Photographs of Young Artists of 1950's

Pratyaksham Bala · Post by **Pratyaksham Bala** » 21 Mar 2011, 14:24

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Photographs of the Young Artists of 1950's, which appeared in the Ananda Vikatan Deepavali Malar of 1958:-

More will follow!
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PUNARVASU · Post by **PUNARVASU** » 21 Mar 2011, 15:34

The one named ' T.S Valleesan', is he not the brother of Shri T.S.Balakrishn Sastrigal? He used to sing (pin pATTu) for Shri T.S.B in his harikathakalakshepam.

Pratyaksham Bala · Post by **Pratyaksham Bala** » 21 Mar 2011, 15:56

Yes. He had given support to Sri Balakrishna Sastrigal in almost all his kathakalakshepam programmes.

Sri Valleesan had also given independent vocal recitals. In the Music Academy, Chennai, he had performed in the December season of 1966.

He passed away in 2004 at the age of 82.

ShrutiLaya · Post by **ShrutiLaya** » 21 Mar 2011, 16:22

With a little color adjustment:

This webpage seems to reduce the size for display. The picture looks bigger if you drag it to your desktop.

Can someone please translate the names for the Tamil challenged?

- Sreenadh

Pratyaksham Bala · Post by **Pratyaksham Bala** » 21 Mar 2011, 17:12

Sreenadh:
Thanks for upgrading the image.

VOCAL

First Row:
V.S. Krishnamurthy Rao, Chennai
Smt. Suseela, Chennai
V. Gopalakrishnan, Tiruppunithurai
K. Sankari Ammal, Madurai
S. Vaidhyanathan, Madurai
Andal Narasimhan, Chennai

Second Row:
K. Pattammal, Trichy
C. N. Rajalakshmi, Chennai
Guruvammal Ramaswami, Chennai
G. P. Kamala, Chennai
N. Tiripurasundari, Chennai
V.M. Krishnamurthy, Chennai

Third Row:-
T. S. Valleesan, Chennai
K. Venkatarama Iyer, Palaiyur
K.S. Lakshminarayanan, Chennai
M.K. Kumar, Chennai
M.S. Lakshmi, B.A., Chennai
N. Balasubramanian, Chennai

Pratyaksham Bala · Post by **Pratyaksham Bala** » 22 Mar 2011, 04:15

Smt. Susheela - the famous playback singer?
N. Balasubramanian - father of Ranjani and Gayatri?

rshankar · Post by **rshankar** » 22 Mar 2011, 08:16

Pratyaksham Bala wrote:Smt. Susheela - the famous playback singer?

The playback singer is P. Susheela...but the one in the picture is V. Susheela, right?

Pratyaksham Bala · Post by **Pratyaksham Bala** » 22 Mar 2011, 09:38

rshankar:
Yes. Thanks!

Here is page 2(1), with the second set of 18 young vocalists (1958):-

Pratyaksham Bala · Post by **Pratyaksham Bala** » 22 Mar 2011, 14:32

Page 2(1)

FIRST ROW:-
V.N. Sama Rao, Vellore
Kumari Prema,Thanjavur
Muthu Meenakshi, Chennai
K.R. Meenakshisundaram, Chennai
Kumari A.T. Indira, Chennai
M.S. Kanthimathi, Chennai

SECOND ROW:-
V.V. Subramanian, Needamangalam
V.R. Subramaniam, Sirkali
T.P. Kailasam, Kumbakonam
J. Venkataraman, Trichy
S.S. Mani Bhagavathar, Tiruvananthapuram
V. Vanjulam, Chennai

THIRD ROW:-
K.S. Krishnan, Chennai
Hemalatha Balakrishnan, Chennai
S. Jayalakshmi, Chennai
Chandira Rajan, Chennai
M. Ganesan, Madurai
Kamala Gokhale, Chennai

rshankar · Post by **rshankar** » 22 Mar 2011, 21:45

I feel like starting a thread titled 'Where are they now?' in the manner of popular tabloids here in the US!!

