Uncle Jimmy Thompson
Uncle Jimmy Thompson | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Jesse Donald Thompson |
| Born | 1848 Smith County, Tennessee, United States |
| Died | February 17, 1931 (aged 82-83) Laguardo, Tennessee, United States |
| Genres | Old-time music |
| Instrument(s) | Fiddle |
| Years active | 1925–1931 |
| Labels | Columbia, Brunswick/Vocalion |
Jesse Donald "Uncle Jimmy" Thompson (1848 – February 17, 1931)[1] was an American old-time fiddle player and singer-songwriter. He is best remembered as the first performer to play on Nashville's Grand Ole Opry (then called the WSM Barn Dance), appearing with founder and host George D. Hay on the evening of November 28, 1925. The positive response generated by Thompson's performance would be an important influence on the show's creative direction in its formative years. While Thompson made only a handful of recordings late in his life, his cantankerous and eccentric personality and his fiddle skills have made him one of the best-known icons of early country music.[2]
Early life
Thompson was born in
Thompson returned to Tennessee a few years after the Dallas contest, this time settling near Hendersonville, a town located a few miles northeast of Nashville. His first wife died shortly afterward, however, and around 1912 he married his second wife, Ella Manners.[2] In 1916, Thompson and Ella moved to Laguardo, in Wilson County, Tennessee. Being too old to farm, Thompson purchased a Ford truck which he outfitted with a makeshift camper, and he and Ella spent the next several years travelling around the state, performing at various fairs and other gatherings. Thompson played fiddle while "Aunt Ella" buck-danced on a red rug.[4][5] In 1923, Thompson drove all the way to Dallas, where he again captured first prize in the city's eight-day fiddle contest.[3]
The WSM Barn Dance years, 1925-1928
In 1925, the
Thompson's performance began at 8:00 that night, with Hay introducing Thompson and stating that Thompson would take requests from listeners. Phone calls and telegrams immediately began pouring into the station. At the end of the hour, Hay asked Thompson if he had done enough fiddling, to which Thompson replied, "a man don't get warmed up in an hour," and showed Hay the blue ribbon he had recently won at the eight-day fiddle contest in Dallas.[6]
Thompson's performance on November 28 and his follow-up performances on WSM in subsequent weeks made him an instant celebrity.
Later career
Thompson continued making appearances on Barn Dance (renamed the Grand Ole Opry in 1927) throughout 1926 and 1927, but as the show became more structured, Thompson's role was minimized. Hay grew impatient with Thompson's general unreliability, and the two bickered over such things as Thompson's penchant for drinking a jug of whiskey before each program to "lubricate" his playing arm, and Thompson's tendency to play well over his allotted time.[3] In 1928, Thompson made only two appearances on the program.[2]
In 1926, Thompson went to
Thompson died of pneumonia at his Laguardo home on February 17, 1931. Music historian Charles Wolfe notes that while Thompson's active career (1925–1931) was relatively short, it was "one of the most potent" in the history and development of country music, and that the photographs of Thompson seated with his fiddle before a WSM microphone are among the Grand Ole Opry's most enduring images.[2] Thompson claimed to have known over a thousand fiddle tunes, and once boasted he could "fiddle the bugs off a tater vine."[6] According to Wolfe, an analysis of Thompson's last recordings show a fiddle player of "great ability."[2]
Discography
| Catalog number | Title | Record label |
|---|---|---|
| 15118 D | Billy Wilson/Karo | Columbia Records |
| Vocalion 5456 | Uncle Jimmy’s Favorite Fiddlin’ Pieces/Lynchburg | Conqueror Records |
References
- ISBN 0-85112-939-0.
- ^ a b c d e f g Charles Wolfe, "Uncle Jimmy Thompson." The Encyclopedia of Country Music: The Ultimate Guide to the Music (New York: Oxford University Press, 1998), 537.
- ^ a b c d Colin Larkin (ed.), "Uncle Jimmy Thompson." The Encyclopedia of Popular Music Vol. 8, (New York: Oxford University Press, 2006), 152.
- ^ a b c Charles Wolfe, "Notes to Volume 2." In Nashville: The Early String Bands, Vol. 2 (pp. 4-5) [CD liner notes]. County Records, 2000.
- ^ Eugene Chadbourne, "Uncle Jimmy Thompson - Biography." Allmusic.com. Retrieved: 23 April 2008.
- ^ a b c d Jack Hurst, Nashville's Grand Ole Opry (New York: H.N. Abrams, 1975), 80-83.
- ^ Don Roberson, "John L. "Uncle Bunt" Stephens." Retrieved: 12 December 2008.
External links
- Juneberry78s.com Sampler — mp3s of Thompson's recordings of "Karo" and "Billy Wilson"
