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North American
Fiddlers Hall of Fame Inductees
Join us in honoring Fiddling's North American Treasures!
1976 Bob Wills
Bob Wills was born into one of Texas' most renowned fiddling families. Both of his grandfathers were fiddlers, as were 9 of his uncles and 5 of his aunts. His father, John wills, was a frequent finalist at Texas fiddle contests, where he defeated the legendary Eck Robertson on several occasions. Wills learned typical old-time fiddle music from his family. They also played ragtime and cowboy sings in the distinctive Texas longbow style. Bob first played fiddle, in a band, at the age of 10, when his father failed to show up. He went on to later form his famous "Texas Playboys" and recorded many of today's standards. He wrote many of these himself, including, "San Antonio Rose," "Spanish Two Step" and "Faded Love."
1976 Howdy Forrester
1922 - 1987 Howard "Howdy" Forrester was a native of Hickman County, Tennessee. His father was a fiddler as was his grandfather and an uncle. Howdy started playing fiddle at the age of 8. His professional career began in 1938 with Harold Goodman's Tennessee Valley Boys. In 1940 He left the Goodman Band and joined "The Texas Roundup" in Dallas, Texas. After a tour of duty in the armed services during World War II, Howdy worked with Bill Monroe, Cowboy Copas, Jamup & Honey and Uncle Dave Macon. In 1951 he became a member of Roy Acuff's "Smokey Mountain Boys." The highlight of many Opry listeners was Howdy's breakdown during Acuff's portion of the Opry. Howdy was also head of the Acuff-Rose Talent Booking Bureau.
1977 Don Messer
1909 - 1973 Don Messer was born in 1909 in Tweedside, New Brunswick. At the age of 7 he played at a barn dance and continued to play jigs and reels until at 16 he devoted himself to the serious study of violin in Boston. In 1930 he returned to New Brunswick and formed "The Backwoods Trio." He later organized an 8-piece orchestra called "The New Brunswick Lumberjacks." In 1938 he formed "The Backwoods Breakdown." In 1939 he started his old-time orchestra "The Islanders" and also began making records. In 1955 Don Messer and his Islanders began a weekly Television show. In 1959 his show was a summer replacement for "Country Hoedown" seen from coast to coast. It was such a hit that they asked him to stay. Thus came about the "Don Messer's Jubilee."
1978 Johnny Mooring
1927- 1974 Johnny Mooring, who died tragically in March, 1974, was the only fiddler in the long history of the North American Fiddling Championship to win the title 3 years in a row. 1964, 1965 and 1966 saw Johnny sweep to victory over stiff competition, an achievement which will be hard to equal. Johnny has toured Canada and the U.S.A. and played with such notable personalities as Don Messer, Hawkshaw Hawkins, Tommy Hunter, The Rhythm Pals, Hank Snow and Eddy Arnold. Born in Springhill, Nova Scotia, May 17, 1927, Johnny was a prolific composer of fiddle tunes. He also played for the Lt. Governor of Ontario, the Honorable Earl Rowe, and earned a place for himself in the Honour Roll of Great Canadian Fiddlers. Johnny Mooring died March 28, 1974.
1979 Rudy Meeks
1931 - 2019 Rudy Meeks has had music bred right into him, for on both sides of his family the fiddle reined supreme. In fact, his dad was considered one of the best old time fiddlers around. His brother Bill also achieved this distinction. Born in the beautiful Muskokas, Rudy has been drawing the bow across the strings of a fiddle since the age of 7. Rudy says it was his father who encouraged and taught him to play the fiddle. Later living in Orilla he and his band played for many dances and other functions near and far afield. Rudy has played the Wheeling Jamboree and The Grand Ole Opry. Rudy has won most all the highly recognized fiddle contests in Ontario and went on to win the North American Old Time Fiddle Championship in 1972. He passed away July 29, 2019 at the age of 88 years.