Pratyaksham Bala · Post by **Pratyaksham Bala** » 23 Mar 2011, 10:59

Page 2(2)

FIRST ROW:
Narayanan, Sengottai
Gangadharan, Sengottai
C.V. Kittappa, Peria Kanchipuram
S.T. Gomathi, Chennai
M.S. Padma, Chennai
S. Lakshminarayanan, Vairamangalam

SECOND ROW:
Thangam Gopalan, Chennai
S. Lalitha, Chennai
Ratnabai Nagarajan, Coimbatore
S. Prama Kumari, Chennai
K. Krishnamurti, Pudukode
S.V. Krishnamurthy, Chennai

THIRD ROW:
S. Sethuraman, Tiruvarur
R.S. Srinivasan, Chennai
S. Janakiraman, Swamimalai
G.P.S. Krishnamurti, Gandharvakottai
M.P. Gangaram, Chennai
T. Venkatesan, Madurai

cmlover · Post by **cmlover** » 23 Mar 2011, 20:54

I resonatee the question posed by Shankar. The pictures are from 1952 when they would be in their 20's or 30's. So now they are in their 70's or 80's. What happened to them? Where are they?
Some may even be our Rasika members! Pl identify yourselves. Makes me bewail with Thomas Gray
"Full many a gem of purest ray serene..."

VK RAMAN · Post by **VK RAMAN** » 23 Mar 2011, 21:44

"Full many a gem of purest ray serene..." - yes, some of us only lucky to listen to them through courtesy of AIR. How many of them were AIR fame?

Pratyaksham Bala · Post by **Pratyaksham Bala** » 24 Mar 2011, 05:44

.
Let us start with Sri Pudukode K. Krishnamurti (1923-85)

Sri Krishnamurti's grandson is a rasika mamber: hari krishnan2040
Another member sakuntala narasimhan was taught by him.
Sri VKRAMAN has rendered his Sanskrit song 'srI harE janardhanA' in 2009: http://www.acidplanet.com/artist.asp?PID=1200220&t=1
.
There is a separate thread started by our member radhakrishnan, where Sri Krishnamurti's bio-data, photographs, etc. are available:-
http://rasikas.org/forums/viewtopic.php? ... f71aa8936f
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Pratyaksham Bala · Post by **Pratyaksham Bala** » 24 Mar 2011, 06:03

More information:-

Sri Pudukode K. Krishnamurti’s bio-data is also available at facebook:
http://ru-ru.facebook.com/pages/Pudukod ... 272?v=info

His bio-data is given in the Journal of the Music Academy, Volume LIV, 1983, pages 48-51, as indicated in: http://ru-ru.facebook.com/pages/Pudukod ... 272?v=info

Sri Pudukode K. Krishnamurti performed at The Music Academy on 24 December 1956 at 3.00 pm at the Academy premises:-
Sri Pudukode K. Krishnamurthi (Vocal)
Sri Kumbakonam Srinivasan (Violin)
Sri Kandaswami (Mridangam)
Sri Vinayakaraman (Ghatam)

Again on 30th December 1973 at the Music Academy Hall:
Sri Pudukode Krishnamurti (Vocal)
Sri K. Venkatachalam (Violin)
Sri Mavelikkara Krishnankutti (Mridangam)

It is reported that he was honoured by the Music Academy at the 1983 annual conference:
http://www.musicacademymadras.in/musici ... ogists.php

cmlover · Post by **cmlover** » 24 Mar 2011, 20:51

Excellent detective work PB!
Let us hear more about some of the others pictured..
Let us also hear from the disciples of any of those pictured..

Pratyaksham Bala · Post by **Pratyaksham Bala** » 24 Mar 2011, 23:22

cmlover:
It was a simple google search exercise.

Pratyaksham Bala · Post by **Pratyaksham Bala** » 24 Mar 2011, 23:33

Page 3(1)

(L-R)
N. Saroja, Chennai
K.R. Madavi, B.A., Chennai
V.A. Alamelu, Chennai
H.Y. Narayanan, Chennai
Kumari V. Jayalakshmi, Tiruvarur
Manonmani Rangasami, Chennai
.

