Ommie Wise by G.B. Grayson [Anthology Revisited - Song 13]
TL;DR -- Murder ballad based on true crime from 18 and 7. Many variations exist. Lyrics informed by fictionalized accounting of events. Performers' ongoing influence cannot be understated.
Welcome to the thirteenth installment of Anthology Revisited, a song-by-song examination of the legendary Anthology of American Folk Music, compiled by Harry Smith and released by Folkways records in 1952.
Today, we’re focusing on “Ommie Wise”, a murder ballad inspired by actual events that occurred in rural Randolph County, North Carolina in the spring of 18 and 7, when John Lewis killed Naomi Wise.
Recent installments of this series have featured string ensembles from North Carolina in various forms. This time, we stay in familiar geographic territory, but the musical accompaniment and the lyrical content are a shift from the previous numbers. Our previous song, “Peg and Awl” was performed by a string band without a fiddler, which is an anomaly in the string band realm. In this song, we have another anomaly, the singing fiddler. Playing the fiddle and singing aren’t typically things that one does simultaneously. It can be done, but it’s not common, and in his liner notes, Harry Smith refers to the combination of voice and violin as archaic.
Unlike some of our previous artists, we’ve got plenty of information to share about G.B. Grayson and his partner Henry Whitter, who didn’t appear on this recording, but appeared on every other recording G.B. Grayson ever made.
Meanwhile, this is the first song on the Anthology to be based on verifiable events, so we’ve got lots of ground to cover in this edition, so let’s check out Harry’s headline, and get the show on the road.
GREEDY GIRL GOES TO ADAMS SPRING WITH LIAR; LIVES JUST LONG ENOUGH TO REGRET IT
The headlines in this first volume Ballads are often short pithy descriptions of the songs, but this one stops short of telling the whole story, ignoring Lewis’ actions after the killing. Meanwhile, the first word in Smith’s headline was an interesting choice, and contradicts many descriptions of the real Naomi Wise while affirming others, descriptions we’ll explore a bit.
Let’s get right to it. Here’s “Ommie Wise”, performed by G.B. Grayson, and recorded on October 17, 1927 in Atlanta, Georgia for Columbia Records in a session supervised by Ralph Peer.
Lyrics
I'll tell you all a story about Ommie Wise,
How she was deluded by John Lewis's lies.He told her to meet him at Adams' spring;
He'd bring her some money and some other fine things.
He brought her no money nor no other fine things,
“But, get up behind Naomi, to Squire Ellis we'll go."She got up behind him so carefully we'll go.
They rode till they came where deep waters did flow.
John Lewis, he concluded to tell her his mind.
John Lewis, he concluded to leave her behind.She threw her arms around him, "John spare me my life.
And I'll go distracted and never be your wife."He threw her arms from 'round him and into the water she plunged.
John Lewis, he turned 'round and rode back to Adams' Hall.
He went inquiring for Ommie, but "Ommie, she is not here.
She's gone to some neighbor's house and won't be gone very long."John Lewis was took a prisoner and locked up in the jail.
Was locked up in the jail, around was there to remain awhile.
John Lewis, he stayed there for six months or maybe more.
Until he broke jail, into the army he did go.
The Song
Before we get going, a couple of notes. First, while I try to provide a comprehensive analysis of each song, there is no way I could possibly cover everything on this one. This song is tremendous, sprawling, and much has been written about it. I have tried to capture the overall gist, but the resources at the bottom of this article will tell you much, much more than I cover here. Second, Ommie Wise (the person) is referred to as Omi, Omia, Omie, Ommie, Naomi, Nayomy and a couple of other spelling variations that I’ve probably missed. Seriously, I’m pretty sure that all possible spelling variations for her name have been used at some point in the past two hundred plus years. I will try to stay consistent with the song’s title, except when quoting sources. Should I err, please forgive.
I’ve mentioned that this song is based upon a true story, but Grayson’s version is based upon the information about the events that was available in his time, and the most well-known accounting of events was a somewhat fictionalized telling. Since this song’s recording in 1927, a couple of events have changed our understanding of the events. First, we’ll talk about the story Grayson puts forth and the story upon which Grayson’s recording is based, then move forward to what’s been discovered since then.
As sung by Grayson
“Ommie Wise” opens with a narrator introducing the tale as one of Wise being “deluded by John Lewis’ lies”. The story begins in the next verse as the untrustworthy Lewis instructs Wise to meet him at Adams’ Spring to receive “money and some other fine things”.
Upon Ommie’s arrival at Adams’ Spring, Wise learns that John Lewis has neither money nor “other fine things”. Instead, he wants to get married right away. He instructs Ommie to get onto his horse and they would go see “squire Ellis”, who would perform the marriage. (NOTE: The word squire, in this usage, is an archaic term for a lawyer, judge or magistrate who would have been responsible for legal matters in rural areas in the early years of the United States).
The pair ride on horseback to Deep River, where Lewis tells Ommie that he’s going to kill her. Wise begs for her life, but Lewis ignores her cries for mercy, and kills Ommie. After committing the heinous deed, Lewis goes to Adams’ Hall, where he asks after Ommie, in an effort, one assumes, to obscure his guilt. His ruse doesn’t work. He’s arrested and thrown in jail where he stayed for about six months before escaping to join the army.
