Participation Type
Panel
Session Title
Session 5.17 Music
Session Abstract or Summary
This session will examine and celebrate the music, life and times of legendary fiddler Ralph Blizard.
Ralph Blizard (1918-2004) was an inspirational fiddler whose music revealed his deep East Tennessee heritage, his enviable technique, an unpredictable sense of improvisation, and a come-one-come-all attitude toward other musicians. A 2001 recipient of the National Heritage Fellowship, he was highly regarded and much loved throughout the nation and around the world, as well as in his home area of Blountville, Tennessee.
Through PowerPoint presentation, video clips, audio clips and personal reminiscences, we will experience Ralph as the powerful performer he was and as the warm and humble friend whom we knew. We will follow his early experiences as a fledgling fiddler who started his first band in 1934, his ascent as an important regional artist, his retirement from music in the 1950s as he concentrated on raising his family, to his re-emergence as a master fiddler in the 1980s and beyond. We will also highlight his role as a tradition bearer and his successful efforts to preserve and promote traditional music within his own community. Let’s ride the Blizard Train once more!
Presentation #1 Title
Recalling Ralph Blizard, Tennessee Mountain Longbow Fiddler
Presentation #1 Abstract or Summary
This session will examine and celebrate the music, life and times of legendary fiddler Ralph Blizard. Ralph Blizard (1918-2004) was an inspirational fiddler whose music revealed his deep East Tennessee heritage, his enviable technique, an unpredictable sense of improvisation, and a come-one-come-all attitude toward other musicians. A 2001 recipient of the National Heritage Fellowship, he was highly regarded and much loved throughout the nation and around the world, as well as in his home area of Blountville, Tennessee. Through PowerPoint presentation, video clips, audio clips and personal reminiscences, we will experience Ralph as the powerful performer he was and as the warm and humble friend whom we knew. We will follow his early experiences as a fledgling fiddler who started his first band in 1934, his ascent as an important regional artist, his retirement from music in the 1950s as he concentrated on raising his family, to his re-emergence as a master fiddler in the 1980s and beyond. We will also highlight his role as a tradition bearer and his successful efforts to preserve and promote traditional music within his own community. Let’s ride the Blizard Train once more!
At-A-Glance Bio- Presenter #1
John Lilly is the editor of Goldenseal magazine for the West Virginia Division of Culture and History, a position he has held since 1997. He holds a degree in Arts Administration from Davis & Elkins College. He was a member of Ralph Blizard’s New Southern Ramblers string band, and performed and recorded as a duo with Ralph Blizard.
At-A-Glance Bio- Presenter #2
Phil Jamison teaches Appalachian music, Appalachian studies and mathematics at Warren Wilson College in Swannanoa, North Carolina. He was a founding member of Ralph Blizard’s New Southern Ramblers and played with that band for more than 20 years. He is also an experienced dance caller and the author of a book about the history of Appalachian dance traditions, soon to be published by the University of Illinois Press.
At-A-Glance Bio- Presenter #3
Roy Andrade is a musician and assistant professor at East Tennessee State University in the Department of Appalachian Studies. He has been instrumental in developing the old-time music side of Bluegrass, Old Time and Country Music Studies where he teaches banjo, fiddle, guitar and mandolin and directs old-time string band groups. Since 2006 he has regularly produced recording projects for traditional artists, most notably the Doc Watson Family Milestones box set. He continues to perform regularly with the New Reeltime Travelers and with the Blue Ridge Entertainers and was recently featured on NPR's Mountain Stage with the ETSU Old Time Pride Band.
Recalling Ralph Blizard, Tennessee Mountain Longbow Fiddler
This session will examine and celebrate the music, life and times of legendary fiddler Ralph Blizard. Ralph Blizard (1918-2004) was an inspirational fiddler whose music revealed his deep East Tennessee heritage, his enviable technique, an unpredictable sense of improvisation, and a come-one-come-all attitude toward other musicians. A 2001 recipient of the National Heritage Fellowship, he was highly regarded and much loved throughout the nation and around the world, as well as in his home area of Blountville, Tennessee. Through PowerPoint presentation, video clips, audio clips and personal reminiscences, we will experience Ralph as the powerful performer he was and as the warm and humble friend whom we knew. We will follow his early experiences as a fledgling fiddler who started his first band in 1934, his ascent as an important regional artist, his retirement from music in the 1950s as he concentrated on raising his family, to his re-emergence as a master fiddler in the 1980s and beyond. We will also highlight his role as a tradition bearer and his successful efforts to preserve and promote traditional music within his own community. Let’s ride the Blizard Train once more!