Ramasubramanian M.K · Post by **Ramasubramanian M.K** » 25 Mar 2011, 05:22

I would like forumites help in tracking down one of the Top budding stars --N.Lalitha--she was Musiri's favorite student in the early Fifties--I have heard her in a private setting--later on she got married and her name was Lalitha Bhanu-- and if I am not mistaken she is also the sister-in-law of Mridangist T.K.Murthy--as CM says she must be now in her late seventies.

PB Sir's Sherlockian-Poirot-like sleuthing skills would I am sure uncover the mystery!!!

vasanthakokilam · Post by **vasanthakokilam** » 25 Mar 2011, 09:01

PB, Great work. When you get a chance, please translate and post that prologue in Tamil in the first picture. That is nicely written. Thanks.

Pratyaksham Bala · Post by **Pratyaksham Bala** » 25 Mar 2011, 09:22

Ramasubramanian M.K.:
I am an ordinary guy.
Here is something I collected after reading your post.

During the MUSIC ACADEMY MADRAS season of 1958, I find two names: Smt. S. Lalitha and Smt. Lalitha Bhanu

25th December 1958:-
Srimathi S. Lalitha (Vocal)
Sri Papanasam Balasaraswathi (Violin)
Sri Palghat Ramanathan (Mridangam)

29th December 1958:-
Srimathi Lalitha Bhanu (Vocal)
Srimathi Komalavalli Srinivasan (Violin)
Srimathi Kanakambhujam (Mridangam)

I am not sure whether both the names indicate the same vocalist.

Today morning I talked to one of the (Chennai) disciples of Smt. Lalitha Bhanu. I understand that she stays at Besant Nagar, Chennai. Will be able to get more information by tomorrow

Pratyaksham Bala · Post by **Pratyaksham Bala** » 25 Mar 2011, 09:48

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Post #18 - Page 3(1) K.R. Madavi, B.A., Chennai

Photograph of Smt. Madhavi (K.R.) Rajagopalan, taken in 2009:
http://beta.thehindu.com/arts/music/art ... iewImage=1

For the relative article regarding the lecture “Shahji Maharaja’s Contribution to Carnatic Music” given by Smt. Madhavi (K.R.) Rajagopalan on 19 Dec 2009 at the Music Academy, check: http://www.hindu.com/fr/2010/01/01/stor ... 790400.htm
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Pratyaksham Bala · Post by **Pratyaksham Bala** » 25 Mar 2011, 13:13

Post #11
Sri Vairamangalam Lakshminarayanan (1928-2004)

THE HINDU - A tribute to musician Vairamangalam S. Lakshminarayanan, who passed away in 2004 at the age of 76. http://www.hinduonnet.com/fr/2004/10/15 ... 660600.htm

Wikipedia coverage:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vairamanga ... _Narayanan
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Ramasubramanian M.K · Post by **Ramasubramanian M.K** » 25 Mar 2011, 18:20

Dear PBSir: Thanks for your sleuthing!! N.Lalitha is the same person as Lalitha Bhanu--I do not know about the other S.Lalitha.
I was curious as to HOW she suddenly went into oblivion-she had a good voice,excellent credentials(was considered one of Musiri's STAR disciple) and had everything going for her.
I do not intend to pry but just curious!!
The problem in the Fifties --artistes who came of age and started knocking on doors--was that there were too few institutions and the older crop of male/Female artistes were dominating the scene, there was no Corporate or State Patronage,not enough 'pesky" reviewers(with all modesty there very few "pushy" reviewers like my father the late K.S.Mahadevan--who wrote for Indian Express Chennai) who could use their "pulls" with Sabhas organisers--my father during the Eighties,Nineties and early 2000, was shameless and relentless in "plugging" upcoming artistes who found it difficult to get traction in the elitist ,cloistered Institutions especially in Chennai ---the Ranjani Gayathris,the Gayathri Venkataraghavans,the Amritha Venkatesh--all of them lacked the 'pull" with the Chennai Institutions despite their talent and my late father was tenacious in seeking opportunities- for these artistes and today they are all enjoying immense popularity and RICHLY DESERVED--In the Mid Nineties,he got Ranjani-Gayathri--at that time they were a Violin Duo--to play in my father's 80th birthday in Chennai where all the leading sabha organisers attended and were mighty impressed with the newest Bombay Imports!!! He even got the late Subbudu to attend one of their recitals in Chennai during the December season and write a glowing review and the rest is History.