This is the first song based on actual events to appear on the Anthology, but as I mentioned, our understanding of the events have gone through significant changes since this song was recorded.
What we do know is that (a) the song performed by Grayson was based on the story of Ommie Wise and a ballad based upon the story that first appeared in 1851, (b) historical records generally support the story, albeit with some differences, (c) information revealed in 2003 dramatically alters some parts of the story, and (d) No evidence exists to support the final line of the song, indicating that Lewis enlisted in the army.
The Story (and Song) Upon Which the Song Was Based
Although the story of Naomi Wise’s murder had circulated orally since her murder in 1807, the first known written account of the event came from the January and February 1851 editions of the Evergreen newspaper. These writings bear the byline of Charlie Vernon, (a pen name under which Braxton Craven (the second president of what is now Duke University) wrote fiction), and are at the foundation of this ballad. The story was reprinted with regularity and became a part of local lore in Randolph County. Craven’s telling of the story goes roughly as follows, but goes into far greater detail.
Naomi Wise was a beautiful 19 year old orphan girl who, in her younger years, had been taken in by Mr. and Mrs. William and Mary Adams in the village of New Salem in Randolph County, NC (not far from Randleman, NC). She wasn’t subjected to any mistreatment like many servant girls of the time, and instead, was treated with kindness and compassion by the Adams’.
(Map depicting location of Randleman, NC)
John Lewis was a clerk for Benjamin Elliott and traveled for his work. His travels often took him past the Adams’ home where Omie worked. Lewis was taken with Omie Wise, as was she with him. As they spent more time together, it was thought that the two might marry. but Lewis’ mother convinced John to court the wealthier Hettie Elliott, the sister of Lewis’ employer.
Lewis’ advances toward Hettie Elliot seemed welcome, but she was unwilling to commit to marriage immediately. Meanwhile, Lewis’ relations with Wise became a bit more intimate, and when he came to learn he’d impregnated the young Omie, he promised to marry her. Wise became impatient, and threatened to call the law on Lewis if he didn’t make good on his promise to marry her. He swore that his intentions were true, and asked Omie not to speak of her pregnancy and their impending marriage. However, things like pregnancy can’t be ignored indefinitely, amd, feeling the squeeze, Lewis felt compelled to take action.
Mr. Adams, who’d been a sort of father figure to Omie, sensed that Lewis had no intent on marrying Wise and recommended that she not trust Lewis. Wise refused to heed Adams’ warning, and when Lewis visited Omie to indicate his readiness to marry, Omie was ready to go. Lewis said he would meet her at Adams’ spring to take her to the magistrate’s house where they would be wed. Omie wanted the wedding to be held at the Adams’ home, but Lewis was adamant in his opposition to this idea and told her to meet him by the spring.
At the appointed hour, Omie took a pail to the spring, with no intention of returning to the Adams’ house. Lewis arrived and took her away, but they didn’t go to the squire’s house for a wedding. Instead, when they arrived at Deep River, Lewis murdered Wise and threw her body into the river. The next day, Mr. Adams formed a search party, and after a neighbor reported having heard screams coming from near the river the night before, the area was searched. Horse tracks were discovered and followed to the edge Deep River, where Wise’s body was found in the water.
Lewis was soon arrested and jailed, but escaped a month after his incarceration. He had help in his escape, and several people who assisted him faced trial for their role in his escape. Six years later, Lewis was found in Kentucky where he had married and started a family. (Some sources have Lewis being captured in Indiana, not Kentucky). The people of Randolph County demanded his arrest, and he was brought back to North Carolina to stand trial. The trial was moved from Randolph County to the more populous Guilford County in 1815, and Lewis was found not guilty of murdering Wise, despite witnesses and evidence to the contrary. He was found guilty of escaping jail, but was soon released and returned to Kentucky where he died in 1820 shortly after confessing to the murder of Omie Wise on his deathbed.
An 1881 printing of the account concluded with the following text for the song “Poor Naomi”. Based on the structure of this text, it seems that Grayson used the original tune, but rewrote the text.
Poor Naomi
Come all you good people, I’d have you draw near,
A sorrowful story you quickly shall hear;
A story I’ll tell you about N’omi Wise,
How she was deluded by Lewis’ lies.He promised to marry and use me quite well;
But conduct contrary I sadly must tell,
He promised to meet me at Adams’ Springs
He promised me marriage and many fine things.
Still nothing he gave but yet flattered the case,
He says “We’ll be married and have no disgrace”,
“Come get up behind me, we’ll go up to town,
And there we’ll be married, in union be bound.”I got up behind him and straightway did go
To the banks of Deep River, where the water did flow;
He says, “Now, Naomi, I’ll tell you my mind,
I intend to drown you and leave you behind.”“O! pity your infant and spare me my life;
Let me go rejected and not be your wife.”
