Songs of Appalachia: Fiddler Charlie Acuff 

This old Gentleman is part of a generation than needs to be preserved and honored.

Some years ago I had the pleasure of meeting this man at the Appalachian Museum.While walking around the grounds I could hear his wonderful fiddle ringing through the air. Finally there he was sitting between two old buildings in the shade. We visited while he played . He started playing Redwing and I whistled along, Charlie said that the Indian maiden jumped in from the Wisconsin side and swam to Mississippi. He told me he was Roy Acuff’s brother. It was a true pleasure to meet him

It's so important to keep this music alive... A lot of that "old-time" music only survives in the memory of our old folks. If we don't learn it and pass it on, it'll be lost to history, and there's nothing in the world more sad than a song that everyone has forgot.

If there were more people like this the world would be a much better place

He was 88 years old and playing this well. Love his spirit. Bless him.

Some of the greatest American music has been played on front porches and living rooms. No pretense at all, families and friends playing music passed down from generation to generation. Your a treasure Charlie, keep playing!

The old fella hadn't lost any of his skills. I can listen to that music all day and night.

Guys like Charlie Acuff will make America great again

Acuff is a name that originated in Yorkshire and near the Scottish border. We are so grateful for all the Scot, English, Irish immigrants who gave us Bluegrass music in our mountain regions.

My grandma lived out in the country in south Georgia. In the middle of peanut fields. They did not belong to her. They rented the old shack of a house they lived in. On saturday we would pull peanuts and boil them in a wash pot in the sandy yard. All of the aunts and uncles and cousins would come over about dark and bring thier musical instruments. We always had a very good time. Most of them are gone now but I still have those beautiful memories. They are still here.

The young man accompanying the Fiddler is exceptional playing several instruments all by ear.

Reminds me of the movie “The Song Catchers”. Its a true story of a lady that carried a heavy phonograph and blank wax cylinders into Appalachia. She would win over their trust and they would sing and play into her horn and she recorded it. When she recorded it she had it preserved for all time, Then she sat there in her cabin and transcribed the music so others could learn to play it also. She was a very brave woman to have done this and the movie is well worth watching.

Ain't that wild how music seems to strike the elderly and like a lightning bolt they're suddenly 50 years younger with their whole life ahead of them? I don't reckon Charlie Acuff is with us anymore but he's still there in that music, where he'll always be.

So happy to have Charlie's picture hanging in the Jig and Reel in Knoxville.

I'm from the mountains of West Virginia and proud to be a hillbilly

I was a kid watching my grandfather (born in 1889) playing his father's violin. When he finished he asked if I would like to try. He handed it to me and I ran th ebow over the strings a few times and then startged to play GO TELL AUNT RHODIE. I recently gave that violin to one of his brother's decendents, 10 years old, who plays. She is very proud of it and is now 11.

The most people I've ever met and I've been in many countries and most of the USA l love the deep South. People in the South were the most living and the most generous people I have ever met.

Love this authentic country music. I think this is making a comeback; Americans are reaching for their roots. I pray this continues and we embrace this beautiful music once more :)

Yes more people like this would make the world 🌎 better... God love ❤️ him

My grandfather was a folksinger 1912 to 2002 and so am I carry it on folks or it will die.

Loved how the banjo played so soft and smooth to accompany him in the first song.

I really enjoyed that. My Grandfather played several instruments, the fiddle, mouth organ, concertina, and guitar. He was also left handed. I was told that a lot of lefthanders would restring their instruments. Grandpa just learned to play them the way they. He just played his guitar upside-down. This brought back a lot of fond memories.

they were second cousins and both learned from charlie's grandfather. we played music with charlie for years and he and his wife dorothy were the most hospitable and sweet people you could know. dorothy died several years ago and charlie is in a nursing home in newport. his hands are very twisted and he is unable to play anymore. i miss thoose times in their living room-trish cannon

My daddy and I used to go up into Bledsoe county, TN. around Mt. Airy to Billy Standefer's house and listen to this kind of music on the back porch around 1948-1950. Mr. Standefer was a fiddler, and was nicknamed " Big Eared Billy" because he had a birthmark on his right ear which caused him to have one ear that was much larger than the other one, and was a purple color. He was a wonderful man and a wonderful fiddler. We lived north of Dunlap in an area called "The switch" because the R.R. had a siding to pick up loaded coal cars. This was a wonderful time in my otherwise boring life there just below Brush Creek.

The tune Charlie is playing is "Two O'Clock in the Morning," one of his grandfather's tunes. Charlie may have been 88 when this video was made, but he was born in December 1919 so he is currently 92 and living in a nursing home.

Grandpas are great be it yours or others take time to listen to them

Lady in Red is havin time of her life with her grandpappy, :) bless this Family.

I love this guy. I could listen all day.

My daddy was from W VA. He used to dance to this!!! I still 😅 when I think of him. Thanks daddy for some wonderful memories!!!💝

75 yrs old🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿here who can’t help stomping to this stuff. Yahoo you guys n gals 😀💃🏻💃🏻😀 👍👍👍

My grandfather told me about this man when I was a kid! I love his music!

Can't beat a fiddle

This is one of the main reasons southern heritage and culture must be preserved.

reminds me of my great grandfather, being a kid sittin on the porch while he was inside playin for my great grandmother who was paralyzed

Some of my family was from the Appalachians and they couldn't read or write but they could play some good music. Bless them all

Mr. Charlie, you're amazing!!! Enjoyed your fiddle playing!