This is not intended to be a brag sheet or plug for my late father but an introspective look at the Fifties when several talented young artistes--mostly female-- did not get the encouragement and recognition they deserved--thanks to forums like Rasikas,today any artiste with decent talent
can get recognised even though the field may have been more crowded.

The very fact that the Forumites have taken the trouble to "resurrect" the former YOUNG stalwarts is commendable and the Forumites persistent efforts to bring new talent to light thro the Forum is equally worthy to note. Decades to come Posterity will not say that artistes with talent did not get the "breaks" they deserved!!!

Pratyaksham Bala · Post by **Pratyaksham Bala** » 26 Mar 2011, 05:33

Ramasubramanian M.K:
Thanks a lot! The background scene of 50's and 60's provided by you helps to appreciate the efforts the young artists of that period must have put in.

Sri K.S. Mahadevan - I read once again with great interest
http://www.kutcheribuzz.com/news/200609 ... adevan.asp
and http://www.carnatica.net/special/ksm1.html

Pratyaksham Bala · Post by **Pratyaksham Bala** » 26 Mar 2011, 05:41

Ramasubramanian M.K:
One of the students of Smt. Lalitha Bhanu, jayk_89, is a rasika member.
He may be able get a few old recordings.

Pratyaksham Bala · Post by **Pratyaksham Bala** » 26 Mar 2011, 05:45

Post # 18 - H.Y.Narayanan:-
Smt. N.C.Soundaravalli learnt music from H.Y.Narayanan, a sishya of Kittmani Iyer. http://www.hindu.com/fr/2007/12/21/stor ... 450600.htm

Pratyaksham Bala · Post by **Pratyaksham Bala** » 26 Mar 2011, 06:31

.
Page 3(2)

L-R:
Lalitha Krishnamurthy
B. Ponnammal, Parasalai
D. Lalitha
D. Vimala, Vellore Sisters
Mani Iyer, Sri Vanjiyam
N. Hariharasubramani, Vetchur
.

Pratyaksham Bala · Post by **Pratyaksham Bala** » 26 Mar 2011, 09:32

Post #22
N. Hariharasubramani, Vechoor

"Prince Rama Varma, a member of the Royal Family of Travancore, started formal lessons in music in 1982 from Prof. Vechoor Hariharasubramania Iyer, a senior disciple of Dr. Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyer, who continued to teach him until his demise in 1994."

Tribute to Prof. Vechoor Hariharasubramanian Iyer by Prince Rama Varma:
http://ramavarma.yolasite.com/tribute-t ... or-sir.php

Pratyaksham Bala · Post by **Pratyaksham Bala** » 26 Mar 2011, 09:52

Post #22
Vellore Sisters Srimatis D. Vimala and D. Lalitha

They performed at the Music Academy Premises, Mowbray's Road on 31 Dec 1955.
They are elder sisters of Smt. Vani Jayaram!
.

ashasiva · Post by **ashasiva** » 26 Mar 2011, 13:57

http://www.hindu.com/fr/2009/04/10/stor ... 990400.htm

Pratyaksham Bala · Post by **Pratyaksham Bala** » 26 Mar 2011, 14:58

ashasiva:
Wonderful! Thank you!

cmlover · Post by **cmlover** » 26 Mar 2011, 19:20

Very nice to see the picture of Parassala Ponnammal (the Golden girl) in about her 30's. She was accidentally rediscovered only after she performed at Chennai and took the CM circles by storm. How true it is that we discover talent only through publicity! Hats off to the pioneering efforts of KSM for finding and promoting the CM pearls of Bombay in whose lusture we bask even today. The rediscovery got for Ponnammal a slot to perform at Cleveland and she is now a minion of millions over the globe and her Shishya Nandini displayed the talents she assimilated from her guru in the recent Carnatic Idol program with raving support from our membership. It all goes to show how important 'Rasika Recognition' is for the discovery of CM Gems lost through neglect in the ravages of time. Now that we have this forum let us not make the same mistake again!

