Ed Haley
James Edward "Ed" Haley | |
---|---|
Birth name | James Edward Haley |
Also known as | "Blind Ed" Haley |
Born | August 16, 1885[ Old time |
Occupation(s) | Musician |
Instrument(s) | fiddle, banjo, mandolin, piano |
Years active | 1888 to 1951 |
Labels | Ed Haley Record Company |
James Edward "Ed" Haley (August 16, 1885 – February 3, 1951)[
Biography
Ed Haley was born on August 16, 1885[
Childhood
At the age of three years, Ed contracted measles and subsequently lost his eyesight. Local tradition blames his father for his blindness. Reportedly, Milt dipped Ed head-first into ice cold water when he was crying from fever.[2]
In September 1889, as part of the
Haley's and McCoy's brutal slaying garnered nationwide news coverage.On October 11, 1891, Ed Haley's mother died. Thereafter, he was raised by his maternal grandfather, Jackson Mullins, and uncle, Peter Mullins, on Trace Fork. In 1898, according to county commission records, he was placed in the care of Harrison Blair, a neighbor.
When Ed was a boy, his maternal uncle Peter Mullins gave him a fiddle. Ed showed great skill with the instrument and traveled throughout the Guyandotte and Big Sandy Valleys as a young man with other local musicians. He was basically gone from Harts Creek by 1910 but returned to visit family and friends for the remainder of his life.
Adult life
Ed grew up to be a professional fiddler who traveled widely throughout West Virginia, Ohio, eastern Kentucky and southwestern
squares.On July 1, 1918, Ed married Martha Ella Trumbo, a blind piano teacher from Morehead, Kentucky.[4] Her parents had been involved in the Martin-Tolliver Feud in Rowan County, Kentucky. Ella was educated at the Kentucky School for the Blind in Louisville, Kentucky. She played mandolin and accordion with her husband for many years. In 1918, the Haleys lived at 115 East Greenup in Ashland, Kentucky. In 1920, they lived at Frogtown in West Ashland, Kentucky. Later, they raised a family in Catlettsburg, Kentucky. They spent their final years in Ashland.
Ed Haley died of a heart attack on February 3, 1951[
Recognition
Ed Haley was one of the best known fiddlers in his region of Appalachia. He traveled frequently and performed in a variety of venues. He played over
Beginning in 1990,
In October 2015, Haley was inducted into the West Virginia Music Hall of Fame.[6]
Releases
In 1975,
Popular culture
As part of Poage Landing Days, the City of Ashland, Kentucky, hosts an Ed Haley Memorial
Haley's fiddle tunes continue to be highly popular in the contemporary old time music community.
References
- ^ "1900 Logan County Census for Chapmanville District". familysearch.org/. Retrieved January 2, 2015.
- ^ Mullins, Roxie (1991). Interview. Harts, WV.
{{cite book}}
: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) - ^ Park, Edwards. "Fatal Feuds and Futile Forensics". smithsonianmag.com/. Smithsonian Institution. Retrieved January 2, 2015.
- ^ Cabell County Marriage Book 3. Huntington, WV. 1918. p. 116.
{{cite book}}
: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) - ^ Royko, David. July 24, 1998. John Hartford follows heart to Ed Haley Archived August 14, 2011, at the Wayback Machine, Chicago Tribune (retrieved via writer's site on October 9, 2010).
- ^ "West Virginia Music Hall of Fame Announces Inductees". herald-dispatch.com/. December 2014. Retrieved January 2, 2015.
- ^ Brooks, Mary Catherine (October 2014). "History Professor Brings Feud to Life". Register-Herald. Retrieved January 2, 2015.[permanent dead link]
Further reading
Bibliography
- Neal Walters & ISBN 1-57859-037-X