09 October 2019

Scotty Stoneman inducted into National Fiddler Hall of Fame

Calvin Scott 'Scotty' Stoneman (4 Aug. 1932-4 Mar. 1973), one of the most inventive and unrestrained fiddlers in bluegrass history, has been inducted into the National Fiddler Hall of Fame (NFHOF) in Tulsa, OK. The induction ceremony is described by Pamm Tucker on Bluegrass Today. The 'remaining members of the Stonemans' shown in one of the photos are Scotty's sisters Donna and Roni (Roni toured Ireland in 2013 and 2016) and his widow Mary.

A biographical article on Scotty by Richard Thompson appeared six years ago on the anniversary of his birth, on Bluegrass Today. He had an insatiable urge to find what the fiddle could do (his armoury of 'trick fiddling' is demonstrated in a video on his NFHOF page) and what sounds could be got out of it. He worked his fiddles hard - Richard Greene recalled being able to see light through gaps in the body of one Scotty was playing - and an account by John Lawless of restoring one of the fiddles that belonged to him appeared a year ago on Bluegrass Today. The restorer, F.J. Storm, is quoted as saying:

It was a fun project, and an honourable thing to bring this fiddle back to life. It’s a part of history.

Update 10 Oct.: See also Denis McCarthy's comment, below.

BIB editor's comment: My impression is that Scotty Stoneman has always been highly regarded among bluegrassers for his individual prowess and for his influence on others. The fiddlers who are now in the Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame - Chubby Wise, Kenny Baker, Benny Martin, Paul Warren, Bobby Hicks, Vassar Clements - all had long careers, making major contributions in the bands that are seen as defining bluegrass music.

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1 Comments:

At 11:34 am, Blogger Denis McCarthy said...

See "Scotty Stoneman - Orange Blossom Special" on Youtube. But I suspect that it's his outstanding showmanship that prevented him being rated as highly as Kenny Baker, Chubby Wise, etc. among the purists.

 

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