Jean Thomas

Jean Thomas was a charlatan, but her reverence for mountain music lend a certain tone to her writing about the gene that was unique to her. Problematic in her work is separating real words from what she fabricated. It is said that often she just made up crap. It's a shame as well, her own writing is staunch and vivid. There's no reason for her to be attributing false words to non-existent people.

"He lay there in this fix, cold as a rock for some time. He were laid out for dead. And after a long spell he were revived up with this song on his lips"

This was followed by the tablature for a traditional rendering of "O'Death"
More here.