1980 Graham Townsend
1942 - 1998 Graham Townsend was born June 16, 1942 in Toronto, Ontario. He started playing at dances at the age of 9 and at the age of 11 he placed 3rd in the Open Fiddle Championship at Shelburne, Ontario and went on to win this competition five times. Graham has done two Royal Command performances for H. M. Queen Elizabeth. He appeared in the film "Beautiful Dreamers" with Rip Torn. He has traveled and toured in 12 countries, performed with such notables as Hank Snow, Wilf Carter, Tommy Hunter, Don Messer, Porter Wagoner, Roy Acuff, George Jones, Johnny Cash, Buck Owens and the list could go on and on. He has recorded over 40 albums and has composed over 350 songs. His wife, Eleanor, is also in the North American Fiddlers Hall of Fame.
1981 Ed Gyurki
1982 Tommy Jackson
1926 - 1979 Tommy Jackson was born in Birmingham, Alabama in 1926. His family moved to Nashville when he was one. He started playing professionally when he was 10 years old, and at 17 was playing regularly on the Grand Ole Opry. For over twenty years he was the premier Nashville studio fiddler and probably played on more records than any fiddler in history. He backed up such stars as Hank Williams, Bill Monroe, Grandpa Jones, Tammy Wynette, Red Foley, Cowboy Copas, Hawkshaw Hawkins, Rex Allen, The Delmore Brothers and The York Brothers. Tommy emerged as a star in his own right in the mid-1950's, when his long series of fiddle albums became popular with dancers around the country.
1983 Andy DeJarlis
1916 - 1975 Born in Woodridge, Manitoba in 1916, Andy Dejarlis comes from a long line of fiddlers on both sides of his family. His great grandfather was an early settler in the Red River Valley where settlers acquired their fiddles by trading pelts with the fur traders, many of whom came from Scotland; thus was born the Red River Jig and The Red River Style of fiddling. Steeped in this tradition, it is only natural that Andy's "Caribou Reel," "Moccasin Reel," "Whiskey Before Breakfast," "Woodridge Breakdown" (a tune named after his hometown), and many other tunes would bear the stamp of his forefathers. Andy began playing at 15, learning from his father. He has won 19 trophies in all, including the Western Canada and Central America championships. Andy Dejarlis passed away September 18, 1975.
1984 Roma McMillan
1911 - 2007 On July 5, 1911 in the City of Lachine, Quebec, Canada, Roma Clarke McMillan was born. In 1935 she married Hugh McMillan and moved to Ontario where they farmed until his death in 1974. In 1978 she moved to Ottawa where she held the position of National Secretary of Federated Women's Institutes of Canada. Roma studied the violin and piano from Professor Armand LeDuc of Lachine, Quebec. In 1929 she joined the Montreal Philharmonic Orchestra. It was not until moving to Ottawa that she played old time fiddle music. In 1961 she won her first trophy; she has a total of 45 trophies. Roma has done a great deal of volunteer dance music for senior citizens and intends to keep on doing so as long as possible. Roma McMillan died July 4, 2007.
1985 Craig Duncan
1954 - Present Craig Duncan is an active Nashville musician who spans the gap of both the country and classical fields. He began playing the violin at the age of 8 and went on to receive a bachelor of music degree from Appalachian State University. He began his professional music career in Charlotte, N.C., where he worked as a fiddler, vocalist and bassist. After moving to Nashville, he worked at Opryland with a group called "Smokey Mountain Sunshine." In 1978 he started working on the Grand Ole Opry with Wilma Lee Cooper. He's also worked with Tom T. Hall, Jean Shepard, Porter Wagoner, and Justin Tubb. Craig is also an Artist/Teacher at the Blair School of Music in Nashville. His book "Fiddling Method" is published by Mel Bay Publications.
1986 Eleanor Townsend
1944 - 1998 Eleanor Townsend was born January 8, 1944 in Dungannon, Ontario. She studied piano and classical violin from ages 7 to 15. She began studying fiddle music at the age of 18. Her early influences were Al Cherny and Ward Allen. At Shelburne, Eleanor won the Ladies Class in 1967. From 1967 to 1979, she entered and won every major contest in Canada, being the only woman to do so, and in 1979, topped it all by winning the Canadian Open in Shelburne. She also won the Northeastern States Fiddle Contest in Barre, Vermont. Her first recording was made in 1970 as Eleanor Moorehead. She has made many recordings since as Eleanor Townsend. She is married to Graham Townsend, another North American Fiddlers Hall of Fame Inductee. Eleanor Townsend died in Barre, Ontario December 31, 1998.
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