“No pity, no pity,” this monster did cry,
“In Deep River’s bottom your body shall lie.”The wretch then did choke her, as we understand,
And threw her in the river below the milldam.
But it murder or treason, Oh! what a great crime
To murder poor Naomi and leave her behind.Naomi was missing they all did well know,
And hunting for her to the river did go;
And there found her floating on the water so deep,
Which caused all the people to sigh and to weep.The neighbors were sent for to see the great sight,
While she lay floating all that long night,
So early next morning the inquest was held,
The jury correctly the murder did tell.
---------------------------------
The Historical Events
The above tale was taken as fact for many years. It was assumed that Craven’s article told the tale in full, but in 1984, the North Carolina Folklore Journal included an article by Robert Roote titled, The Historical Events Behind the Celebrated Ballad “Naomi Wise”.
In this article, Roote presented historical records surrounding the murder of Omi Wise and the fate of John Lewis, which goes something like this (again, I’m condensing a lot of content here. The source text is much more detailed.
On March 30, 1807, a Randolph County Grand Jury returned a bill against Jonathan Lewis for murder, and summonses to witnesses were issued. On April 8, Lewis was arrested and placed into custody in a rural jail. Due to the remote location of the jail, on April 18, a militia guard was ordered to guard Lewis the jail to ensure Lewis remained in custody. On October 5, Lewis was indicted for the murder of Omi Wise. Four days later, on October 9, 1807, Lewis broke free from jail and fled.
Inquiries were made into how Lewis escaped, and it was determined that Lewis had the aid of several individuals in his escape. Persons involved in the escape (including then-Sheriff Isaac Lane), were brought to trial and convicted, but their sentences were commuted by Governor Hawkins in 1811. That same year, Lewis was recaptured in Kentucky and returned to North Carolina where he was held in the Hillsborough jail until being delivered to Guilford County to stand trial in 1812.
At his 1813 trial, the jury found Lewis guilty of breaking out of jail, but not guilty of Wise’s murder. He was ordered to pay a fine and be imprisoned for 30 days. However, due to his inability to pay the fine, Lewis served the 30 days plus some additional time due to his inability to pay the fine as the Insolvent Debtors Act allowed indigent prisoners to serve additional time in lieu of paying fines they could not afford. After his release, Lewis returned to Kentucky, where he gave a deathbed confession of the murder in an unspecified year which is believed to have been around 1820.
New Perspectives on Naomi Wise, the person
For many years, with the exception of Smith’s headline referring to Omie Wise as “greedy”, Naomi Wise (the person) was universally described as a nineteen year old orphan to whom life had dealt a horrible hand. She was always referenced in glowing terms, as a kind, God-fearing, woman of integrity who held ill will for no soul, and had the misfortune of being the victim of John Lewis’ deception.
These accounts, however, were based on stories with no evidence of factual foundation, relying mostly upon the (not exactly factual) works of Braxton Craven for information on her character.
In 2003, all of that changed, and we have reason to believe that Naomi Wise wasn’t as innocent as had previously been told. In her book, Naomi Wise, Creation, Re-Creation and Continuity in an American Ballad Tradition, Eleanor R. Long-Wilgus examined folk music in general, with a comprehensive exploration into “Omie Wise”. While performing research for the text, Long-Wilgus uncovered a long narrative poem entitled "A true account of Nayomy Wise" allegedly composed by Mary Woody, a young girl who was born in North Carolina in 1801. The poem was found in a book donated to the UCLA Research Library by Mrs. Thomas B. Williamson in 1952.
The poem expanded further on the tale in numerous directions, but the biggest takeaway is that, according to Mary Woody, Omie was not some innocent fair young maiden, bereft of character flaws. Instead, Wise was several years older than John Lewis, and had already given birth to two children (by two fathers) out of wedlock (Nancy and Henry, born in 1799 and 1804 respectively).
“Bastardy Bonds” (legal documents from a bygone era which obligated fathers of illegitimate children to contribute financially to the welfare of their offspring) for Wise’s two children have been discovered in the Randolph County papers at the NC State Archives. It is suggested that Wise wanted “money and some other fine things” in exchange for not naming Lewis as the father of the child growing in her womb, although most accounts suggest that she was murdered by Lewis after telling him that she wanted him to marry her instead of paying Bastardy Bonds. On that, I doubt we’ll ever know for certain.
Although it is certain that Naomi Wise is buried at the Providence Cemetery at Providence Friends Church in rural Randolph County, North Carolina, although her tombstone lists the wrong year of her death.
The Performance
Simultaneously singing while playing fiddle is no easy feat, but the extraordinary G.B. Grayson was up to the task. In this recording, he delivers a fully solo performance, featuring his voice, fiddle, and foot tapping to keep time. The foot tapping isn’t audible (to me) for the entire recording, but it is audible in spots.
The performance consists of a series of rhyming couplets, and the manner in which Grayson constructs the song is worth noting. After the instrumental intro, Grayson opens by singing a single couplet, repeats the main instrumental theme, and returns for the second verse. The second and third verses contain four-line stanzas, each constructed of two couplets (with an AABB rhyme scheme). Grayson repeats the instrumental theme after each verse. Beginning with the fourth verse, we repeat the verse structure of the three previous verses. So, verse four is a couplet, followed by interlude, a four-line stanza, an interlude, and a final four-line stanza, and a brief instrumental closing.
