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((Short description|American musician (1918–1961)))
((Use mdy dates|date=August 2020))
((More citations needed|date=August 2007))
((Infobox musical artist
| name            = Cisco Houston
| image           = Cisco Houston.png
| image_size      =
| caption         =
| birth_name      = Gilbert Vandine Houston
| alias           =
| birth_date      = ((Birth date|1918|8|18|mf=y))
| birth_place     = [[Wilmington, Delaware]], U.S.
| origin          =
| death_date      = ((Death date and age|1961|4|29|1918|8|18))
| death_place     = [[San Bernardino, California]], U.S.
| genre           = [[Folk music|Folk]]
| occupation      = Singer-songwriter
| instrument      = Guitar, voice
| years_active    = 1930s–1960
| label           =
| associated_acts =
| website         = 
))
'''Gilbert Vandine '''"'''Cisco'''"''' Houston''' (August 18, 1918 – April 29, 1961) was an American [[folk music|folk]] singer and songwriter,<ref name="Larkin50">((cite book|title=[[Encyclopedia of Popular Music|The Virgin Encyclopedia of Fifties Music]]|editor=Colin Larkin|editor-link=Colin Larkin (writer)|publisher=[[Virgin Books]]|date=2002|edition=Third|isbn=1-85227-937-0|page=208))</ref> who is closely associated with [[Woody Guthrie]] due to their extensive history of recording together.

Houston was a regular recording artist for [[Moses Asch]]'s [[Folkways Records|Folkways]] recording studio. He also performed with such folk/[[blues]] musicians as [[Lead Belly]], [[Sonny Terry]], [[Woody Guthrie]] and the [[Almanac Singers]].

==Biography==
===Early life===
Gilbert Vandine Houston was born in [[Wilmington, Delaware]], United States, on August 18, 1918,<ref name="Larkin50"/> the second of four children. His father, Adrian Moncure Houston, was a [[sheet-metal]] worker. The family moved to California while Houston was still young, and he attended school in [[Eagle Rock, California]], a suburb of Los Angeles.

During his school years, Houston began to play the guitar, having picked up an assortment of folk songs from his family. It is reported<ref name="SHBiography">((cite web|url=http://www.ciscohouston.com/essays/bio.shtml |title=Biography |publisher=Cisco Houston |website=ciscohouston.com |accessdate=April 4, 2012))</ref> that Houston was regarded as highly intelligent during his time at school, despite the [[pathologic nystagmus|nystagmus]] that afflicted his eyesight, leaving him to rely heavily on [[peripheral vision]]. He learned primarily by memorizing what he heard in the classroom. Despite his difficulties, Houston came to be regarded as a well-read individual.

===The Great Depression===
When the [[Great Depression]] struck, Houston began working to help support his family. In 1932, his unemployed father left home and a few years later Gil went on the road, accompanied initially by his brother Slim. The years were spent traveling and working odd jobs throughout the western United States, always with a guitar at his side. Gil Houston passed through many places, including the town of [[Cisco, California|Cisco]], California, the place from which he took his name.<ref name="Larkin50"/>

During his travels, Houston expanded his repertoire of traditional songs, particularly in his time employed as a [[cowboy]]. He performed music informally wherever he went, and eventually began occasionally playing at clubs and on Western radio stations.

Houston returned to Los Angeles in 1938 and pursued a career in acting.<ref name="Larkin50"/> During this time Houston, along with friend and fellow actor [[Will Geer]], visited folk singer [[Woody Guthrie]] at a radio studio in Hollywood. This marks the beginning of the close friendship between Guthrie and Houston. The taciturn Houston proved an ideal counterpart for the hyperactive Woody, and the two men began traveling together, touring [[migrant worker]] camps, singing, and promoting [[trade union|unionism]] and [[labor rights|workers' rights]], eventually making their way to New York City.<ref name="Larkin50"/>

===World War II===
Despite Houston's poor eyesight (which rendered him nearly [[blindness|blind]] by the end of his life), he was a member of the [[National Maritime Union]] and worked in the [[United States Merchant Marine|Merchant Marine]] starting in 1940 and continued through three years of [[World War II]]. Houston survived three separate torpedoing of ships on which he served.((Citation needed|date=September 2013)) After the United States entered World War II, [[Woody Guthrie]] joined Houston as a Merchant Mariner along with Jim Longhi, who documented this period in a memoir titled, Woody, Cisco & Me. Throughout three wartime trips, the two folksingers gave performances regularly, boosting the morale of the crew and, on the third trip, three thousand troops.

