Varied Trivia

[BlunderWoman]

I think the first time I heard Camptown Races it was by Bugs Bunny. Who wrote it? Stephen Foster. I looked him up in wikipedia

From wikipedia:

Stephen Collins Foster (July 4, 1826 – January 13, 1864), known as " the father of American Music", was an American songwriter primarily known for his parlor and minstrel music.
Foster wrote over 200 songs
Many of his compositions remain popular more than 150 years after he wrote them.

 

[RadishRose]

Stephen Foster wrote "Beautiful Dreamer"

 

[jujube]

We have the Stephen Foster Folk Culture Center State Park here in Florida on the Suwannee River. His song, "Old Folks at Home (Way Down upon the Swannee River)" originally started out as "Way Down upon the Peedee River" but decided he liked the sound of Suwannee better. Suwannee didn't fit in as well, so it became Swannee. Of course, the best part is that Foster never set foot in the State of Florida so he really didn't know what he was singing about. The Suwannee isn't all that attractive; pretty muddy year-round and gets low at times. If he had ever actually seen it, I'm pretty sure he would have stuck with the Peedee River. I've never seen that one, but it has to be better than the Suwannee.

 

[Ameriscot]

We have the Stephen Foster Folk Culture Center State Park here in Florida on the Suwannee River. His song, "Old Folks at Home (Way Down upon the Swannee River)" originally started out as "Way Down upon the Peedee River" but decided he liked the sound of Suwannee better. Suwannee didn't fit in as well, so it became Swannee. Of course, the best part is that Foster never set foot in the State of Florida so he really didn't know what he was singing about. The Suwannee isn't all that attractive; pretty muddy year-round and gets low at times. If he had ever actually seen it, I'm pretty sure he would have stuck with the Peedee River. I've never seen that one, but it has to be better than the Suwannee.

I went for a boat ride on the Swannee River with my older sister's girl scout troop when we lived in Jacksonville.

 

[BlunderWoman]

We have the Stephen Foster Folk Culture Center State Park here in Florida on the Suwannee River. His song, "Old Folks at Home (Way Down upon the Swannee River)" originally started out as "Way Down upon the Peedee River" but decided he liked the sound of Suwannee better. Suwannee didn't fit in as well, so it became Swannee. Of course, the best part is that Foster never set foot in the State of Florida so he really didn't know what he was singing about. The Suwannee isn't all that attractive; pretty muddy year-round and gets low at times. If he had ever actually seen it, I'm pretty sure he would have stuck with the Peedee River. I've never seen that one, but it has to be better than the Suwannee.

I don't really like any of his stuff. I was surprised he was considered the father of American music. Funny he never actually saw that river.