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Chris Strachwitz (b. 1931) grew up in East Germany (which became part of Poland following World War II). Towards the end of the war, Strachwitz and his family fled the advancing Russian army, eventually settling in the United States in 1947. Newly emigrated, Strachwitz quickly developed a passion for American vernacular music. In the summer of 1959, he traveled by bus to Houston, Texas, where he met and saw blues legend Lightnin’ Hopkins perform in a small beer joint. Struck by his improvised lyrics and spontaneous exchange with the audience, Strachwitz was inspired to start his own record label. In November of 1960, Strachwitz released the first LP on his Arhoolie label featuring Mance Lipscomb, a Texas sharecropper skilled at performing a variety of folk songs, ballads, dance tunes, and blues. "Down-Home Music: The Story of Arhoolie Records" is on display, post-security, in Terminal 2. Hear more about Chris in this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=08QCTH2O0R4. Learn more about Chris on our online exhibition: http://bit.ly/StoryofArhoolie
This image was posted on September 21, 2018.