James 'Iron Head' Baker

James "Iron Head" Baker was one of the inmates recorded by John and Alan Lomax in the 1930s as part of the Library of Congress-sanctioned Archive of American Folk Song project. Baker (his real name is thought to be Ruben Avery Burrage) got his colorful prison nickname after a tree fell on him during a work detail, and while the tree ended up with several broken branches, Baker emerged unscathed. Little else is known about the man, although it is clear that Baker was a naturally gifted singer, who made up in emotional nuance what he lacked in professional skill and opportunity,...