Johnny Gimble dies at 88

Johnny Gimble has passed away in Dripping Springs, Texas, at the age of 88. He is one of my favorite fiddlers, and was the king of beautiful, Texas-style double stops. He was born May 30, 1929, in Tyler, Texas, and was influenced by the jazz violin of Stuff Smith and Svend Asmussen. Hin 1949, he joined Bob Wills and the Texas Playboys, who he toured with until the 1960s. He then moved to Nashville, where he worked as a session musician. He played on such hits as "I'll Go On Alone" by Marty Robins, "If We Make It Through December" by Merle Haggard, and "Right or Wrong" by George Strait. He won five Instrumentalist of the Year Awards from the Country Music Association and Fiddler of the Year Awards from the Academy of Country Music, and a National Heritage Fellowship by the National Endowment for the Arts.

Here at BluegrassDaddy, I teach two of his songs. The first is an advanced waltz written by Johnny Gimble called Gardenia Waltz, named after a town in Texas. Next are the breaks he played on "Faded Love" which was a hit for Willie Nelson. Gimble toured with Willie Nelson for several years.

Here is an interesting video about the life and career of Johnny Gimble. I hope you enjoy learning about the man known as "America's Greatest Fiddler."