Gussie Davis was an African-American composer of the late 19th C who made his living - opinions vary whether it was a fortune - in Tin Pan Alley in NYC. He had his own touring minstrel troupe and specialised in "tear-jerkers," as in this song.
His song "Irene, Goodnight" is believed to be the inspiration for the song that Huddie Leadbetter learned from his uncles in the early 1900's (which he changed to suit his own tastes as well), though it is similar in only a few sections.
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