Alan Lomax - Definition and Overview

Lomax playing guitar, sometime between 1938 and 1950

Alan Lomax (January 31, 1915 - July 19, 2002) was an American folklorist and musicologist specializing in the music of the United States and that of other nations which influenced American music.

Lomax was son of pioneering musicologist and folklorist John Lomax, with whom he started his career.

Lomax earned a degree in philosophy from the University of Texas at Austin. He worked on the oral history project for the Library of Congress. To some, he is best known for his cantometrics.

Lomax's recordings are a highly regarded treasure trove of American and international culture. Alan spent a lifetime collecting folk music from around the world, particularly from the American South.

Lomax recorded substantial interviews with many musicians, including Woody Guthrie, Leadbelly, and Jelly Roll Morton.

See Related

"Lomax, Alan" obituary in Current Biography, 2002.

External link

• Alan Lomax Archive Website (http://www.alan-lomax.com/)
• Remembering Alan Lomax (http://www.buffaloreport.com/020726lomax.html)