Grayson’s performance is tight. The foot-tapping, though often inaudible, creates a near-perfect metronome for Grayson throughout. His fiddle work is precise, smooth and strong. To my ear, those slow draws of the bow are splendidly executed. Grayson’s vocals are sincere, and he employs some peculiar vocal phrasing on several occasions, most notably when he sings the especially awkward line “She's gone to some neighbor's house and won't be gone very long." which contains more syllables than the verse’s meter would typically permit. There are two instances in the lyrics (which we assume were written by Grayson) where the previous lyric is repeated with a slight difference. This isn’t a common songwriting technique, and to have it appear twice in one song is quite an anomaly. I say this only to point out the nuances. To this ear, these idiosyncrasies in Grayson’s delivery make the performance all the more endearing.
The Performers
This song’s entry in Harry Smith’s original liner notes to the Anthology of American Folk Music included the image below of Grayson with someone named Whitter, but we know that no such person appears on this recording. This recording of “Ommie Wise” is the only time G.B. Grayson appeared on a recording with his companion Henry Whitter. We’ll talk about their partnership in a moment, but first, here’s the lowdown on G.B. Grayson.
G.B. Grayson
Gilliam Banmon Grayson was allegedly born on November 11, 1877 in Ashe County, NC, although this is debatable. Around the time of his birth, G.B. Grayson’s family moved to Laurel Bloomery, TN, an unincorporated community in Johnson County, TN, near the Tennessee/North Carolina border. This community was Grayson’s home for the rest of his life. In some US Census records, Grayson’s mother indicated that all her children were born in Tennessee. But the 1930 US Census, Grayson reported North Carolina as his native state, leaving his place of birth open to debate.
Regardless of where he was born, it is known that Grayson was mostly blind since infancy. The cause of his blindness is often cited as Grayson staring through the window at snow on a sunny day while still an infant, but this is not confirmed. Grayson had some degree of sight, and was able to walk alone on the back roads, recognize people by their size, tell time on a watch with large numbers, and see well enough to pick up money from the floor or ground when he performed for tips.
It’s unclear when or from whom he learned to play, but Grayson began playing fiddle (among other instruments) as a young boy and earned a local reputation as a quality fiddler by his early teens. He typically held the fiddle on his shoulder (or lower), instead of under his chin, as you can see in both of the images of Grayson in the article. This method, not typically employed in his era, enabled Grayson to more easily sing while playing.
Grayson’s father received a disability pension for his service to the Union Army in the Civil War. Grayson was 4 or 5 years old when his father died, and in his early teens when his mother died. Grayson would collect his father’s Civil War disability checks for the rest of his life, and this was his primary source of income. Grayson also earned money through his music, performing at small venues and for dances in the area.
Clarence Ashley, who was from the area (and who has appeared twice already in our journey through the Anthology), stated that as early as 1918, he and Grayson would travel to perform for coal miners in West Virginia, setting up and playing right outside of the pay shacks, where miners went to collect their pay. The pair traveled together for a few years, but stopped touring and it’s thought they parted with some acrimony, perhaps due to a financial dispute. (On a personal note, it’s a shame that Ashley and Grayson played together regularly, but that no recordings exist. Considering the talent possessed by both men, it’s easy to imagine just how well they could have played off of each other.)
After splitting with Ashley, Grayson continued to play locally, and at a 1927 fiddler’s convention in Mountain City, Tennessee, (where he ranked among the top fiddlers in the competition), Grayson met Henry Whitter, a singer, guitar player, and veteran of recording studios, who had been making records since 1923. Whitter and Grayson two hit it off, and in October of 1927, the duo made their first recordings together in Atlanta, Georgia, under the supervision of Ralph Peer.
FUN FACT: Grayson’s uncle James Grayson was an Army officer who aided in the 1866 capture of Tom Dula, who was accused of murdering a woman named Laura Foster. While it is quite possible that Dula was innocent, he was hanged for the murder. The folk song “Tom Dooley” is about Dula, and was first recorded by Whitter and Grayson. (The most popular recording of that song, without question, is the 1958 release “Tom Dooley” by the Kingston Trio).
Henry Whitter
William Henry Whitter was born on April 6, 1892 in Carroll County, Virginia (although there are some questions about that as well). Whitter demonstrated a passion for music as a child, first learning to play guitar, then taking up fiddle, banjo, and harmonica. Inspired by the cylinder recordings (a medium that preceded records) of “Uncle Josh” (a character created and brought to life on recording by vaudeville veteran Cal Stewart), Whitter wanted to be an entertainer.
Here’s an example of Stewart’s work as the Uncle Josh' character in a piece called “Uncle Josh and the Insurance Company”, as recorded in 1904.
Whitter married Orene Jones on February 28, 1913 in Allegheny County, NC. His 1917 draft card indicates he was a cotton mill operator at the Washington Mill, a cotton mill in Fries, Grayson County, VA.
