Johnny Gimble was a barber in the Ft. Hood area and he gave me my first haircuts. My dad had western bands back then and I remember him telling me that johnny was the World Fiddle champion at the time (around 61 to 63) Most people don't know how much in demand he was during his career. The Greatest.
This is so timelessly beautiful. All of these musicians are living truly in the moment, not looking to the past, nor towards the future, but simply revelling in making something truly special in that moment of time. I was never brought up on this kind of music, but there's something about the poignancy and the quaintness of this that immediately brought me back to my childhood. This is truly magic.
My Daddy, Jimmy Widener, was in Bob's band. He sang this to me every day on the phone. He is gone now from Cancer, and it made me cry to hear this. We sang. (me) I miss you DADDY more and more every day as heaven would miss the stars above.(Daddy) With every heart beat I still think of you, and remember our faded love.(me) our love is not faded Daddy. Never.(Daddy) you went and married that other guy, come home to your old Daddy. How I wish I could. I continue to miss you Daddy. I love you
Many years ago, Johnnys brother Jack, lived in Winona Texas. Jack was quite a talented musician himself. My friend Larry and I were mid-teenagers, and knew Jack. Jack taught Larry and I how to play guitar and the fiddle. This song was the very first song we learned to play, and Jack played along with us every chance he got,. For years, we pestered that poor man to death to teach us more. Now 50 years later, Larry and I still play this song and others Jack taught us together often and remember Jack, and the stories he would tell us about his brother Johnny. I sure do miss that old guy
This is really a beautiful tune and wonderful for the old fashioned two step. I think Emily Gimble looks a lot like her grandfather. She also has a beautiful voice.
May God bless Johnny Gimble. \ One of my friends called and asked me to join him and others for a recording session kind of based on the Wiesbaden Play Boys. I said to him," I'm a school teacher and I would be out of my league" however he convinced me to join the group. Johnny Gimble was on fiddle via one of the group. At one point I hit the wrong chord and I was totally embarrassed. I looked at Johnny and he did not seem out of sorts because of this huge mistake in my mind. He just kept that wonderful Texas smile and did not say anything negative about this incident. He could have easily crushed me with a frown or a negative word but I don't believe he had it in him to do that. A wonderful fiddle player and a more wonderful human being.
Johnny Gimble was an amazing talent, no doubt there. It's a shame the really good ones can't last forever. One comment in this stream credits Western Swing legend Bob Wills for writing Faded Love. Actually, it was his brother, Johnnie Lee Wills, that wrote what is one of the two most recognizable pieces of fiddle music ever. (The other being Orange Blossom Special) R.I.P. Mister Gimble.
This was the first and ONLY fiddle tune I learned from a Fiddlin' Workshop at Oklahoma State University with Vasser Clements, Jesse Ashlock and Chubby Wise back in the fall of '73. I was almost too much in awe of those guys and their stories to pick up on what they were trying to teach us. But I DID absorb what they were instilling in us. I wish Mr. Gimble had been there as well. Jesse had played with Wills' Texas Playboys, Chubby wrote the music to Orange Blossom Special and gave the rights to his drinking buddy who wrote the lyrics, and Vasser was and is Vasser. Maybe I need to get another fiddle (I loaned my OLD at the time fiddle to a musician friend touring with us in Nashville in '79 and haven't seen it since) and skin a few more cats on it until it turns sweet. It'd be nice to bring Faded Love back into place. Thanks for posting this tune.
'Faded Love' was the Anthem of the Cabaret Club in Bandera Texas. If your band showed up to play on Fri & Sat night, you were 'Required' to audition with this song.
Beautiful Sunday morning here, with my coffee and the sun warming up my back patio........and then this video comes on..................ABSOLUTELY BEAUTIFUL..........thank you for posting.
I had the pleasure of playing a couple of sets with Junior in Hawaii when he was playing with Bill Spilliard, a former band member of mine & Warren Johnson. Great fiddle player, down to earth guy, hope he's still playing.
? I don't understand your comment. about Australia - Aly Bain is Scottish (from the Shetland Islands). The others are Americans because the programme was about American music.
I've always loved Johnny Gimble. I really love the twin fiddles on faded love. Nothing like it. Tanya Tucker even refers to it in her song "Cowboy Lovin' Night".Good stuff.....