===Post World War II===
After the war, Houston returned to New York and performed with the [[Almanac Singers]], a left-wing folk group that often included [[Pete Seeger]], [[Lee Hays]], [[Millard Lampell]], and [[Woody Guthrie]], among others. During the years following the war, Houston engaged in acting, music, and traveling, sometimes recording. In 1944 Houston, along with [[Woody Guthrie]] and [[Sonny Terry]], had taken part in recording sessions at the studio of [[Moses Asch]]. Four years later, Asch founded the label [[Folkways (record label)|Folkways]], with Houston performing on two of the first LPs issued by the new company.<ref name="Larkin50"/>

Houston appeared in the Broadway theatre play ''[[The Cradle Will Rock]]'' in 1948 and, in 1954, began hosting the Gil Houston radio show.<ref name="Larkin50"/> The show was quickly cancelled, which led to some suspicion of [[blacklisting]] because of Houston's left-wing views.<ref name="Larkin50"/>

Throughout the 1950s, Houston performed regularly at clubs, churches, and colleges. He recorded for various labels, including Folkways, [[Stinson Records|Stinson]], Disc, Coral, [[Decca Records|Decca]] and [[Vanguard Records|Vanguard]], and was a guest on numerous radio and television programs.

Houston toured [[India]] in 1959 under the sponsorship of the State Department with [[Sonny Terry]], [[Brownie McGhee]], and Marilyn Childs.<ref name="Larkin50"/> In 1960, he hosted the television special, ''Folk Sound U.S.A.'' on [[CBS]], and appeared later that year at the [[Newport Folk Festival]].<ref name="Larkin50"/> His recordings for Vanguard began with the album ''The Cisco Special'', followed by a collection of Woody Guthrie songs.

===Death and legacy===
Diagnosed with terminal [[stomach cancer]], Houston continued performing until no longer able.<ref name="Larkin50"/> Less than two months before his death, he recorded a final album, ''Ain't Got No Home''. He returned to California and died April 29, 1961, in [[San Bernardino]].

In the months preceding his death, with the knowledge of his imminent demise, Houston talked at length with his old friend Lee Hays, who recorded their sessions for a project he dubbed ''The Cisco Tapes''. Hays held onto the tapes for two more decades, until his own death in 1981, but never completed creating something from the material.

Houston and Hays had previously revised an earlier song called "Bad Man's Blunder". [[The Kingston Trio]], still at the height of their popularity in 1960, recorded it for their album ''[[String Along]]'', because they "wanted to do something for this artist who had contributed so much to the folk movement, but had somehow failed to receive the commercial recognition one would expect for a talent of his magnitude. Houston received significant royalties from the success of this song at a time when the money was much needed."<ref>((Cite web|url=http://www.ciscohouston.com/essays/kingston_trio.shtml|title=Cisco Houston: The Kingston Trio Help Out|website=Ciscohouston.com|accessdate=October 9, 2019))</ref>

Houston's death was mourned by a growing folk music community that included young songwriters including [[Bob Dylan]], [[Tom Paxton]], and [[Phil Ochs]],<ref name="Larkin50"/> a new generation of musicians who revered such performers as [[Woody Guthrie]], [[Lead Belly]], [[Sonny Terry]], and Houston.