The 1920 census found Whitter in the Old Town area of Grayson County, Virginia where he and his wife, Orene and four year old son William Paul Whitter lived with Orene’s brother Albert and her father James.
In 1920, Old Town, Grayson County, Virginia was also home to Eck Dunford, whom we discussed in song 9 “Old Shoes and Leggins”. That same article mentions that Ernest Stoneman was inspired to begin his career as a professional musician after hearing one of Whitter’s recordings, with an attitude of “If he can do that, I can do it better”. Stoneman’s attitude comes not just from his own self confidence, but from the fact that Henry Whitter wasn’t a great guitar player. He was good enough to keep the rhythm and play the chord changes, but he was never known for his virtuosity.
Whitter managed to take time off work between 1923 and 1926 for recording sessions. On December 12, 1923, at the New York City studios of Okeh Records, Whitter recorded “The Wreck on the Southern Old 97”, becoming the first person to record a song which would go on to be a country music standard.
On July 31 1924, Whitter recorded the first known version of “Goin’ Down the Road Feelin’ Bad”, a song that has gone through numerous reinventions over time, and one that ranks among this author’s favorite songs to hear performed live by any band.
Between 1923 and his team-up with Grayson, Whitter recorded as a solo artist, and as an accompanist on recordings by Kelly Harrell and Roba Stanley. After finding success as a musician, Whitter left the mill behind and began to travel regularly to perform. At some point around 1926, Whitter moved to Mooreseville, NC and in May 1927, he married a woman whose name is not known, and he seemed to bother getting divorced from his first wife Orene.
Later in 1927, Whitter attended the Mountain City fiddlers’ convention in search of a fiddler with whom he could collaborate and make more records. There, he met G.B. Grayson, who was ranked as one of the top fiddlers at the convention, and the pair began a musical partnership that would continue to have an impact nearly a century later.
Grayson and Whitter Discography
Gennett Sessions
In October 1927, the duo recorded 8 sides for Gennett. They returned in February 1928 to record 9 more. These sessions aren’t documented in the Discography of American Historical Recordings, and I am at a loss to provide an accurate listing of recordings from these sessions.
Victor Sessions
Unlike their recordings with Gennett, Grayson and Whitter’s work on Victor is well-documented. Though they only produced 22 sides, their impact was seismic. Since this piece is already quite long, I won’t go into much detail about the recordings. although I’ve made a few notes below, and I would recommend listening to each of these recordings so you can get a better idea of G.B. Grayson skill as a fiddler. Grayson’s contributions really are the musical heart of this duo. While Whitter was a serviceable guitarist, and a brilliant self-promoter, G.B. Grayson was, without question, the superior musician of the pair, and the primary draw for audiences.
1927
On October 18, 1927, the duo recorded 5 sides for Victor Records, in Atlanta, Georgia, in a session supervised by Ralph Peer. During this session, Grayson’s lone solo recording “Ommie Wise” was also made.
Handsome Molly - First known recording of this well-known traditional ballad
He Is Coming to Us Dead
Don’t Go Out Tonight, My Darling - on August 15, 1930, Grayson sang this to his daughter before leaving to attend to some business.
Rose Conley
Ommie Wise - the only G.B. Grayson solo recording.
Train Forty-Five - another song that has been recorded by other artists. Fiddlin’ John Carson recorded the first version of this song under the title “900 Miles” back in 1924, but this is the first time the song appears as Train Forty-Five.
1928
July 31, 1928, the duo recorded 8 sides in New York City for Victor Records.
The Red and Green Signal Lights
Joking Henry
There’s a Man Goin’ Round Takin’ Names (unissued)
The Nine-Pound Hammer - First, the fiddle on this is deliciously smooth. Second, this song has also been recorded by plenty of folks.
Short Life of Trouble - another song that has been recorded by many more artists
I’ve Always Been A Rambler
Where Are You Going, Alice?
A Dark Road is a Hard Road to Travel
August 1, 1928 - 2 sides were recorded in New York City for Victor Records
Barnyard Serenade
Little Maggie with a Dram Glass in her Hand - another record that would go on to become a standard.
1929
September 30, 1929 - Memphis, Tennessee - Victor
On the Banks of the Old Tennessee
Never Be as Fast as I Have Been
I Have Lost You Darling, True Love
Tom Dooley - first known recording of this song, which would later be a major hit for the Kingston Trio
Going Down the Lee Highway
October 1, 1929
I Saw a Man at the Close of Day
The Coal Creek Mines (unissued)
What You Gonna Do with the Baby
The Tragic Death of G.B. Grayson
Things were looking up for Grayson and Whittier at the end of 1929. Their records were selling well enough that Grayson had saved enough money to purchase his family’s home place in Damascus, Virginia from his brother.
On the morning of August 15, 1930, Grayson sang a song for his daughter, then took his fiddle and left his Laurel Bloomery, TN home for Damascus, VA, some seven miles away, to complete the business transaction.