cmlover · Post by **cmlover** » 26 Mar 2011, 19:31

ashasiva wrote:http://www.hindu.com/fr/2009/04/10/stor ... 990400.htm

Thanks ashasiva!
We need such gems to be posted and better to have the artistes participate at the forum to hear firsthand their experiences to document the history of CM and also to pay our homage to these forgotten artistes. Better late than never!

rajeshnat · Post by **rajeshnat** » 26 Mar 2011, 19:39

Ramasubramanian M.K wrote: The problem in the Fifties --artistes who came of age and started knocking on doors--was that there were too few institutions and the older crop of male/Female artistes were dominating the scene, there was no Corporate or State Patronage,not enough 'pesky" reviewers(with all modesty there very few "pushy" reviewers like my father the late K.S.Mahadevan--who wrote for Indian Express Chennai) who could use their "pulls" with Sabhas organisers--my father during the Eighties,Nineties and early 2000, was shameless and relentless in "plugging" upcoming artistes who found it difficult to get traction in the elitist ,cloistered Institutions especially in Chennai ---the Ranjani Gayathris,the Gayathri Venkataraghavans,the Amritha Venkatesh--all of them lacked the 'pull" with the Chennai Institutions despite their talent and my late father was tenacious in seeking opportunities- for these artistes and today they are all enjoying immense popularity and RICHLY DESERVED--In the Mid Nineties,he got Ranjani-Gayathri--at that time they were a Violin Duo--to play in my father's 80th birthday in Chennai where all the leading sabha organisers attended and were mighty impressed with the newest Bombay Imports!!! He even got the late Subbudu to attend one of their recitals in Chennai during the December season and write a glowing review and the rest is History.

MKR Sir,
Your father is truly a great man. I see lot of references of accomplished and elderly statesman promoting and bringing in gems like RG sisters, GV's and Amrutha Venkatesh. On a side note , atleast having looked for the past 10 years closely in chennai , I dont see that kind of promotion happening that well for male singers. This observation is fairly omnipresent in the 25 + sabha patrons and organizers.

To an extent there is a bias or perhaps put it in a better way a "subconscious pushing tendency for female artists" is indeed there - but of course they deserve that as there is a bias against them in general by supporting artists . Kind of one for and one against. As I write i think a lot of 30 - age group male musicians falling under the crack without a statesman like KS Mahadevan supporting them.

Any thoughts on that Sir?

Pratyaksham Bala · Post by **Pratyaksham Bala** » 27 Mar 2011, 08:53

.
Page 3(3).

L-R:
Chandra Sampath, Chennai
Nagarajan, Maharajapuram
N.V. Soundaravalli, B.A., Chennai
A. Rukmini Sanjeevi, Chennai
K.S. Venkataraman, Chennai
V. Sarada, Chennai
.

Pratyaksham Bala · Post by **Pratyaksham Bala** » 27 Mar 2011, 09:02

.
Smt. N.C.Soundaravalli learnt music from H.Y.Narayanan, a sishya of Kittmani Iyer. http://www.hindu.com/fr/2007/12/21/stor ... 450600.htm

See Post #18 for H.Y. Narayanan!
The Teacher and also his Student are included in the list of young artists!
.

Pratyaksham Bala · Post by **Pratyaksham Bala** » 27 Mar 2011, 09:17

Post #36.
Maharajapuram Nagarajan
He is the son of M.R. Krishnamurthy - the cinema actor and younger brother of Maharajapuram Viswanatha Iyer. Sanjay Subrahmanyan’s mother learnt music from Maharajapuram Nagarajan:-
http://sanjaysub.blogspot.com/2010/06/m ... trust.html

Recent photograph of Maharajapuram Nagarajan: http://www.musicindiaonline.com/artist/ ... Nagarajan/
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thanjavooran · Post by **thanjavooran** » 27 Mar 2011, 18:48

Ref 2/2 S. Premakumari BA is Prema Hariharan MA
Madurai T. Venkatesan brother of Madurai T. Srinivasan Mirudhangist was a disciple of ARI

Thanjavooran 27 03 2011

Pratyaksham Bala · Post by **Pratyaksham Bala** » 28 Mar 2011, 08:16

.
Page 3(4):

L-R:
P.S. Narayanaswamy, Chennai
A. Srinivasaraghavan, Chennai
Rajalakshmi Narayanan, Chennai
K.J. Tiripurasundari, New Delhi
Kumari V. Meenakshi, Chennai
S.K. Shenbagam, Tiruvananthapuram
.

sramaswamy · Post by **sramaswamy** » 29 Mar 2011, 00:43

Thanks PB. Very interesting history unearthed!

