. Karnes’ records are unique in being the only known use of the harp-guitar in Old Time Music and which had largely been seen as a novelty instrument of limited appeal being both difficult to play and unwieldy to hold.

When Karnes drove down to Bristol he took with him B.F. Shelton, a friend who sang and played banjo and would also record at the sessions. Shelton was a barber in Corbin and had previously served time in a jail where Karnes had preached. However while they had occasionally performed together in Corbin they did not record together. Karnes and possibly Shelton are believed to have recorded behind gospel singer Ernest Phipps on his Bristol session sides. Phipps was also a singing preacher from Corbin, although Phipps was of a different denomination being a Pentecostal preacher, so Karnes should have been familiar with the same songs.

– Wikipedia

“Where We’ll Never Grow Old”