I met Arthur Smith's Daughter and Grandson While Playing at a Nursing Home!!!!

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Posted by fiddlepogo on Monday, October 18, 2010

Today I did my Monday senior volunteer gig for the first time in 3 weeks, having been prevented the two previous times by either the flu or the aftereffects of the flu... they don't want people coming in with flu symptoms! And the sniffles have been slow in subsiding.

Anyway, I went, and I was DRAGGING... very low energy... almost didn't go. Fiddling went okay, but not spectacular, banjo was problematic (new strings of a different gauge I'm not used to yet!). Songs with the guitar went fine, but I was fading at the end, big-time.

Anyway, to close, I did "Back in the Saddle Again", and asked them whose theme song that was, and someone gave the correct answer "Gene Autry". Then I segued into my synopsis of how Roy Rogers became a star in 1938 when Gene Autry walked out on his contract, before I sang "Happy Trails" which I often close with.

Sometimes I've emphasized how important Roy Roger's ability to ride was, because Arthur Smith tried to become a cowboy star, but had a hard time staying on the horse (the camera apparently caught one of those mishaps and it got written into the script!).

Anyway, today I threw in that tidbit about Arthur Smith, and there was a fellow only a little older than me visiting his mom, and he says.... "She's Arthur Smith's daughter!!!"

So I threw in a few more comments about how Arthur Smith was a VERY important figure in the fiddling world, and the first big fiddling star. (I was afraid the part about him falling off the horse had offended them, but it hadn't!)

He asked if I knew any hymns, and I said I did... I asked what her favorite was, and he said "The Old Rugged Cross" so I sang that, and threw in "Mansion Over the Hilltop" for good measure.

Then, I went over to talk to them. She can no longer talk, but favorable comments about her dad got some sweet smiles that cost her quite a bit of effort.

The son (Arthur Smith's grandson) is apparently only up for a little bit from another town in California, but his sister comes in regularly, so I hope to talk to her more about her famous fiddling Grandpa!!!!

Anyway, this made my day, and made me glad I had persisted in going in to play, even though I didn't feel like it.

This isn't the first time something like this has happened... after busking at the Farmer's Market one day, a young lady was very interested in my fiddling, and we talked afterwards, and it turned out Gene Autry was her Grandpa.

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