Charlie Slaughter Played For Silent Movies

My grandfather, Charlie Bratcher Slaughter, played the piano for silent movies in Roxboro. On October 13, 1974, at his 88th birthday dinner, he played a tune on the banjo from those days and then told about one of the movies he played for.

Here is “There Is Sunshine In My Soul” played by Charlie Slaughter on the banjo:

After this song, he said that he had played that piece for a Gabby Hayes movie in Roxboro. He described the plot of the movie. The other voice on the tape is his niece, Ophelia Cates, daughter of his brother, Sam. At then end, she asks my grandfather if he got any of the treasure, and he said he just got paid for playing.

Here is my grandfather talking about playing for silent movies:

Here is a sample of my grandfather playing the piano, recorded when he was 89 or 90. This is “Are You From Dixie?”

© Copyright 2018 Michael T. Slaughter