Byron Berline

[Herb Steiner]

Byron has passed away, according to his FB page and friends. I don't know the cause of his death, more information to follow. I believe he was 77 years of age.

I've known Byron since 1966 and am saddened by his passing. He was an inspiring musician onstage and a gentleman offstage.

[Skip Edwards]

Terrible news... so sad.
Vaya con Dios, Byron. You were the best...

[K Maul]

Fantastic, nice man and great player! I believe it was just his birthday. We met on an “art train” going through the Alps in Austria and did some playing. Later I played his festival in Guthrie OK and his concert venue above the music store in Guthrie. My respect and awe for him is boundless. He taught Arnold Schwarzenegger how to play fiddle for a an early film role, too. Amazing person.

[Bob Watson]

I'm sorry to hear this sad news. I saw him play back in the mid 1970's in a little club and it was a very memorable show, as good as it gets. As time went on and I learned more and more about his career I came to realize how lucky I was to see a musician of his caliber playing in my favorite watering hole at the time. May He RIP.

[Ben Elder]

I got back to going to Guthrie on my Oklahoma City home visits in the fall of 2019. I'd been staying close to the city for years as my parents were in decline. I stopped by the new store (after the disastrous fire) and Byron gave me a Byron's 2019 Comeback Tour t-shirt. The pandemic wiped out travel plans since then, but I never thought the last visit would be...the last visit. I was lucky to know Byron here in Southern California and he was easy for me to find in his new home since 1996. I am overwhelmed at his sudden passing. The world is a more destitute place for the loss of this musical giant and wonderful man. I hope he's jamming with his dad and Mr. Monroe now.

[Joachim Kettner]

I have seen and heard him with guitar player Dan Crary back in the eighties.
Here's a nice appreciation from bass player Lee Sklar (here, he also plays examples of Byron's playing with Albert Lee and J.D. Manness, him and others):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EWTt-XTEAUE

[Stu Schulman]

Oh No,Godspeed Byron!

[Carl Williams]

Had the privilege to visit with Byron at his Double Stop Fiddle Shop back in ‘96-97 timeframe on two occasions. Really enjoyed hearing him recall his early playing days...just him and I sitting around in the shop. Truly one of the Great Fiddlers of our time...RIP Byron...Carl

[Jim Fogle]

Here is the write up in Variety. It said he was recovering from a stroke, developed an issue with swallowing food and became progressively worse.

https://variety.com/2021/music/obituari ... 235017247/

[Craig Stock]

Rest in peace Byron.

A great obituary on Saving Country Music.com is below

https://www.savingcountrymusic.com/from ... -his-mark/

[Kenny Davis]

This is tough...Byron meant so much to our community, and the world in general. Always a welcoming smile and a willingness to sit down and pick and share a good story. Being around him didn't feel like you were around the preeminent Bluegrass fiddle player of our time! I consider myself fortunate to have been able play with him at his original Music Hall as well as numerous jam sessions since he moved to Oklahoma. He loved kids and tirelessly supported music scholarships to help them develop their talents.

After he discovered I was an amateur photographer, he enlisted me to take his band promo photos and later be the official OIBF photographer in the early 2000's. I thought I'd share some personal favorite's of him.



This shows how much he enjoyed the youngin's!







Heaven's spotlight shines on you now!

[John Macy]

So great. He has a nice book that’s worth a read! I cut some tracks at his place in Guthrie with an artist. We tracked live in the upstairs room and I also played steel live on the tracks. A career highlight for me was after we finished a take on a ballad he smiled and said to me “Man, that was one soulful steel guitar solo…”. I cherish that and rest easy, sir.

[Michael Breid]

I read where Byron passed from complications of Covid-19. Wonder if he was vaccinated, and it was too late?

[Ben Elder]

-0-

[Bill L. Wilson]

Me,JD,Byron,Dave and Steve at Studio 7 in OKC.

[Jim Sliff]

This news hit hard. I had the opportunity of jamming with Byron, John Hickman and Allen Wald between shows when our band was opening for Sundance at the old Sweetwater in Redondo Beach CA. Byron didn't give a damn if you were a hotshot picker or a rookie guitar thrasher - if you LIKED to play and knew some tunes, he'd find the time to jam with you - and was one of the most encouraging bandleaders I've ever encountered.

A tremendous player - but mainly a great guy!

RIP Byron