There have been many musicians whose careers have encompassed the history of country music, but Earl White may be the only one who has lived the history in reverse. Earl, who was born in Hardin County, Tennessee, on March 1, 1936, passed away earlier today.
Earl began playing the fiddle at an early age and by the time he was eightenn he was playing with Marty Robbins and Hawkshaw Hawkins. In the 1960s he took a step backwards in time when he started playing bluegrass with the Cumberland Mountain Boys. And in the 1970s he found himself at the dawn of modern country music when he joined the Crook Brothers, an old time music act that had first appeared on the Grand Ole Opry in 1926. In 2005, he celebrated the 50th anniversary of his first appearance on the Opry.
In an interview, Earl talked about being at the Opry in the 1950s:
"Yes, it was. I got to meet and play with all my favorite musicians. I became friends with Benny Martin, who, after my father, had the biggest influence on my playing. I was also inspired by Howdy Forrester and Tommy Jackson. The great thing about the Opry back then was that it was all about the music. Roy Acuff's dressing room was always full of fiddlers and pickers and he enjoyed nothing more than sitting back and listening to us play. You got a chance to learn music from people you really respected. When I stated playing there, there were still people from the early days and I got to play with Sam and Kirk McGee, the Crook Brothers, and Dr. Humphrey Bate's daughter Alcyone, people who had been there when the Opry first got started."
As mentioned, in the 1970s, Earl joined the Crook Brothers group. Due to the death and retirement of various members, by the 1980s, the Crook Brothers consisted of Lewis and Herman Crook, along with Earl White. As they had since the start of the Opry, the Crook Brothers performed individually and as back-up for the square dancers. After the passing of Herman and Lewis Crook, it was Earl White and Charlie Collins who backed the dancers, and after the death of Charlie, it was just Earl and the Opry Staff Band. Needless to say, Earl will not be replaced and any link to the Crook Brothers will be forgotten.
I did not know Earl personally. I did shake his hand a few times while at the Opry and said hello. What always struck me was how well liked and respected he was among his fellow artists. I never heard a bad word said about Earl and I never heard him say anything bad about the others. It was true respect and friendship.
While Earl was not an "official" member of the Opry, I hope on Saturday night that the Opry will take a few moments and remember Earl. Perhaps a few words will be said and the square dancers will do a special number.
As the Opry prepares to celebrate it's 89th anniversary in the coming months, another link to the Opry's past has been lost. No, he did not go back with the Opry all the way to 1926, but he played with those who did. And he tried his best to keep that sound alive on the Opry stage. With that, he succeeded.
I hope they will find time to honor Earl this weekend. I'm sure some of the senior members that appear will mention him. However, although Charlie Collins did not go back as far on the Opry, the fact he was the last performer on the Opry directly associated with Mr. Acuff and his ties to the square dancers should have earned him mention by management, it did not. With that in mind I wouldn't hold my breath but we can hope!
ReplyDeleteMy only personal contact with Earl was backstage one night when Charlie Louvin took us to the dressing room where Charlie Collins and Oswald were rehearsing and Earl was there along with a man we did not know. We only exchanged pleasantries with Earl and spent our brief time talking to Os and Charlie. Then, we got to listen to them along with Earl, play Wabash Blues. A few years later I exchanged emails with Earl sending him some Opry photo's including a couple we took that night. He was very kind and identified the other man as Charlie Bush!
If it is still available, the Hall of Fame website had a link to the panel discussion held March 2013 on the passing of Randy, Hawk, Copas and Patsy and Earl took Jean Shepard's place representing Hawk's family. It is worth viewing if you find the time.
How much longer do we have? How soon will any link to the golden Opry days be gone?
Jim
Knightsville, IN
Jim, I wonder if part of the problem with mentioning these people is that Eddie Stubbs does the Friday Night Opry announcing and not Saturday night. When the Opry was the Opry and he was there Saturday night, he sometimes joined Earl and Charlie (Earl did a CD of live broadcasts, and Eddie was on most of the numbers). No knock on Mike Terry, who is great, but that's really Eddie's domain. I suspect Eddie will do a nice tribute on his show.
ReplyDeleteEarl had toured with a lot of people--Marty Robbins, Faron Young, Porter Wagoner, Hank Snow, and especially with Hawkshaw Hawkins and Jean Shepard--until the plane crash, and he quit the road. He still performed locally and with the Cumberland Mountain Boys, but he was kind of out of the business for a while. If I am correct, he took over the fiddling for the Crook Brothers when Ed Hyde died, and Herman Crook once alluded to having fight management to get his own fiddler for the sake of keeping the group going, as opposed to management just wanting the staff fiddler (who then would have been the wonderful Joe Edwards) to step in. And now they're all gone from the Opry. The only living link is Larry McNeely, and he hasn't performed on the Opry, to my knowledge, since Mr. Acuff's death.