N. Hariharasubramani, Vetchur

Vechoor Chidambara Iyer Shankar from next generation has replaced him as the new young man now. Vechoor Haraharasubramani Iyer is his uncle and guru.

http://www.hindu.com/fr/2008/01/11/stor ... 340300.htm

Pratyaksham Bala · Post by **Pratyaksham Bala** » 29 Mar 2011, 05:27

.
Page 3(5):

L-R:
L. Krishnamurthy, Mudikondan
T.K. Govinda Rao, Tirupunithurai
V.R. Krishnan, Chennai
B. Krishnamurthy, Chennai
S. Kalyanaraman, Chennai
Ambujam Hariharan, Chennai
.

Pratyaksham Bala · Post by **Pratyaksham Bala** » 29 Mar 2011, 05:41

.
L. Krishnamurthy, Mudikondan:
He is the son-in-law of Mudikondan Sri C. Venkatarama Iyer.
https://picasaweb.google.com/1046537895 ... 4330653122

T.K. Govinda Rao, Tirupunithurai
Disciple of Musiri Subramania Iyer.
http://archives.chennaionline.com/music ... /03tkg.asp

S. Kalyanaraman, Chennai
One of the foremost disciples of GNB.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/S._Kalyanaraman
.

keerthi · Post by **keerthi** » 29 Mar 2011, 16:09

#$ is B.Krishnamurthy, not P. Krishnamurthy. An understandable error in transliteration, as the original is in Tamizh.

http://www.musicacademymadras.in/2007-w ... ards07.pdf

http://www.hindu.com/fr/2011/02/11/stor ... 030400.htm

Pratyaksham Bala · Post by **Pratyaksham Bala** » 29 Mar 2011, 16:49

keerthi wrote:B.Krishnamurthy, not P. Krishnamurthy.

Thanks! Corrected in post #42.

VK RAMAN · Post by **VK RAMAN** » 29 Mar 2011, 21:45

If any of the rasikas has one or more of their known artists audio, it will be nice to listen to them.

rshankar · Post by **rshankar** » 29 Mar 2011, 21:51

Pratyaksham Bala wrote:T.K. Govinda Rao, Tirupunithurai Disciple of Musiri Subramania Iyer. http://archives.chennaionline.com/music ... /03tkg.asp

And guru of the current SKs, the Bombay Sisters...

Pratyaksham Bala · Post by **Pratyaksham Bala** » 30 Mar 2011, 05:44

.
Page 3(6):

L-R:
S.R. Janakiraman, Chennai
V. Ranganayaki, Chennai
R.K. Srikantan, Mysore
M.A. Narasimhachariar, Mysore
G.K. Ponnammal, Guruvayur
S. Ganesan, Mayuram
.

Pratyaksham Bala · Post by **Pratyaksham Bala** » 30 Mar 2011, 05:47

.
S.R. Janakiraman
Learnt music from Tiger Varadachariar and M.D. Ramanathan at Kalashetra.
http://www.thehindu.com/life-and-style/ ... 952226.ece

R.K. Srikantan
Started learning music from his father R.Krishna Sastri, a Sanskrit/Kannada scholar and harikatha exponent, and brother Venkatrama Sastri.
http://www.hindu.com/fr/2007/01/12/stor ... 050300.htm

Guvurayur Ponnammal
Disciple of Chembai Vaidhyanatha Bhagavathar.
Mridangist Guruvayur Dorai and Violinist G.K. Rajamani are her brothers.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guruvayur_Dorai
.

CRama · Post by **CRama** » 30 Mar 2011, 10:10

Vidwan MA Narasimhachar was a very famous musician in Karnatka. I have heard his concerts in eightees in Bangalore- live and radio concerts. He was a highly rated musician in Karnataka in the same league of R.K.Srikantan . But he did not become famous outside his native State.