Greatest fiddle player?

GaryHoetker · Post by **GaryHoetker** » 2 Jul 2008 10:11 am

One name comes to mind. Dangerous Don Rich. Paraphrasing Tom Brumley,Don was a better fiddle player than a guitar player and he was great at both. His recorded renditions of Orange Blossom Special and Faded Love are the gold standards for those classic fiddle tunes. No one even comes close, in my opinion.

RIP Don.

Tay Joslin · Post by **Tay Joslin** » 2 Jul 2008 10:42 am

Amen, Gary! I, too, was going to mention Don Rich, but you just beat me to it! Plus, Don always had that incredible smile whenever he performed!

Darrell Criswell · Post by **Darrell Criswell** » 2 Jul 2008 11:20 am

I heard that two of the best today are Reggie Rueffer, who plays with Charlie Pride, and Steve Story, who plays with Ray Price. I have heard Reggie and he is fabulous.

Has anyone else heard these guys play?

Jody Sanders · Post by **Jody Sanders** » 2 Jul 2008 1:01 pm

Both of the Hayes brothers, Joe "Big Red" and Kenneth "Little Red". Two of the greatest ever. Jody.

Josh Haislip · Post by **Josh Haislip** » 2 Jul 2008 1:35 pm

Jason Roberts. If not now soon. Very soon.

Bo Borland · Post by **Bo Borland** » 2 Jul 2008 4:28 pm

Theresa , is Larry kin to you.. I used to see him up here with a band called Spur before he hooked up with The Wheel.. he just knocked everyone out. Some of his solos with the Wheel are still some of the best ever..

Gene Jones · Post by **Gene Jones** » 3 Jul 2008 8:23 am

Amos Hedrick

Robert Colaninno · Post by **Robert Colaninno** » 3 Jul 2008 5:04 pm

Mac Magaha with Reno and Smiley and Porter Wagoner the Wagon Masters.

Andy Greatrix · Post by **Andy Greatrix** » 3 Jul 2008 10:39 pm

Apparently all the fiddle players come from the US.
Has anyone noticed a large mass of land North of your Northern border?

Leslie Ehrlich · Post by **Leslie Ehrlich** » 3 Jul 2008 11:08 pm

Well, I grew up listening to some of the best old time fiddlers ever. Don Messer, Ned Landry, Al Cherney, King Ganam, Graham Townsend, John Arcand, Brian Sklar... all here in Canada.

Andy Greatrix · Post by **Andy Greatrix** » 4 Jul 2008 12:06 am

Ask Redd Volkaert or Buddy Spiker about Alberta's Calvin Volrath.

Andy Sandoval · Post by **Andy Sandoval** » 4 Jul 2008 12:14 am

Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown

robert kramer · Post by **robert kramer** » 4 Jul 2008 4:38 am

Jody Holley on the Bob Wills band. "Wake up over there, Jody!"

Don Drummer · Post by **Don Drummer** » 6 Jul 2008 6:45 am

Steve Thomas did some great work on Dino Pastino's album. Both of them worked with Barbra Mandrell. They even did some shows with Taylor Made out of the WVA. Don D.

ray qualls · Post by **ray qualls** » 6 Jul 2008 6:58 am

Just opened a show wednesday night for a great fiddler by the name of Jana Jae! Been playing since she was 2 years old and puts on one heck of a show! Ray

Stephen Gambrell · Post by **Stephen Gambrell** » 6 Jul 2008 11:39 pm

"Best fiddler?" Are y'all kidding? Georgia Slim Rutledge, Bennie Thomasson, Texas Shorty, 500 other guys fron Texas, Mark O'Connor, Stuart Duncan, Aubrey Haynie, Paul Warren, Kenny Baker, Eddie Stubbs, Jason Carter, David Blackmon, Buddy Spicher, Ricky Skaggs, Byron Berline, Chubby Wise, Chubby Anthony, Curley Ray Cline---Stay tuned.

David L. Donald · Post by **David L. Donald** » 7 Jul 2008 12:22 am

Johnny Gimble, Stuart Duncan, Kenny Baker, Mark O'Conner,
Byron Berline, and Vassar Clements, Hoot Hester

Stephane Grapelli, Joe Venuti, Jean Luc Ponty, Didier Lockwood, Mad Nicky Vaughan.

Jascha Heifetz, Yitzak Perlman.

Dean Dobbins · Post by **Dean Dobbins** » 7 Jul 2008 6:03 am

Haven't seen Kenny Sears mentioned.GREAT player, (besides his wife's reeeeal purty!!!)

Scott Shipley · Post by **Scott Shipley** » 7 Jul 2008 6:09 am

Now this is one list I will NEVER have to worry about making!
$:\$

Dave O'Brien · Post by **Dave O'Brien** » 7 Jul 2008 7:47 am

JIMMY MATTINGLY

Russ Wever · Post by **Russ Wever** » 7 Jul 2008 8:02 am

Talk about 'unique technique' !

This guy fell off the 'fiddlers richter scale' . . .

~Russ

Cody Campbell · Post by **Cody Campbell** » 7 Jul 2008 8:01 pm

I can't believe I fogot to mention Johnny Gimble. THE western swing fiddle player.

And swing/jazz legends Joe Venuti, Stuff Smith, etc.

Terry Winter · Post by **Terry Winter** » 8 Jul 2008 8:57 am

As Leslie previously mentioned, we have and have had some great fiddlers up here in Canada. My favorites are Don Messer, Al Cherney and Brian Sklar. South of the border have to be Buddy Spicher and Johnny Gimble. Terry

Karen Lee Steenwijk · Post by **Karen Lee Steenwijk** » 8 Jul 2008 11:11 am

Ray, Jana is excellent! Is she the gal that played for "Buck"? If so...she can sure play.Does she still do the "Bird" imitations on the fiddle?
Has anyone mentioned the fiddle player in "Branson" by the name of"Shoji Tabuchi"? he is a very good player and does one heck of a "family show".

Karen

chris ivey · Post by **chris ivey** » 8 Jul 2008 11:25 am

vassar....no doubt.

if i could be a fiddler it would be vassar.

gotta love johnny gimble, of course.

scott joss with merle and dwight is my connection to the big time. used to be friends before he got too busy being successful.

did i mention vassar...beautiful free form soul!

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