Anyway, I never met Earl but got to know him through the internet and one Saturday night he joked about me when Porter introduced him and his "big band," saying he has a friend out in Las Vegas who always refers to Porter calling it a big band. That was sweet. Thanks to Byron for a great post about a great musician and, from everything I heard and from my limited exposure to him, just a great guy.
I believe that Dan Kelly was a Smoky Mountain Boy as well, but he hasn't been on the Opry in a long time, probably not since Roy Acuff's death. Larry McNeely, in addition to playing the Scruggs, melodic, and Reno styles of banjo (oftentimes, all three could be heard within the same number), could really play those Onie Wheeler harmonica parts extremely well.
ReplyDeleteIn closing, I'd like to point out that George D. Hay would often say "Keep it down to earth, boys." Unfortunately, the last bits of that old-time spirit at the Opry have been lost (probably never to return) with Earl's passing. As for the above musicians, we'll probably never hear them on the Opry again.
Among other things, Dan Kelly is a member of the Tennessee Mafia Jug Band, who do an outstanding job with the old-style mountain music. Dan also has worked with Pam Tillis, Steve Wariner, Faith Hill and most recently, Alan Jackson.
ReplyDeleteHere is a link to the CMHOF Panel Discussion from March 2013 as mentioned by Jim above:
ReplyDeletehttp://countrymusichalloffame.org/newsandupdates/posts/panel-discussion-forever-with-us-the-50th-anniversary-of-a-country-music-tr
Earl White was a great fiddler, but more importantly a great man who treated everyone he met with extreme kindness. His wife is also a very special person with a big heart. Please keep her and the entire White family in your thoughts and prayers.
The Opry did a nice job. John Conlee did a lovely tribute to Earl, and four fiddlers, including Matt Combs and Kenny Sears, played "Tomahawk." Conlee also mentioned that Earl's and Anita's two daughters were there. I wish they would have dedicated the show to him, but it was very well done.
ReplyDeleteI agree Mike. I thought John did a nice job with the segment, along with the 4 fiddlers. Like you, I wish that the Opry had dedicated the show to him. After all, he gave the Opry over 50 years of service.
ReplyDeleteHey what about this? Earl White for the Hall of Fame.Anybody agree?
ReplyDeleteEach time a legend and a link to the past leaves us it breaks my heart like the rest of us here...... The only thing I take solace in is when WSM plays "The Golden Era of The Opry" on Saturday nites.... those are good shows. It kind of reminds me of walking into that cornfield in Iowa..where the baseball movie was....... Most shows are from the 60s, but its just great to hear those familiar voices and all the legends........
ReplyDeleteJohhny - I know that the musician's category is the rotating category next year. Earl wouldn't be eligible next year though as he died this year. CMA has a rule about sympathy votes.
ReplyDeleteA.B.
what has happened to mike Snyder, he was a hoot on the grand ole opry and he was a mainstay and now a rarity? there is no reason for all the guests and non members having the majority of the show...
ReplyDeleteFred, Bismarck:
ReplyDeleteWish I knew, Anon. His web site gives no clue, and there's no mechanism there for asking him the question via e-mail. A shame -- his personality and oldtime string music were real bright spots.
Michael, you nailed it on the head. Eddie Stubbs IS the Opry in my opinion. The other announcers do a great job, but Eddie is the foremost authority on all things country music. He is the link to the golden era of country music, and with his encyclopedic memory, he is certainly the most knowledgeable. He pays such wonderful tributes to those who pass away on his radio show. Who else would do that? No one. He respects these artists, acknowledges what they have meant to the business, and always pays tribute in the most respectful manner possible.
ReplyDeleteI heard Eddie did a real nice job speaking at Earl's funeral. Earl was a nice man. I had the pleasure of meeting him several times.
ReplyDeleteI loved Earl's music. Sad to see another great gone. Glad the Opry did a tribute. He deserved it.
ReplyDeleteEarl was great. I will mis his fiddlin
ReplyDeleteMartin in Ohio
I loved Earl's style. I also like Dan Kelly. --- Bill in Tennessee
ReplyDeleteI agree on Eddie Stubbs too. I can't imagine the Opry or WSM without him. I hope he has become a great enough influence to remain untouched by all the change going on around him. He obviously loves the Opry and these true country performers, especially the golden era folks and has earned their love and respect. Along the way he has built up a huge following. I can't imagine how much more neglected the veterans and the history would be had he not come to town. Kitty and Johnnie left us a living legacy when they brought Eddie to town.
ReplyDeleteJim
Knightsville, IN
Jim, have you ever heard or read Eddie's story of how he became an Opry announcer? He was hanging around and I guess Kyle Cantrell told him he should audition and he got thrown out there on the Friday Night Opry. He said it was Bill Monroe's segment, and when he introduced him, Mr. Monroe said, "Thank you, thank you, Eddie Stubbs," which Eddie thought was kind of funny because usually Mr. Monroe called him "Boy."
ReplyDelete