Stephen Foster

[We take a brief break from the World Cup–see post below–to mark the anniversary of the birth of Stephen Foster.]



From Wikipedia: Stephen Collins Foster (July 4, 1826 – January 13, 1864), known as the "father of American music," was the pre-eminent songwriter in the United States of the 19th century. His songs, such as "Oh! Susanna," "Camptown Races," "Old Folks at Home" ("Swanee River"), "Hard Times Come Again No More," "My Old Kentucky Home," "Old Black Joe," and "Beautiful Dreamer," remain popular over 150 years after their composition.

Above: performance of "Hard Times" by Mare Winningham is from the Ulu Grossbard's 1985 film "Georgia."