Lewis Hairston - John Henry (1977, Traditional African American Banjo Music)
Lewis “Big Sweet” Hairston (1929-?) performs his rendition of the African American folk ballad “John Henry”.
The story of John Henry is also told in the form of a legend, and generally follows the premise that John Henry was a steel driver (During the days of railway development and construction through out the United States), and that, at some point during his career, he is challenged by a steam-powered drilling machine which threatened to replace the work of steel drivers like Henry and his coworkers.