Posted By BillHeise on March 1, 2009

The History of Cornbread in Music and Culture

The cornbread theme started out as a theme in the south. It has retained its popularity through various cultural iterations.

Here is my first Cornbread video. This song got me hooked in the first few bars, and has propelled my interest in Cajun/Zydeco music ever since. It is by Beau Jocques, and is entitled “Give Him Cornbread”: You can buy Beau Jocques Greatest Hits here.

Here are other cornbread videos you might enjoy:

• Lee Morgan’s “Cornbread” brings cornbread into the jazz age (the song features Herbie Hancock). The video doesn’t start for a whole minute, but it is worth waiting for. Buy it here.
• Here’s an excerpt from a video about an early graffiti artist who went through Philadelphia in the late 60′s and early 70′s writing “Cornbread” on everything. The “Godfather of Graf!”
• Cornbread moved into the Funk era, as well, as the cornbread theme was an obvious choice for Blaxploitation. Here’s “Cornbread” from the Blackbyrds. It is featured in a movie called Cornbread Earl and Me. Check out the picture on the cover. That’s a young Cowboy Curtis (Lawrence Fishburne). Buy it here.
• Here’s Dave Matthews Band‘s take on the cornbread theme. That’s Jeff Coffin (of Flecktones fame) on the saxophone! Buy it here.
• And finally, the silliness of Hank and Jed’s Cornbread Samurai. You have to see it to believe it.

Categories: Movies, What I'm Listening to This Week
Tags: cornbread