Fiddlers of the Tennessee Valley
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| In my element. |
FIDDLERS OF THE TENNESSEE VALLEY
DU-33004
The Tennessee Valley Old Time Fiddlers Association (TVOTFA) was born about eight years ago in Sam McCracken’s large living room in his house in the hollow. It was the discovery of regular “Friday Night Fiddlins at Mr. Sam’s House” in the hilly northern part of Limestone County (Ala.) that inspired a small group of old time music enthusiasts to sponsor a couple of local fiddler’s contests, the first in thirty five years in the County. These were successful both in attendance and interest and led to the formation of the TVOTFA and the establishment of its annual fiddlers convention held on the first weekend in October at Athens College in Athens, the county seat. Limestone County has a rich heritage of traditional old time music and the organization of the TVOTFA and the Athens convention served as a catalyst in reviving interest in fiddling and related music throughout the region.
Well publicized, the first full fledged convention held in November 1967 at Athens College, drew fiddlers and other traditional rural musicians from throughout the sprawling Tennessee Valley and beyond. Since then the convention has gained national recognition, being noted for authenticity of the music and the well planned and executed programs. It now draws fiddlers from a wide area of the South and Midwest.
Consequently several distinct fiddling styles can be heard at the convention and on this LP. The styles range from the old Southern mountain style such as Sam McCracken’s, which he inherited from his upper South ancestors, to Lena Hughes’ Missouri-Oklahoma long bow style and the smooth Texas contest style of Dick Barrett and Bill Northcutt. These styles and more are represented on this album. Most of the tunes represented here were recorded during the actual competitions at the convention. The only fiddlers not recorded during actual stage performance are Lena Hughes, J.T. Perkins and Bud Meredith. They were recorded in a “warm up” room adjacent to the stage in the big Athens College gym where the contests are held.
Most of the artists represented on this album have been featured in past issues of THE DEVIL’S BOX, the quarterly journal published by the Tennessee Valley Old Time Fiddlers Association, Rt. 4, Madison, Ala. 35758.
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- Sam McCracken played the fiddle for 76 of his 84 years winning many local contests and was sought after to play at ice cream and box suppers and other community affairs during his long and useful life. His fiddling style, learned from his father and other local fiddlers around the turn of the century, was fixed prior to the advent of radio and phonograph in his area. He was the TVOTFA senior champion in 1971 and passed away in Sept. 1972. It is interesting to note that, with the exception of two occasions when he journeyed to fiddle contests in adjoining counties, he never played his fiddle more than fifteen miles from his hill country home where he was born and where he died.
- Lena Hughes, Ludlow, Mo. won the senior fiddling division at Athens in 1972. Lena is from a large musical family consisting of several brothers who are fiddlers. Her father was an excellent old time fiddler. It is rather unusual that she, after years of concentrating on banjo and guitar, mastered the fiddle in her fifties. Perhaps the strength of her musical heritage allowed her to master the fiddle at an age where most fiddlers are beginning to decline. Lena is accompanied on this record by her husband, Jake, who is the president of the Midwest Fiddlers Association and a moving force in the preservation of old time music in his area. Lena was the 1967 National ladies fiddle champion.
- Bob Douglas of Chattanooga, was the 1970 Tennessee Valley Fiddle King, the only fiddler to date to emerge from the senior division to win the overall championship. Born in 1900 he has been fiddling most of his life. He headed several string bands during his career playing over WBS Atlanta and WDOD Chattanooga. He won many fiddling contests over the years once beating Clayton McMichen in a 1936 contest. He recorded with the Allen Brothers on Victor in 1928. Despite his years Bob still relishes the competition and excitement of contests, traveling many miles each year to compete.
- Frazier Moss, from Cookeville, Tenn., is one of the most animated and enthusiastic old time musicians anywhere. Everyone around Frazier has a good time when he is making music for his enthusiasm is infectious. He will, as he puts it, “pitch a fiddling fit at the drop of the hat.” He came about his first fiddle before he was ten as a prize for selling Ferry’s garden seed. On it he promptly learned to play “Rocky Mountain Goat” from his great uncle Jess Fleming. He entered his first contest at Gainesboro, Tenn. in 1922 at the age of twelve winning third place. Fifteen years later, in 1937, he made it to the big time to become one of the first performers on the Grand Ole Opry. He was the 1968 Tennessee Valley Fiddle King.
- Born and reared in New York, Richard Blaustein plays the fiddle Southern style with an unusual touch and genuine feeling. He teaches at East Tennessee State University and is a graduate student in folklore currently writing his dissertation on old time fiddling associations in the U.S. Inspired by a Pete Seeger concert while living in New York he first learned the banjo. He was “turned on” by the New Lost City Ramblers and consequently learned the fiddle.
- Representing Kentucky is State Champion fiddler, Bud Meredith of Litchfield. Bud started fiddling at an early age. He is an avid and keen competitor at fiddlers contests throughout the U.S. and travels a lot of miles during fiddlers convention season. He won top place at Bean Blossom in 1956–57 and was Kentucky state champion three times. Bud placed second in the junior division at the 1972 TVOTFA convention.
- Arab, Ala. is the home of this fine fiddler, J.T. Perkins. Before he was ten, his dad took him to the hospital for an extended period and when he returned home he was playing his fiddle. As he progressed he started to win fiddle contests, many times winning over lads who was a very good fiddler. There were fiddlers on both sides of his family and he played with one of his uncles on WLAC in Nashville for a brief period in the early thirties. Then he was eleven he played with Riley Puckett, making personal appearances in the north Alabama area. J. T. is the 1972–73 Tennessee Valley Fiddle King and he also won the Grand Masters Fiddlers Contest held at Opryland 9–10 June, 1973. This was also a significant achievement since he competed against the three top North American fiddlers in this invitational event.
- Bill Mitchell, known as the “fiddling sheriff” is from Tupelo, Miss. He was elected sheriff of Lee County, Miss. in 1967 and served one term. He campaigned with his fiddle drawing large crowds and it was said this contributed to his election. He toured Canada some years ago with the Doc Williams’ show. Bill has competed in many major contests throughout the U.S. placing in most. He won the overall championship in the first annual TVOTFA convention in 1967.
- Bill Northcutt from Houston, Texas is a master fiddler. He may be so called Texas style but is not limited to that style. He exhibits an intense interest in other fiddling styles and is constantly learning obscure hornpipes, jigs and reels expertly playing them with an old world flavor. Bill is somewhat of an oddity in the fiddling community in that no one in his immediate family played the fiddle making it necessary for him to walk long distances when he was a boy to hear it played in rural East Texas where he grew up. He is currently president of the Houston Folklore Society.
- This outstanding example of the Texas contest style is played by Dick Barrett of Pottsboro, Texas. He is current National Champion having won that title twice in a row (1971–1972) and the first place winner in the 1973 Grand Masters Fiddlers Contest at Opryland. Dick is the 1971 “Tennessee Valley Fiddle King.” He has extensive experience in the country-Western Music field having worked with Tex Ritter, Bob Wills, Hank Thompson, Sons of the Pioneers and many others. After twenty years on the road, he retired about eight years ago to be with his family more. After that he concentrated on the old time fiddle style with obvious outstanding results.— Bill HarrisonJune 1973
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