Newsletter & Blog

MAILBAG
Here’s some of the comments your fellow fans have written to us in response to www.missourifiddling.com. Many go back to the inception of our website in 2002. 

You can send us a message, too. Just send your emails to missourifddling@gmail.com and let ‘er fly. We will never intentionally include names or other such personal info so go ahead and cut us a new one.

Charlie, I noticed your listing for Carol Hascall at the Missouri fiddlers association site lists her album “Spotted Pony” as undated. On the back of my copy, Lyman Enloe has signed the notes as June 1, 1975, and I’m pretty sure I got this album newly released from her that year. I was a friend of hers and her dad’s and recorded them both a number of times at conventions and at their homes. I gave her all the tapes after I returned to Missouri from living four Continue reading “THE MAILBAG”

STONEKING, Lee Roy

b: Apr 15 1907

d: Dec 30 1989, Lowry City, St. Clair Co, MO

bur: Jan 2 1990 Salem Church Cemetery, Big Creek Twp, Henry Co, MO

Lee Stoneking passed away at his home in Lowry City, MO, on Saturday, December 30, 1989 after a brief illness. Continue reading “Lee Roy Stoneking”

(1916-1999)

“Tell ’em what you’re gonna do and get ‘er done.”

Kenneth Burre or “Polly” as he was called lived in Tebbetts, Callaway County, Missouri. When I met Polly he was a retired electrician, part-time luthier and piano re-builder and active in music and civics activities in his small community. Polly was best known among Missouri’s fiddling community as the organizer/promoter of the annual Tebbetts fiddling competition, local dance fiddler, and as a Master of Ceremonies at contests throughout mid-Missouri. Continue reading “Kenneth “Polly” Burre”

This is an excerpt from the story of John Durang, an actor on the American stage in New York in the late 1700s. Notation for the popular tune Durang’s Hornpipe is also included. It is clear that the tune was named for John Durang. As you can see below, the composition is credited to Mr. Hoffmaster, “a German Dwarf”. The grammatical errors in the text are as they appeared in Durang’s account. Continue reading “Memoir of John M. Durang”

Henry Taylor

Missouri Fiddle Champion of Yesteryear

Americans have an insatiable urge to know who is the best at every endeavor from tiddlywinks to frog-jumping. Once that person has been determined through a fairly judged competition we then heap praises, trophies and titles on the individual. Old-time fiddling is an activity in which this practice has found especially fertile ground.

Continue reading “Henry Taylor – Missouri Fiddle Champion of Yesteryear”

Discography of Influential Fiddlers

Below is a discography of fiddle recordings that have been influential in the development of old-time fiddling in the USA during the 50s, 60s & 70s. Particular consideration is given to Howdy Forrester and Tommy Jackson. With the re-release of some of their classic recordings, they can influence a new generation of American fiddle players. Continue reading “Discography of Influential Fiddlers”

Biography | Recordings | Photo Album

Biography | Top

Dwight Lamb was born in Moorhead, IA, on May 16, 1934 to Clarence G. and Mary Lamb. Descendents of Danish immigrants, the Lamb family cherished the traditions of self-made music and entertainment. Dwight’s grandfather, Chris Jerup, played traditional Danish melodies and American-style fiddle tunes on a single-row button accordion. His father, Clarence Lamb, played the fiddle. Dwight took to both these instruments and mastered them. Continue reading “Dwight Lamb”

Missouri Fiddling on Facebook

MSOTFA maintains a group page on Facebook called Missouri Fiddling on Facebook. It is an open group so feel free to join and then post your contest information and poster/flyer on our page. The page currently has over 1000 active members and many are fiddlers or people who attend fiddle contests.

Resource Documents

We offer the following items for download. We highly recommend that all contest organizers download and read our Guide to Running a Fiddle Contest.

• Guide to Running a Fiddle Contest
• Fiddle Contest Scoresheet
• Fiddle Contest Registration Sheet (Excel format)
• Fiddle Contest Rules

Dale Potter—“Mr. Double Stop”

(1929-1996)

Dale Potter’s fiddling has always fascinated me. How on earth could a guy play entire fiddle tunes using all double stops (double notes and chords). Totally amazing. I was even more blown away to learn that Dale was from Southeast Missouri, Puxico in Stoddard County. Continue reading “Dale Potter—“Mr. Double Stop””

Those Fiddle Bugs

DeArmond Violin Pick-Ups

How many of you remember those fiddle bugs that many of our Missouri fiddlers used to tote around in their cases? Taylor McBaine of Columbia used one whenever he played out. Although the device came with a bracket for mounting to the tailpiece, most fiddlers (Taylor among them) attached them to the back by means of stretching a rubber across the lower bouts of the fiddle. Plugged into a tube guitar amp these things are RAW!

Continue reading “Those Fiddle Bugs DeArmond Violin Pick-Ups”