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Old-time music is traditional music passed down through families and communities, often before recordings existed. It includes old fiddle tunes like "Soldier's Joy" and ballads like "Barbara Allen," as well as American songs based on real events, such as "John Henry."
Old-time music is different from bluegrass. It usually uses just a fiddle, banjo, and guitar, while bluegrass adds more instruments like mandolin and bass. Bluegrass is played faster and gives each instrument a solo, but in old-time music, all instruments usually play together.
Old-time music was a part of daily life in homes, farms, logging camps, and coal towns, where people worked hard and found joy in music.
This Webster County native was known as the best fiddler in central West Virginia. He never lost a contest and won the top prize at the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair. His fiddling influenced many others, including the Carpenter, Hammons, and Wine fami...
This Pocahontas County native was one of West Virginia’s greatest traditional fiddlers. The Hammons family was well known for music and storytelling, with roots going back to Ireland. Edden lived as a farmer and hunter but preferred fiddling over ...
Haley was an important old-time fiddler from Harts Creek (Logan County). Though he never recorded commercially or played on the radio, his street and courthouse performances influenced many musicians, including Clark Kessinger, Georgia Slim Rutlan...
This legendary fiddler from Monroe County (pictured right) helped spark the old-time music revival of the late 1900s. His most famous piece, "Over the Waterfall," is now played by fiddlers across the country.He also played banjo and harmonica, per...
This Clay County native was both a skilled fiddler and a self-taught doctor. Without formal training, he learned medicine from local doctors and books, delivering more than 1,800 babies and serving as a justice of the peace for 30 years.Doc White ...
Born near Charleston, Kessinger first gained fame in the late 1920s, recording more than 60 songs with his nephew, guitarist Luches Kessinger, as the Kessinger Brothers. Their most popular tune was “Wednesday Night Waltz.”After decades of performi...
Walker was a banjo player from Mercer County who spent much of his life in Glen Lyn, Virginia. He played the old clawhammer style, learned from his mother, uncle, and grandfather, who was born enslaved. Walker was one of the last Black Appalachian...
This Logan County native was a master clawhammer banjo player and one of West Virginia’s best-known traditional musicians. Widowed in 1939, she was later discovered by folklorist Patrick Gainer and became a favorite at folk festivals. She recorded...
Cottrell was a traditional musician and craftsman from Clay County. He came from one of the area’s earliest families and was known for his woodworking skills. He made toys, chairs, canes, and banjo rims using parts from old Buick cars. He also was...
This Clay County fiddler was part of a well-known musical family. He learned to play from his father, Tom, who'd learned from French’s grandfather, “Devil Sol” Carpenter.French was known for his smooth, detailed style and unique timing of holding ...
This Mannington (Marion County) native was a key figure in promoting the hammered dulcimer. In 1928, his uncle gave him his first one, and Fluharty taught himself to play hymns, patriotic songs, and old tunes.Fluharty became known as "the dulcimer...
This Calhoun County native was a banjo player, ballad singer, storyteller, and dancer. She first learned banjo at age 10 on her brother Noah’s homemade instrument. After marrying in 1928, she stopped playing for decades but returned to music durin...
This Clay County native learned the clawhammer banjo style from her brother, Jenes Cottrell. Though Jenes was better known, Sylvia became a respected musician in her own right. She lived most of her life simply on Deadfall Mountain without electri...
This Braxton County native came from a long line of musicians. Influenced by his father and other local fiddlers, he kept alive a style of playing connected back to the 1700s and 1800s.Wine won many awards, including the Vandalia Award (1981), the...
This Randolph County native taught himself to play fiddle, banjo, and guitar, blending styles from local musicians and early recordings. By the 1930s, he was winning contests, playing on the radio, and performing at dances. Though he worked other ...
This Putnam County native developed a special clawhammer style of playing by watching his father after long days on the farm. As a teen, he played on local radio with his cousin George.After serving in World War II, Bird returned home, married, an...
This Clay County native was a highly respected fiddler known for his traditional style. He learned music from his family, especially his grandmother, Rosie, and later from fiddler French Carpenter. Douglas’s passion for fiddling grew after hearing...
This Bluefield native grew up surrounded by Appalachian music and learned fiddle and banjo from his family and neighbors. After serving in the army in Europe, he studied traditional music in Scotland, England, and Ireland before returning home to ...
Thompson helped keep old-time music alive through his band, the Red Clay Ramblers. Born in St. Albans (Kanawha County), he learned banjo and fiddle styles from traditional musicians and co-founded the Hollow Rock String Band while in college. He w...
This Clay County duo came from a musical family. David played guitar and autoharp, while John remains a top old-time fiddler. Surrounded by talented neighbors, like French Carpenter and Jenes Cottrell, the brothers continued a long-lasting musical...
Diller was an old-time banjo player from Pocahontas County. Inspired by local musicians such as Hamp Carpenter and the Hammons family, Diller dedicated his life to preserving traditional mountain music. He taught banjo and performed at festivals a...