Grayson spent the night in Damascus and set out for home on the morning of August 16, 1930. Grayson had arranged for a friend named Steve Rupert to pick him up, but when Grayson arrived at the appointed location at the scheduled time, Rupert wasn’t there. He had been held up and was running well behind schedule. Grayson stood around, waiting for Rupert to arrive when a gentleman named Curtis Mlburn, who Grayson knew, offered to give him a ride back to Laurel Bloomery.
Milburn’s car was already loaded with passengers, and while there was room in the vehicle for his fiddle, there was no space for Grayson. So, he had to stand on the running boards of the vehicle and hold on tight. Around 10:30AM, with Grayson standing on the running boards, the car had departed Damascus and was crossing a bridge over Laurel Creek when Milburn, driving erratically, crossed the center line on the highway, directly into the path of a log truck. The vehicles collided, and Grayson crashed through the windshield of the log truck, then flew out of the passenger side of the vehicle (there was no passenger side door in these old log trucks). Milburn’s car went off the road and crashed through a barn. Grayson was unconscious at the scene and rushed to the hospital in Abingdon, VA where he died at around 5:15PM on August 16, 1930, leaving behind a wife an six children. G.B. Grayson’s body was laid to rest in Gentry Cemetery, in Laurel Bloomery, TN.
For more information on the life and death of G.B. Grayson, I highly recommend watching the short documentary, Short Life of Trouble: The Legend of GB Grayson, Early Country Music Superstar. The film is available on YouTube and provides a wonderful overview of Grayson’s life, music, and legacy.
Whitter’s Final Years
After Grayson’s death, Whitter appeared on two November 1930 recordings with Marshall Small and Fisher Hendley, but made no recordings beyond that date. The Great Depression destroyed the recording careers of many artists, and Henry Whitter was no exception.
He continued to perform locally after Grayson’s death, and performed for a period with Albert Hash on fiddle, but the pair’s performances were never recorded. Though Whitter tried to find other performers with whom to play consistently, he was a diabetic and took no treatment for his condition. (It should be noted that insulin may not have been readily available in the area, as it was a relatively new discovery, and Whitter lived in a rural area). Due to his untreated diabetes, Whitter was prone to erratic behavior and episodes of dementia, which would have made him an unappealing long-term performing partner.
Whitter married Hattie Baker September 12, 1933. The couple lived in Crumpler, NC until early October 1941, when Whitter went to the NC State Hospital in Morganton, NC. Whitter died in the State Hospital on November 17, 1941 from diabetes, and was buried in Healing Springs Baptist Church Cemetery in Crumpler, NC. (Whitter’s death certificate lists his place of birth as Golax [sic], Virginia. Galax isn’t far from Carroll County, but it isn’t in Carroll County. It’s entirely possible that he was born in or near Galax, but the birth was only registered in Carroll County, but we have no way of confirming this.) Orene Whitter died in 1980, and despite their 50+ year estrangement, and Henry’s two other marriages, Orene’s death certificate lists her as the widow of Henry Whittier.
Connections
There are plenty of connections between this song and those that preceded it, but I
must begin with a connection to which I gave only a tiny hint at the outset of this article.
Thus far in the Anthology, we’ve seen myriad significant connections between songs, but if you step back, you can see that Smith has used blocks of songs to showcase a primary theme, and each theme has its own internal progression.
Songs 1-5 were all Child ballads, progressing from the lowest numbered Child ballad to be included on the Anthology to the highest numbered Child ballad to appear n the set.
Songs 6-11 were the Courtship suite, and each song in the series explored courtship songs, each with a different outcome.
In our previous installment on “Peg and Awl”, another major theme emerged. I didn’t mention it at the time, because I don’t like spoilers. Now that we’re firmly inside the new theme, I’ll allow it to reveal itself with two facts we’ve already discussed:
“Peg and Awl” takes place from 1801 to 1804.
“Ommie Wise” is about a murder that happened in 1807.
Yup. Our new theme is ballads purporting to be about true events, arranged in chronological order based upon the year in which the events of the song are said to have taken place. Now, that is quite a string of words, loaded with caveats, and a horrible way to continually describe this segment. So, for the sake of simplicity (and my own sanity) I’ll simply refer to this theme as the Chronological ballads from here on out.
Along with our new primary theme, there are plenty of other connections as well. This is our third consecutive song with a North Carolina connection. Also, while this is not a string band number, it should be noted that apart from this lone recording, Grayson’s entire recording career was spent as half of a two-man string band with Henry Whitter.
This song revisits the themes of murder ballads (songs 1 and 2), courtship (songs 6-11), and betrayal (another common theme in most of the first 11 songs). Furthermore, both men have direct connections with other performers in the Anthology. Grayson played with Clarence Ashley, and Whitter inspired Ernest Stoneman (who was mentioned in song 9, but who won’t appear until Volume Three).
Lastly, Ralph Peer supervised the recording of this song (and all other songs from Grayson and Whitter’s 1927 session). Ralph Peer’s name has surfaced several times in this series, and will continue to appear as we move forward. We’ll discuss his work and contributions in greater detail when we get into Volume Three: Songs.
