BY MARTY McGEE—
Holland Puckett was born July 15, 1899, on a farm in The Hollows, Patrick County, Virginia. He lived between Ararat, Virginia, and nearby Mount Airy, North Carolina. Puckett had strong ties to such important Surry County musicians as Ben Jarrell and Da Costa Woltz. In April 1927, Puckett traveled with Woltz and his band, the Southern Broadcasters, to Richmond, Indiana, to record for Gennett. Although he recorded solo, many of his records were issued under the pseudonyms Harvey Watson, Si Puckett, Riley Wilcox, and Robert Howell.
Puckett, who played the banjo, guitar and harmonica, worked as a bookkeeper for a Mount Airy tobacco warehouse. He died on July28th, 1934, allegedly from a knife wound inflicted during a fight over a poker game.
Discography
“Put on Your Old Gray Bonnett”/”Weeping Willow Tree” (Gennett 6144; Challenge 270; recorded in Richmond, Indiana, ca. 1927)
“A Mother’s Advice”/”Put on Your Old Gray Bonnett” (Champion 15299; recorded in Richmond, Indiana, ca. April 1927)
“The Bright Sherman Valley”/”Put on Your Old Gray Bonnett” (Challenge 329; recorded in Richmond, Indiana, ca. April-May 1927)
“Put on Your Old Gray Bonnett” (Herwin 75554; reverse by Da Costa Woltz’s Southern Broadcasters; recorded in Richmond, Indiana, ca. April 1927)
“Weeping Willow Tree” (Champion 15334; Silvertone 8158; Supertone9243; reverse by David Miller, John McGhee; recorded in Richmond, Indiana, ca. April 1927)
“A Mother’s Advice”/”Weeping Willow Tree” (Challenge 330; recorded in Richmond Indiana, ca. April 1927)
“The Broken Engagement”/”Weeping Willow Tree” (Bell 1179; Recorded in Richmond, Indiana, ca. April-May 1927)
“He Lives on High”/”I’ll Remember You Love in My Prayers” (Gennett 6206; Challenge 270; recorded in Richmond, Indiana, ca. April 1927)
“He Lives on High” (Challenge 15333; Silvertone 5075; Silvertone 8176; Supertone 9263; reverse by Ben Jarrell; recorded in Richmond, Indiana, ca. April 1927)
“A Mother’s Advice”/”Chas. A. Brooks” (Gennett 6163; Herwin 75556; recorded in Richmond, Indiana, ca. April 1927)
“The Dying Cowboy”/”The Keyhole in the Door” (Gennett 6271; recorded in Richmond, Indiana, ca- April-May 1927)
“The Dying Cowboy” (Champion 15428; Herwin 75557; reverse by Bradley Kincaid, David Miller; recorded in Richmond, Indiana, ca. April 1927)
“Come and Kiss Me, Baby Darling”/”The Dying Cowboy” (Silvertone 5065; Silvertone 25065; Silvertone 8152; Supertone 9253; recorded in Richmond, Indiana, ca. April-May 1927)
“Drunken Hiccoughs”/”The Broken Engagement” (Gennett 6189; recorded in Richmond, Indiana, ca. May 1927)
“Drunken Hiccoughs” (Champion 15356; reverse by John Hammond; recorded in Richmond, Indiana, ca. May 1927)
“The Keyhole in the Door”/”Drunken Hiccoughs” (Challenge 328; recorded in Richmond, Indiana, ca- May 1927)
“The Broken Engagement”/”The Bright Sherman Valley” (Herwin 75562; recorded in Richmond, Indiana, ca. May 1927)
“The Bright Sherman Valley”/”Come and Kiss Me, Baby Darling” (Gennett 6433; recorded in Richmond, Indiana, ca. May 1927)
“The Keyhole in the Door”/”The Bright Sherman Valley” (Silvertone 5064; Silvertone 25064; Silvertone 8153; Supertone 9254; recorded in ca. May 1927)
“I’ll Remember You in My Prayers” (Herwin 75559; reverse by Ben Jarrell; recorded in Richmond, Indiana, ca. May 1927)
“Little Birdie”/”Come and Kiss Me, Baby Darling” (Herwin 75563; recorded in Richmond, Indiana, ca. May 1927)
“The Old Cottage Home”/”The Maple on the Hill” (Gennett 6532; recorded in Richmond, Indiana, ca. May 11, 1928)
“Little Bessie”/”The Old Cottage Home” (Supertone 9342; recorded in Richmond, Indiana, ca. May 11,1928)
“The Maple on the HIll”/”Faded Bunch of Roses” (Supertone 9186; recorded in Richmond, Indiana, ca. May 11, 1928)
“Faded Bunch of Roses”/”Little Bessie” (Gennett 6720; recorded in Richmond, Indiana, ca. May 11, 1928)