George Houston Bass

American songwriter and theatre director, producer and writer.

Born 1938. Died 1990.

Bass was credited as songwriter for "See-Line Woman", arranged by Nina Simone for her 1964 album, though the original and them inspiration must be found on the [r=12410256] recorded by Herbert Halpert in Byhalia, Mississippi in 1939. The children's song, as Katherine and Christine mention on the recording, the roots of the song are unknown, and singing a spare version but that defined the basic rhymes and rhythm of the song.

After Simone many variations emerged including "Sea-Lion Woman", "Sea-Line Woman", "See [the] Lyin' Woman", "She Lyin' Woman", "See-Line Woman", or "C-Line Woman" .

Bass was the Artistic Director of Rites and Reason Theatre. He was professor of Theatre Arts and Afro-American Studies at Brown University. Bass produced, directed and wrote plays to promote the "development of dramatic theory rooted in cultural strategies, folk sensibilities and traditions of Afro-American people."