We love your fiddle playing hillbilly music Charlie and that other old boy plays a pretty mean banjo also

had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Acuff and picking with him enjoyed visiting with him

So great to see this preserved. Thank you for sharing.

You bring me back to my very young days growing up in Ontario Canada love all your music breaks my heart to hear it I am 75 thanks.

the good old boys... i like them

Bless this man and his music.

priceless!

Hey, how can you not like this story and contents, a look at better times, way cool, thanks

this is a great fiddler and singer and those who hasn.t seen him sure missed out.he allways played ragtimeannie and sally ann for us and the last time we saw him he played and sang cindy

What a great old gentleman. I had never heard Two O'clock. I'd like to learn that one.

True Americana music.

music is a good thing for your brain, keeps it fit

I love you !!! So happy I found your page. New music is never this good !! Old Music and old Cars they will never be that good again !

❤️My Grampa played fiddle & his dad & Grandad made them! Thanks for the sounds! Very happy memories.

Charlie is now 93 and not doing well. He has been one of my mentors, as he has been to many other people. You can find a few recordings of him, but the best way to share his music was to visit him at home, which I did. His wife, Dorothy, was still alive then, and they insisted that I stay the night with them. Charlie took me to play with his late brother, Gayle, showed me his horses, and played lots of music.

they say our most important resource is Our people, God Bless Charlie Acuff!

Go get em charlie !!!! Your music will touch the soul !!!!!

Gosto muito desse gênero de música!

GREAT Charlie

Sweet music by a left-handed fiddler!

Lovely old music kept simple just great

A true American I love his music and his ways

When a kid in 1950's I was shown 'hillbilly' as seen by Hollyweird on T.V.. The only resource was Disney's spin. But that Hill Folks Music is one of the dearest in the world to me. It is the biled down cabbage of the Phenomenology of the Spirit. It Rocks!

"If I liked it, I'd play it. I didn't care what it was." ~ Charlie Acuff

thanks old mate , don't know why but brings a tear to my eye ,thinking of my grandad

Love ya Charlie ❤❤❤ your fiddling Dang Thank ya Charlie 4the Hill Music it takes me back to Grandma+ Grandfather✌💙

what a sweet old soul! I LOVE older people like this precious man! I feel great respect for people like him... He is part of the people that this country was built by. I hope Mr. Acuff is doing well! Bless him!

I miss this coming from Virginia.

Now that warms a persons heart

May God bless our history and God bless our family traditions.

This makes me smile

God Bless this man for giving the world such beautiful music!!!!

I have say thank you for helping Charlie continue to do what he love. I'm been in nursing 27 yrs so what I'm saying is what I know to be true. We all lose memories and thougts. Some more quickly then others. Some say its the Food or whats arounds us this may be true but Genetics pay a big part.

This is incredible. Love Charlie Acuff!❤

OMG He's good. Much better than good. I could listen to him all day. If you have any more of him playing I love to hear it!!!

What a great man he is, a wonderful guy. Hugely enjoyed listing and watching this.

Oh no Sir, It's a long way from lost. Tennessee, Kentucky, the western Carolina's, Arkansas, North Alabama, and even parts of Mississippi are full of festivals with lots and lots of pickers playing old time music. We raised our grand daughter on the bluegrass contest circuit. Though she is now 29 and the mother of two young sons, and wife of a fine man - and leads a cosmopolitan life out west she has never left the fine things she learned as a child fiddling and dancing on the circuit behind.

What a gentleman. Treasure that will be missed when the time calls.

Amazeing Mr. Acuff & So Beautiful. Wish you had been my GrandPaw.

Stuff like this invokes some great memories of my Grandpa playing fiddle for all of his grandkids and playing in the Old Settler's Reunion fiddlers contests. It was 1967 and I was a mere 5 years old, but I was mesmerized every time he played for us. If you ever get the chance to hear an old timer play, you better jump at the chance.

I have family from there and they were actually highly literate---- mostly due to Bible Based christianity. They read Bible every single day, and talked about symbols, and ways of interpretation. They were very smart, but just didn't want to be involved in the corruption that is how so much of the country makes money. (again, because they were Bible Based protestants)

This man is a national treasure I love the old time fiddle tunes and the stories about the music rich history of the people and the time's

I can't believe someone finally filmed this legend! God bless you hon.

Nothing like playin music at home with friends and family

Great music, thanks!

Music never dies

I loved it

god bless this man and America rip sir you are a legend and will live forever how nice thanks Charlie

I would say "God bless him"... but he already is.

Music to my ears. Jesus is King.

Sounds just like heaven to me

Really endearing. Thank you . x

Guys like him are surely a treasure, I enjoyed it so much... and it's sad when they're gone so is that good old mountain music.

True born pioneer... and classic musician ... good job

Amazing. What a guy.

Great to hear Wanda on that bass and see her smiling away. She's a treasure.

It's great music..thanks Charlie

sharing this wonderful video with my grandson who is 2... he is loving it.. thank you for sharing.

Gives a person hope.

Mighty fine, Charlie...mighty fine...

Aren't you a ray of sunshine

That give me the most grand training for play when we seing this old men with his great talent and nice voice rustless !!! 👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍

I feel happy because you called me a ray of sunshine.

Great music!