Song as tributes to, or with mentions of, Cisco Houston include:
* "Fare Thee Well, Cisco" by [[Tom Paxton]]<ref name="Larkin50"/>
* "Cisco Houston Passed This Way" by [[Peter La Farge]]
* "Blues for Cisco Houston" by [[Thomas McGrath (poet)|Tom McGrath]]
* "[[Song To Woody]]" by [[Bob Dylan]]
* "A Picture From Life's Other Side" by [[Ramblin' Jack Elliott]]
* "Christmas Time in Washington" by [[Steve Earle]]
* "Goodbye Josh" by [[Peter Yarrow]]
* "Never Tire of the Road" by [[Andy Irvine (musician)|Andy Irvine]]

==Music==
Cisco Houston was distinguished by his voice, a smooth baritone sometimes considered too polished for folk music. His voice was criticized as being too good, too professional, and lacking in authenticity.  Cisco responded to this accusation:

<blockquote>There's always a form of theater that things take; even back in the Ozarks, as far as you want to go. People gravitate to the best singer...We have people today who go just the other way, and I don't agree with them. Some of our folksong exponents seem to think you have to go way back in the hills and drag out the worst singer in the world before it's authentic. Now, this is nonsense...Just because he's old and got three arthritic fingers and two strings left on the banjo doesn't prove anything.</blockquote>

His repertoire included folk songs and traditional songs from different arenas of American life – cowboy songs, union songs, railroad songs, murder ballads, and more. He is also known for his renditions of [[Woody Guthrie]] originals.

Though not known as a songwriter, Houston did contribute some original tunes. These include "Great July Jones", written with Lewis Allen; "Crazy Heart"; "Ramblin' Gamblin' Man"; "Bad Man's Blunder", written with Lee Hays; "The Killer" (words traditional); "What did the deep blue sea say", and "Dollar Down". 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.

== Selected discography ==
*''Cowboy Ballads and Railroad Songs'' (Folkways FA 2022) (1952)<ref name="CowboyBallads">((cite web
|url = https://www.discogs.com/Cisco-Houston-Cowboy-Ballads/master/636503
|title = ''Cowboy Ballads''
|website = discogs.com
|accessdate= May 24, 2016))</ref>
*''900 Miles and Other R. R. Songs'' (Folkways FA 2013) (1954)<ref name="900Miles">((cite web
|url = https://www.discogs.com/Cisco-Houston-900-Miles-And-Other-RR-Songs/release/4195863
|title = ''900 Miles and Other R. R. Songs''
|website = discogs.com
|accessdate= May 24, 2016))</ref>
*''More Songs By Woody Guthrie And Cisco Houston'' (Melodisc MLP12-106) (1955)<ref name="MoreSongs">((cite web
|url = https://www.discogs.com/Woody-Guthrie-And-Cisco-Houston-More-Songs-By-Woody-Guthrie-And-Cisco-Houston/release/4578216
|title = ''More Songs By Woody Guthrie And Cisco Houston''
|website = discogs.com
|accessdate= May 24, 2016))</ref>
*''Cisco Sings'' (Folkways FA 2346) (1958)<ref name="CiscoSings">((cite web
|url = https://www.discogs.com/Cisco-Houston-Cisco-Sings/master/688120
|title = ''Cisco Sings''
|website = discogs.com
|accessdate= May 24, 2016))</ref>
*''[[Cisco Houston Sings Songs of the Open Road]]'' (Folkways FA 2480) (1960)<ref name="OpenRoad">((cite web
|url = https://www.discogs.com/Cisco-Houston-Sings-Songs-Of-The-Open-Road/master/467004
|title = ''Cisco Houston Sings Songs of The Open Road''
|website = discogs.com
|date = November 9, 1960
|accessdate= May 24, 2016))</ref>
*''Sings the Songs of Woody Guthrie'' (Vanguard VRS 9089) (1960)<ref name="SingsSongsOfWG">((cite web
|url = https://www.discogs.com/Cisco-Houston-Cisco-Houston-Sings-The-Songs-Of-Woody-Guthrie/master/688115
|title = ''Sings the Songs of Woody Guthrie''
|website = discogs.com
|date = November 9, 1960
|accessdate= May 24, 2016))</ref>
*''I Ain't Got No Home'' (Vanguard VRS-9107) (1962)<ref name="NoHome">((cite web
|url = https://www.discogs.com/Cisco-Houston-I-Aint-Got-No-Home/master/501317
|title = ''I Ain't Got No Home''
|website = discogs.com
|date = November 9, 1962
|accessdate= May 24, 2016))</ref>
*''Nursery Rhymes, Games & Folk Songs'' (Folkways FC 7606) (1963)<ref name="NurseryRhymes">((cite web
|url = http://www.ciscohouston.com/LPs/nursery_rhymes.shtml
|title = ''Nursery Rhymes, Games & Folk Songs''
|website = ciscohouston.com
|accessdate= May 24, 2016))</ref>
* ''Passing Through'' (Verve Folkways FV/FVS 9002) (1965)<ref name="PassingThrough">((cite web
|url = https://www.discogs.com/Cisco-Houston-Passing-Through/master/701481
|title = ''Passing Through''
|website = discogs.com
|date = November 9, 1965
|accessdate= May 24, 2016))</ref>

