Clayton McMichen

Biography

Clayton McMichen fused his passions in nation, folk, jazz, golf swing, and pop music into perhaps one of the most recognizable fiddle designs. His using Jimmie Rodgers and Gid Tanner and His Skillet Lickers within the 1920s helped to place the building blocks for nation music. From enough time that he found its way to Atlanta to are an automobile auto mechanic in 1921 until quickly before his loss of life from emphysema almost five decades afterwards, he continued to permit his fiddling to evolve. McMichen’s music group, the Georgia Wildcats, was perhaps one of the most eclectic sets of the 1930s. Shaped being a string music group, they turned to Dixieland jazz within the middle ’40s. From 1945 until 1955, the group was highlighted daily around the Louisville radio train station, WAVE. McMichen as well as the Georgia Wildcats also made an appearance independently tv program in the first ’50s. A indigenous of Allatoona, GA, McMichen discovered to try out fiddle as a young child. By his early twenties, he previously mastered the device. After shifting to Atlanta, he received the to begin several fiddle championships. A good friend from the “performing brakeman” Jimmie Rodgers, McMichen and Rodgers toured and documented collectively through the entire 1920s. One of the songs which they co-wrote was the traditional “Peach Pickin’ Amount of time in Georgia.” McMichen documented his first tunes like a bandleader, some jazz music performed by fiddle, clarinet, and acoustic guitar in 1925. The next year, McMichen approved an invitation to become listed on an all-star nation music group structured by Columbia skill scout, Frank Walker. The group, which McMichen called the Skillet Lickers, continued to become among nation music’s early successes. Through the five years that these were collectively, the music group, which also presented fiddler Gid Tanner, guitarist Riley Puckett, and banjo participant Fate Norris, documented a lot more than 100 music. McMichen’s first single hit was included with a fiddle tune set up of the pop regular, “Sweet Couple of Roses.” Released in 1927, the track sold a lot more than 100,000 copies. Although he attempted his hands at sentimental ballads, documenting beneath the pseudonym Bob Nichols, only 1 documenting, “My Carolina House,” became popular. Developing the Georgia Wildcats following the breakup from the Skillet Lickers in 1931, McMichen was struggling to match his early achievement. To product his income like a musician, he advertised fiddle contests and, in 1936, managed a medicine display. He continuing to compete, aswell. In 1932, he received the to begin 18 nationwide fiddle championships. Despite staying active being a musician, McMichen acquired no curiosity about recording his brand-new repertoire. In 1955, he retired from music. Although he was searched for through the folk revival from the 1960s, he was annoyed by the folklorists’ reverence for the Skillet Lickers. While he preserved a minimal profile for the others of his lifestyle, he decided to perform on the Bean Blossom celebration in 1964 and 1966 as well as the Newport Folk Celebration in 1964. McMichen continuing to dazzle viewers along with his virtuosic fiddling. At age 68, he positioned first within the senior department of the Kentucky Condition Tournament. Merle Travis and Macintosh Wiseman celebrated McMichen’s legacy with an record, The Clayton McMichen Tale, released by CMH Productions in 1988.

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