Randy Howard (fiddler)

Randy Howard (1960–1999) was an American bluegrass, country and old time fiddler.

Early life

Howard was born in Georgia and grew up in Milledgeville.[1] As a child, he learned to play several instruments, including fiddle, and won his first fiddle contest at the age of 18 in Union Grove, North Carolina.[2]

Career

Howard was the first prize fiddler at the inaugural Tri-State Bluegrass Association fiddle contest in 1982.[3] He worked as a session musician in Nashville beginning in 1990. He played with many well-known musicians and bands, including George Jones and Ricky Skaggs.[4] He continued to win many fiddle contests.[5][6][7][8]

Howard performed on two albums with the Lonesome River Band. He was a guest artist on an album by Allen Shadd.[9] He was named fiddle player of the year at the International Bluegrass Music Awards in 1996.[10]

Howard died of cancer in 1999.[11] That year, he was once more named fiddle player of the year at the International Bluegrass Music Awards.[12][13] An album of his recordings, I Rest My Case, was released posthumously by Sugar Hill Records in 2001.[14]

Discography

Raw Guitar, Robin Kessinger[15]

• Randy Howard, Atlantic, 1988[16]
• One Step Forward, Lonesome River Band, Sugar Hill Records, 1996[17]
• Finding the Way, Lonesome River Band Sugar Hill Records, 1998[18]
• Shore to Shore, Mae McKenna, 1999[19]
• I Rest My Case, 2001[11]

References

1. "Randy D. Howard held the world on a fiddle string.". Union-Recorder, Daniel McDonald August 29, 2008
2. Drew Beisswenger (May 31, 2011). North American Fiddle Music: A Research and Information Guide. Routledge. pp. 103–. ISBN 978-1-135-84723-4.
3. "History of the Tri-State Bluegrass Association". Association website.
4. "The short story of Randy Howard, fiddler extraordinaire". If That Ain't Country, February 19, 2013.
5. The Devil's Box. Tennessee Valley Old Time Fiddlers' Association. 1997. p. 67.
6. Howard Wight Marshall (January 1, 2013). Play Me Something Quick and Devilish: Old-Time Fiddlers in Missouri. University of Missouri Press. pp. 101–. ISBN 978-0-8262-7293-5.
7. "2012 Grand Master Fiddle Champion". Bluegrass Today, John Lawless | October 9, 2012
8. "The Past Alabama State Fiddle Champs!". Tennessee Valley Old Time Fiddlers Convention.
9. "Miles from the Hard Road, New CD from Allen Shadd". Cybergrass, June 23, 2014
10. "Bluegrass Rumblings and Awards".Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. February 17, 1996. pp. 34–. ISSN 0006-2510.
11. "James Price – Fiddlin the Old-Time Way / Randy Howard – I Rest My Case / Glen Duncan – Self-Titled". No Depression, April 30, 2003
12. Bluegrass Awards Crown McCory, Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. October 30, 1999. pp. 30–. ISSN 0006-2510.
13. The Encyclopedia of Country Music. Oxford University Press. January 4, 2012. pp. 622–. ISBN 978-0-19-992083-9.
14. "Review: I Rest My Case". Folk & Acoustic Music Exchange, by Allen Price
15. The Old-time Herald: A Magazine Dedicated to Old-time Music. Old-Time Music Group. 1999. p. 42.
16. Colin Larkin (2006). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music: Grenfell, Joyce – Koller, Hans. MUZE. p. 392. ISBN 978-0-19-531373-4.
17. Album listing, AllMusic.com
18. Marty McGee (March 1, 2000). Traditional Musicians of the Central Blue Ridge: Old Time, Early Country, Folk and Bluegrass Label Recording Artists, with Discographies. McFarland. p. 31. ISBN 978-0-7864-0876-4.
19. Album Review. Musical Discoveries, Russell W Elliot May 28, 1999