Other Interpretations
Discography
For some tracks on the Anthology, Harry Smith provided Discography, pointing us to other recordings of the songs. Whenever such recordings are listed and available, I include them here. For “Ommie Wise”, Smith’s bibliography includes two recordings. Each recording in the discography has different lyrics from Grayson’s performance, and those lyrics are also included so you can see the variations on the tale.
Clarence Ashley - Naomi Wise - while this is an entirely different song, with a completely different melody, it’s the same story and contains many lines from Grayson’s recording. Lyrics are beneath the video:
Poor Omie, poor Omie, poor little Omie Wise
How she was deluded by John Lewis's lies
He promised to meet her at Adams's Springs
He'd bring her some money, some other fine thingsHer a fool like, she met him at Adams's Springs
He brought her no money, no other fine things
He brought her no money, but he flattered the case
"We'll go and get married, it'll be no disgrace."She jumped up behind him, and away they did go
'Til they come to the river, where deep water flow
"John Lewis-y, John Lewis-y, won't you tell me your mind?"
"My mind is to drowned you and leave you behind.""Take pity on my infant, and spare me my life,
And let me live single, if I can't be your wife."
He kicked her and he choked her, and he turned her around
Then he threw her in deep water, where he knew she would drown
Lillian Short - Naomi Wise - (Listed as AAFS 57 in Smith’s notes) this recording is not available on YouTube, and cannot be embedded here. This recording is embedded in a fascinating article about Ms. Short that is available from the Library of Congress at https://blogs.loc.gov/folklife/2023/05/lillian-short-mrs-robin-hood/
The lyrics as performed by Ms. Short are below
1. Come all you young people, a story I will tell
About a maid they called Naomi Wise.
Her face was fair and handsome. she was loved by everyone,
In Randolph County now her body lies.2, They say she had a lover, young Lewis was his name
Each evening he would have her by his side
She learned to love and trust him. and she believed his words,
He told her she was soon to be his bride.3. One Summer night he met her and took her for a ride
She thought that she was going to be wed.
They came In old Deep River and so the story goes,
"You have met your doom," these words the villain said.4. She begged him just to spare her, the villain only laughed.
They say that he was heartless to the core
And in the stream he threw her below the old mill dam
And sweet Naomi's smile was seen no more5. Next day they found her body a·floating down the stream
All the folks for miles around did cry,
Young Lewis left the country, they fetched him back again,
But they could not prove that he caused her to die.6. They say that on his deathbed young Lewis did confess
And said that he had killed Naomi Wise,
And now they know her spirit still lingers around the place
To save the young girls from some villain's lies.7. Young people. all take warning. and listen while I say,
You must take care before it is too late,
Don't listen to the story some villain's tongue will tell
Or you are sure to meet Naomi's fate .
Further Interpretations
Vernon Dalhart - Naomi Wise - the first commercially released recording to tell the story of Naomi Wise. It contains the same lyrics as the Lillian Short recording to which Smith referred as AAFS 57 (above).
Bob Dylan - Naomi Wise - (live July 29, 1961, Riverside Church Hootenanny Special, New York City, NY) Before he started writing his own songs, Dylan played a good number of songs from the Anthology, and while this isn’t the same version as recorded by G.B. Grayson, you know I had to include it.
Roscoe Holcomb - Omie Wise - another take on the tale, this time by banjo player (and exceptional singer) Roscoe Holcomb. This is a great example of Holcomb’s style, and if his voice and banjo picking are your cup of tea, there are some exceptional recordings out there. He’s one of those artists that I wish had appeared on the Anthology, just so I could write a bunch about him. I’ll just add the Roscoe Holcomb article to my list of things to write once the Anthology Revisited series is complete.
Conclusion
Wow! What a ride! In this article, we’ve successfully introduced our first verifiably true story to appear on the Anthology, and discussed two performers who had a tremendous impact on early country music.
If you’re interested in learning more about G.B. Grayson, and the ongoing impact of his recordings with Whitter, I highly recommend the documentary Short Life of Trouble: The Legend of GB Grayson, Early Country Music Superstar on YouTube. This is a lovingly assembled, informative, and entertaining film that I’d recommend to any fans of old time music.
I must also mention Josh Beckworth’s book Always Been a Rambler: G.B. Grayson and Henry Whitter - Country Music Pioneers of Southern Appalachia, which is undoubtedly the most authoritative source on Grayson and Whittier that I encountered. The book goes into much greater detail than I do here, and includes many great photos of the two man.
Thanks to Beckworth’s book and the documentary, I know I’m leaving you in good hands, so I don’t feel quite so awful for omitting tales and details I’d hoped to include here.
Our next piece in Anthology Revisited is “My Name is John Johanna” by Kelly Harrell And The Virginia String Band. From the act’s name, it’s apparent that we’ll continue our journey through string bands, and we’ll finally have us a chance to discuss Kelly Harrell, whose name and recordings have appeared in the “Other Interpretations” section of previous articles in this series. “My Name is John Johanna” is also final song on the first album of the Anthology, and once it’s done, we’ll be halfway through our analysis of Volume One: Ballads.