==Bibliography==
* ((cite book
|last1= Baggelaar
|first1= Kristin
|last2= Milton
|first2= Donald
|year= 1976
|edition= 1st
|title= Folk Music: More Than a Song
|location= U.S.A.
|publisher= Thomas Y. Crowell
|isbn= 978-0-690-01159-3
|url= https://archive.org/details/folkmusicmoretha00bagg
))
* ((cite book
|editor1-last=Houston
|editor1-first= Cisco
|editor2-last=Asch
|editor2-first= Moses
|editor3-last= Silber
|editor3-first= Irwin
|year=1965
|edition=1st
|title= 900 Miles: The Ballads, Blues and Folksongs of Cisco Houston
|location= New York
|publisher= Oak Publications
|isbn= 978-0-825-60047-0))
* ((cite book
|last1= Klein
|first1= Joe
|year= 1980
|edition= 1st
|title= Woody Guthrie: A Life
|location= U.S.A.
|publisher= Knopf
|isbn= 978-0-394-50152-9
|url= https://archive.org/details/woodyguthrielife00klei
))
* ((cite book
|last1= Longhi
|first1= Jim
|year= 1997
|edition= 1st
|title= Woody, Cisco, and Me: Seamen Three in the Merchant Marine
|location= U.S.A.
|publisher= University of Illinois Press
|isbn= 978-0-252-02276-0
|url= https://archive.org/details/woodyciscomeseam00long
))
* ((cite book
|last1= Stambler
|first1= Irwin
|last2= Landon
|first2= Grelun
|year= 1969
|edition=1st
|title= Encyclopedia of Folk, Country, and Western Music
|url= https://archive.org/details/encyclopediaoffo00stamb
|url-access= registration
|location= U.S.A.
|publisher= Griffin Books / St. Martin's Press
|isbn= 978-0-860-66003-3))
* ((cite book
|last1= Willens
|first1= Doris
|year= 1988
|edition= 1st
|title= Lonesome Traveler: The Life of Lee Hays
|location= U.S.A.
|publisher= W. W. Norton & Co. Inc.
|isbn= 978-0-393-02564-4
|url= https://archive.org/details/lonesometraveler00will
))

==References==
((Reflist))

==External links==
*[http://www.ciscohouston.com Cisco Houston: Appreciation and Evaluation] Retrieved May 7, 2006.
*[http://www.wirz.de/music/houston.htm Illustrated Cisco Houston discography] Retrieved May 26, 2006.

((Authority control))

((DEFAULTSORT:Houston, Cisco))
[[Category:American folk singers]]
[[Category:Musicians from Wilmington, Delaware]]
[[Category:1918 births]]
[[Category:1961 deaths]]
[[Category:American sailors]]
[[Category:Deaths from stomach cancer in California]]
[[Category:Vanguard Records artists]]
[[Category:20th-century American singers]]
[[Category:Singers from Delaware]]
[[Category:20th-century American male singers]]
[[Category:Folkways Records artists]]
[[Category:United States Merchant Mariners of World War II]]

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