Famous Fiddlers

"Ed" Haley:

(1885 - 1951) West Virginia fiddler
Haley had quite the unfortunate childhood, losing his eyesight, father, and mother all before the age of ten. Then raised by his grandmother and uncle, he received his first fiddle from his uncle as a child and picked the instrument up surprisingly quickly. After about 1910 Haley left home permanently to travel as a fiddle player throughout West Virginia, Virginia, Ohio and Kentucky.

Soon after leaving home Haley married a blind piano teacher and settle near Ashland, Kentucky where there is an Ed Haley Fiddle Fest each September. Although Haley did studio recordings of many of his tunes, he did not publish commercially due to worries that he may be taken advantage of. Instead, he distributed his recordings among family members, so that even today only an estimated 1/3 of his recordings are known.

In regards to style, Haley was famous for adding such decorations to tunes that they became barely recognizable. Clark Kessinger, Molly O'Day and other contemporary fiddlers regarded Haley as one of the best fiddlers around. Haley, however, remained humble but realistic regarding his musical talents.

1918 - Josh Reed with fiddle and Henry Reed with banjo.
1918 - Josh Reed with fiddle and Henry Reed with banjo. Photo from the Henry Reed Memorial.

Henry Reed:

(1884 - 1968) West Virginia fiddler
Discovered by Alan Jabbour late in life, many of his tunes were saved for what is now the Library of Congress Folklife Center and the Henry Reed Memorial Fiddler's Convention. Reed's father and uncle were musically inclined, though the influences of his music come more from the community at large than his family.

In 1907, he married and settled in Glen Lyn, Virginia, where his family and namesake convention still reside today. Here Reed was known not just as a fiddler but also as a banjo and harmonica player popular throughout the community. Reed is known for creating tunes and entertaining with them rather than recording or publishing his traditions.

Many of his tunes can be traces back to the British Isles though his most popular tunes are truly characteristic of the Appalachian Upper South. Reed is said to have called his tunes "East Virginian" in style. Kitchen Gal, available on the tunes page, is probably my favorite Reed tune. Over the Waterfall is, however, probably his most popular (and one of the first I learned).

Basically anything collected regarding Henry Reed relates back to Alan Jabbour, who I will attend master classes with and interview in just a few short weeks at this year's Henry Reed festival.

"Eck" Robertson:

(1887 - 1975) Texas fiddler
Born into a family of fiddlers, Robertson began playing as a child and quickly made a living performing at contests and silent movie theaters. In 1922, he made the decision to travel to New York City where he earned a record contract; one of the first by what was then considered county music.

Robertson recorded with older fiddler Henry Gillil and two of their tracks were soon released: Arkansas Traveler and Turkey in the Straw. (My recording of Arkansas traveler is available on the Tunes page and a short historty is on my Music page.) The two had six other tracks released over the next couple of years. Robertson also recorded a solo album that is thought to have sold well in 1923. On that album is Robertson's version of Sally Gooden, which at the time was perhaps the most influential fiddle tune ever published. The tune popularized the Texas fiddle style still used today.

Several years later Robertson and his family (wife, son and daughter) made group recordings of many popular fiddle tunes, most popularly the Brilliancy Medley. After his groundbreaking records in the 1920s, Robertson mainly performed at contests, festivals, and dances (notably the UCLA Folk Festival in 1964) until his death in 1975. His gravestone supposedly reads: World's Champion Fiddler.