Lastly, as I always do, I must close with my thanks for your time and attention, and the reminder that I didn’t do any of this by myself. I performed a lot of research and consulted the work of a lot of other researchers, which I’ve linked below. To learn more about Grayson, Whitter, or Naomi Wise, these sources helped me write this, and and contain much more information than I was able to share here.
Sources
Deep River Blues: The Real Naomi Wise - Mark Kemp
https://dailykemp.com/2021/11/18/the-real-omie-wise/
A true account of Nayomy Wise - Wikisource, the free online library
https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/A_true_account_of_Nayomy_Wise
Omie Wise - Wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Omie_Wise
Naomi Wise’s Grave - Randolph County Historical Sites
Carolina Clips
A Project Developed by the Educational Technology Division of the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction
Archived October 27, 2005
https://web.archive.org/web/20051027223818/http://www.itpi.dpi.state.nc.us/counties/Randol/Randlph/nwise.html
Retrieved from Internet Archive on June 6, 2025
“Omie Wise’s Ballad”: Visiting the Grave Dedicated to Naomi Wise – Augusta
https://augustaartsandculture.org/omie-wises-ballad-visiting-the-grave-dedicated-to-naomi-wise/
Old Songs: Omie Wise
Waltz, Bob
Originally published: Inside Bluegrass, August 2000
https://www.lizlyle.lofgrens.org/RmOlSngs/RTOS-OmieWise.html
Omie Wise (Roud 447; Laws F4)
https://mainlynorfolk.info/shirley.collins/songs/omiewise.html
The Murder of Omie Wise. “Oh, listen to my story, I’ll tell you… | by EJ | But What For?
https://medium.com/butwhatfor/the-murder-of-omie-wise-ce15167bed73
Omie Wise - Sing Out!
https://singout.org/omie-wise/
G. B. Grayson - Wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/G._B._Grayson
Gilliam Banmore Grayson - FamilySearch
https://www.familysearch.org/en/tree/person/about/L14Y-FZ2
Gilliam Banmore Grayson - FindAGrave
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/94940780/gilliam-banmon-grayson
Gilliam B. Grayson - 1930 U.S. Census
"United States records," images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33SQ-GRZJ-HTX?view=explore : Jun 12, 2025), image 328 of 1096; United States. National Archives and Records Administration. Image Group Number: 004953907
"Ommie Wise" - G.B. Grayson
Where Dead Voices Gather | Life at 78 RPM
https://theanthologyofamericanfolkmusic.blogspot.com/2009/12/ommie-wise-gb-grayson.html
Henry Whitter - Wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_Whitter
Henry Whitter - FamilySearch
https://www.familysearch.org/en/tree/person/about/KZSC-V2P
Henry Whitter - FindAGrave
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/66694639/william-henry-whitter
William H. Whitter - Birth Records, Virginia Bureau of Vital Statistics
"Virginia, Bureau of Vital Statistics, Birth Records, 1853-1896", FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:623S-P738 : Sat Mar 09 20:06:08 UTC 2024), Entry for William H Whitter and James E Whitter, 6 Apr 1892.
Omie Wise - Wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Omie_Wise
Braxton Craven - Wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Braxton_Craven
The Historical Events Behind the Celebrated Ballad “Naomi Wise”
Robert Roote
North Carolina Folklore Journal
Vol. 32, No. 1 - Spring-Summer 1984
https://archive.org/stream/northcarolinafol3235nort/northcarolinafol3235nort_djvu.txt
The Story of Naomi Wise, or, The Wrongs of a Beautiful Girl
Braxton Craven, 1851
https://archive.org/details/storyofnaomiwise00crav/page/28/mode/1up
Naomi Wise | Notes on the History of Randolph County, NC
https://randolphhistory.wordpress.com/2009/06/03/naomi-wise/
Anglo-American Songs and Ballads from the Archive of Folk Song - AFS L12
Edited by Duncan Emrich
Liner notes for Anglo-American Songs and Ballads AFS L12
Page 3
Retrieved via Wayback Machine on June 8, 2025
https://web.archive.org/web/20151024010541/https://www.loc.gov/folklife/LP/AFS_L12.pdf
Lillian Short: Mrs. Robin Hood?
Folklife Today, American Folklife Center and Veterans History Project Blog
Stephen Winick
May 8, 2023
https://blogs.loc.gov/folklife/2023/05/lillian-short-mrs-robin-hood/
Naomi Wise - Weeniepedia
Lyrics as performed by Clarence Ashley
https://weeniecampbell.com/wiki/index.php?title=Naomi_Wise
Short Life of Trouble: The Legend of GB Grayson, Early Country Music Superstar
Short Life of Trouble: The Legend of GB Grayson, Early Country Music Superstar (YouTube)
Always Been a Rambler: G.B. Grayson and Henry Whitter - Country Music Pioneers of Southern Appalachia
Josh Beckworth, 2018
Contributions to Southern Appalachian Studies 45
McFarland & Company, inc. Publishers
Jefferson, North Carolina
https://books.google.com/books?id=etZSDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA5&source=gbs_toc_r&cad=2#v=onepage&q&f=false