Emmett W. Lundy

Old-time fiddler Emmett W. Lundy was raised around music in Grayson State, VA, on property that his family members had owned because the 1700s. He started playing the fiddle in his past due teens, taking on with a mature fellow called Green Leonard, who been an expert over the device. Through reconstructed histories of the era, it really is noticeable that Leonard was perhaps one of the most extremely respected fiddlers in the region, and could have been somewhere within 65 and 80 years previous when Lundy was getting together with him. Lots of the bits of music Lundy performed and eventually documented were discovered first-hand from Leonard, in an activity that required a whole lot of hanging out and listening. Hence, when Alan and Elizabeth Lomax documented Lundy in 1941 with respect to the Library of Congress, that which was getting documented was in fact fiddle music dating back again to the turn from the 19th hundred years, at least. Lundy was generally a fantastic musician, but hardly ever attempted to earn a living along with his music. He enjoyed to try out to amuse himself. For instance, he experienced the habit of acquiring down the fiddle after supper was completed, a practice he continuing to take pleasure from into his later years. He worked mainly like a farmer, but in no way specifically. He was also used like a blacksmith, a violin watching repairman, and a dental professional, although he simply described it as “tugging tooth.” Playing the fiddle itself may have been a little like pulling tooth for Lundy initially, since playing a drum proceeded to go against the spiritual upbringing he previously received as an associate from the Primitive Baptist Chapel. The so-called “devil’s package” might not possess scorched Lundy’s fingertips, but the spiritual pressure may have been one cause he didn’t go after a profession playing at dances. He do make it to early fiddle contests, though, and it is reputed to possess won the 1st prize ever shown at a Galax fiddle competition, specifically a ten-dollar yellow metal piece. Lundy under no circumstances performed having a music group, but do collaborate on music aware of other fiddlers who resided close by, Isom and Fielden Rector. He also used Crockett Ward, who was simply a member of the music group known as the Bogtrotters. Another person in this group, guitarist Eck Dunford, also utilized to find yourself in these classes, rumored to possess occasionally lasted up to 48 hours. Dunford was the initial guitarist to really have the chops to back again Lundy through to fiddle music. Lundy’s only project into professional music was a cooperation using the best-known from the Grayson State old-time players, the very much youthful guitarist and harmonica participant Ernest V. Stoneman. This duo documented several music for Okeh, Lundy’s just contribution towards the so-called hillbilly music genre, but evidently mixed so terribly the fiddler lost fascination with documenting his music totally. Maybe he simply didn’t possess enough time. He elevated 14 kids, the family increasing everything it ate aswell as tending orchards. Music was obviously area of the picture and flushed along to the kids. When the Lomaxes documented Lundy, sons Kelly J. Lundy and Geedy Lundy supplied accompaniment on electric guitar and banjo respectively. These recordings had been reissued with the String label as Fiddle Music From Grayson State, Virginia, featuring nearly two dozen examples from the historical Lundy repertoire. The fiddler continuing passing this materials along to numerous other youthful players who examined with him, including Charlie Higgins.