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Appalachia, Clay County, culture, fiddle, fiddler, history, life, music, photos, U.S. South, West Virginia, Wilson Douglas
Wilson Douglas, West Virginia fiddler
Wilson Douglas
27 Saturday Apr 2013
Posted in Clay County, Ed Haley, Music
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Our Appalachia: A Blog Created by Students of Brandon Kirk
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The banjo player is John Morris of Ivydale, Clay County. John is a powerful fiddler who I believe is known by the Haley family and may have spoken with John Hartford about Haley. Interestingly enough John has a high opinion of Ella Haley’s mandolin backup to the Ed Haley home recordings. John often uses Ruth Ann Randel of Frederick Md on mandolin to back him when he is performing at various West Virginia music gatherings.
Thanks, Lee. I did not recognize John in the picture. Yes, we interviewed John Morris in the late 90s. Hang in there and his interview will appear on the blog. I have met John several times at the Haley Fiddle Contest in Ashland. He’s a great fiddler and a great guy.
Glad to share a little information. I think I first saw that picture in a big binder of photos Kim Johnson had. She and Lester McCumbers were visiting John when he was teaching at Allegheny Echoes in Marlinton a few years back.
I live in Battle Creek Michigan which is where my Dad’s family is from. My Mother, Phyllis Mullins-Talmage was born and raised in Danville, Boone County. My understanding is her Dad’s family came from Kentucky to the Mud River area and then when the timber work played out, settled in Danville. My Grandfather, Harry Mullins, was born in the now defunct coal town of Cameo in Lincoln County. He worked at Barker’s Hardware in Danville and enjoyed telling stories about the people he would meet. He could keep us up all night talking about what life was like for his family when he was a boy growing up in the 1920’s and 30’s. As a young boy of course talk about buried treasure, snakes and gun violence could overwhelm the imagination.
So besides the West Virginia music history, which I have been pursuing as a fiddler for several years, your blog has thrilled me with all the regional history. One of my greatest regrets is not being aware of men like Ed Haley and Edden Hammons until it was to late to ask my Grandfather and Great Grandfather about whether they ever heard them. Thanks for all you’ve done with this.
Hi, Lee. Thank you so much. In considering your post, I have to say: I think we are related. Is your grandfather the Harry Mullins who did a lot of genealogy research? Was he a friend to Bill Adkins of Harts? If so, I have heard Bill speak of him many times. Apparently, he was a fine gentleman. And if so, we are certainly cousins. You also mention Kim Johnson. Kim is a friend of mine (at least I like to think so) and a fine banjo player, among many other wonderful things. By all means, read on and continue to post…