Randy Howard (fiddler)
Randy Howard (1960–1999) was an American bluegrass, country and old time fiddler.
Early life
Howard was born in Georgia, USA. He 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] Howard 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
- "Randy D. Howard held the world on a fiddle string.". Union-Recorder, Daniel McDonald August 29, 2008
- Drew Beisswenger (May 31, 2011). North American Fiddle Music: A Research and Information Guide. Routledge. pp. 103–. ISBN 978-1-135-84723-4.
- "History of the Tri-State Bluegrass Association". Association website.
- "The short story of Randy Howard, fiddler extraordinaire". If That Ain't Country, February 19, 2013.
- The Devil's Box. Tennessee Valley Old Time Fiddlers' Association. 1997. p. 67.
- 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.
- "2012 Grand Master Fiddle Champion". Bluegrass Today, John Lawless | October 9, 2012
- "The Past Alabama State Fiddle Champs!". Tennessee Valley Old Time Fiddlers Convention.
- "Miles from the Hard Road, New CD from Allen Shadd". Cybergrass, June 23, 2014
- "Bluegrass Rumblings and Awards".Nielsen Business Media, Inc. (February 17, 1996). Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. pp. 34–. ISSN 0006-2510.
- "James Price – Fiddlin the Old-Time Way / Randy Howard – I Rest My Case / Glen Duncan – Self-Titled". No Depression, April 30, 2003
- Bluegrass Awards Crown McCory, Nielsen Business Media, Inc. (October 30, 1999). Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. pp. 30–. ISSN 0006-2510.
- The Encyclopedia of Country Music. Oxford University Press. January 4, 2012. pp. 622–. ISBN 978-0-19-992083-9.
- "Review: I Rest My Case". Folk & Acoustic Music Exchange, by Allen Price
- The Old-time Herald: A Magazine Dedicated to Old-time Music. Old-Time Music Group. 1999. p. 42.
- Colin Larkin (2006). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music: Grenfell, Joyce – Koller, Hans. MUZE. p. 392. ISBN 978-0-19-531373-4.
- Album listing, AllMusic.com
- 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.
- Album Review. Musical Discoveries, Russell W Elliot May 28, 1999