22 Facts About Cisco Houston

Gilbert Vandine "Cisco" Houston was an American folk singer and songwriter, who is closely associated with Woody Guthrie due to their extensive history of traveling and recording together.

Gilbert Vandine Cisco Houston was born in Wilmington, Delaware, United States, on August 18,1918, the second of four children.

Cisco Houston's father, Adrian Moncure Houston, was a sheet-metal worker.

The family moved to California while Cisco Houston was still young, and he attended school in Eagle Rock, California, a suburb of Los Angeles.

Cisco Houston learned primarily by memorizing what he heard in the classroom.

Cisco Houston spent years traveling and working odd jobs throughout the western United States, always with a guitar at his side.

Cisco Houston passed through many places, including the town of Cisco, California, the place from which he took his name.

Cisco Houston performed music informally wherever he went, and eventually began occasionally playing at clubs and on radio stations in the West.

Cisco Houston returned to Los Angeles in 1938 and pursued a career in acting.

The taciturn Cisco Houston proved an ideal counterpart for the hyperactive Woody, and the two men began traveling together, touring migrant worker camps, singing, and promoting unionism and workers' rights, eventually making their way to New York City.

Cisco Houston survived three separate torpedoing of ships on which he served.

Four years later, Asch founded the label Folkways, with Cisco Houston performing on two of the first LPs issued by the new company.

Cisco Houston appeared in the Broadway theatre play The Cradle Will Rock in 1948 and, in 1954, began hosting the Gil Cisco Houston radio show.

Cisco Houston recorded for various labels, including Folkways, Stinson, Disc, Coral, Decca and Vanguard, and was a guest on numerous radio and television programs.

Cisco Houston toured India in 1959 under the sponsorship of the State Department with Sonny Terry, Brownie McGhee, and Marilyn Childs.

Cisco Houston returned to California and died April 29,1961, in San Bernardino.

Cisco Houston received significant royalties from the success of this song at a time when the money was much needed.

Cisco Houston's death was mourned by a growing folk music community that included young songwriters including Bob Dylan, Tom Paxton, and Phil Ochs, a new generation of musicians who revered such performers as Woody Guthrie, Lead Belly, Sonny Terry, and Cisco Houston.

Cisco Houston was distinguished by his voice, a smooth baritone sometimes considered too polished for folk music.

Cisco Houston's voice was criticized as being too good, too professional, and lacking in authenticity.

Cisco Houston is known for his renditions of Woody Guthrie originals.

Some of his compositions were included in the songbook 900 Miles, the Ballads, Blues and Folksongs of Cisco Houston, issued by Oak Publications in 1965.