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Donald's Encyclopedia of Popular MusicA B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y ZMcCURDY, Ed(b 11 January 1919, Willow Hill PA; d 23 March 2000) Folk singer, songwriter, guitarist. First sang on WKY radio, Oklahoma City in 1937; in Canada late '40s, made first album Sings Songs of the Canadian Maritimes for the Canadian label Whitehall '50 and wrote his best-known song the same year, 'Last Night I Had The Strangest Dream', in which peace breaks out. He did a lot writing and performing for children in Canada and continued doing so for many years, also acting in children's TV. Meanwhile he moved to NYC '54, began recording for Riverside (The Ballad Record and Bar Room Ballads), Tradition (Ballad Singer's Choice and Children's Songs) and Elektra (Blood, Booze 'N Bones and Sin Songs, Pro and Con); there were several more albums, all before 1960. He followed Oscar Brand in recording bawdy songs; two volumes of When Dalliance Was in Flower (And Maidens Lost Their Heads) on Elektra were good sellers. He performed at the Newport Folk Festival '59, '60, '63. He was an emcee at the Bitter End in Greenwich Village, helping new talent, then the new talent made him appear to be out of fashion. He moved to Halifax '84, became a Canadian citizen and continued with radio work, as well as becoming a character actor on Canadian TV. |