Obit: Snake Chapman - Old Time Fiddler

Subject: Obit: Snake Chapman - Old Time Fiddler
From: BanjoRay
Date: 31 Oct 03 - 08:35 PM

A really sad moment of the sort that comes far too frequently these days. Snake Chapman, born 1919, died on thursday. A wonderful fiddle player, and source of many of the tunes that get regularly played in Olt Time sessions. Here's a description of his life in his own words, and here's a description of his CDs.
You can hear extracts of his stuff on the Amazon website.
Ray

Subject: RE: Obit: Snake Chapman - Old Time Fiddler
From: BanjoRay
Date: 31 Oct 03 - 08:50 PM

I got the day wrong - here's the original note from Kerry Blech, an old time mine of information, on the old time newsgroup:

I received a note last last night from Mark Wilson. He said that
Paul Smith had called to say that Owen "Snake" Chapman had
passed away, after a lengthy illness, on Wednesday night,
October 29. His funeral is tomorrow, Saturday, November 1,
presumably in Canada, Kentucky or thereabouts. Sorry, I
don't have any other information. Snake will be missed not
only for his great fiddling but for his fantastic nature and
friendliness.
-Kerry

Ray

Subject: RE: Obit: Snake Chapman - Old Time Fiddler
From: GUEST,Nickp (cookieless)
Date: 01 Nov 03 - 07:02 AM

Another great musician has left us. Must get out his cds and have a Snake tune day.

Subject: RE: Obit: Snake Chapman - Old Time Fiddler
From: BanjoRay
Date: 02 Nov 03 - 05:08 AM

Incredible - seems almost as if American mudcatters have never heard of him. Old Time mountain music lives on in the UK!
Ray

Subject: RE: Obit: Snake Chapman - Old Time Fiddler
From: Murray MacLeod
Date: 02 Nov 03 - 09:10 PM

Tell me about it ...I mentioned Ralph Blizard, legendary Tennessee longbow fiddler some time ago, and nobody in the States had heard of him either ....

Murray

Subject: RE: Obit: Snake Chapman - Old Time Fiddler
From: nickp
Date: 03 Nov 03 - 04:18 AM

Cookied again... It is strange... long live the Friends of American Old Time Music and Dance! We also are one of the few countries to preserve Green Grass Clogger style Appalachian clogging - admittedly not a 'pure' tradition being combined from various traditional sources 30 years ago - but again a part of America's heritage.

Nick

Subject: RE: Obit: Snake Chapman - Old Time Fiddler
From: RangerSteve
Date: 03 Nov 03 - 06:07 AM

RIP, Owen, and thanks for all the great tunes.

Subject: RE: Obit: Snake Chapman - Old Time Fiddler
From: GUEST,Russ
Date: 03 Nov 03 - 08:29 AM

Not many old time musicians hang out at mudcat. To interact with them you subscribe to Banjo-L or Fiddle-L.

Subject: RE: Obit: Snake Chapman - Old Time Fiddler
From: GLoux
Date: 03 Nov 03 - 01:33 PM

I think the newsgroup rec.music.country.old-time is where most old-time musicians hang out cyber-wise...

Snake Chapman was a real treasure...he seemed to know more tunes that no one knew...his two CDs added a lot to the old-time tune repertory. I wonder how many tunes are lost know that he's gone. I hope he did more recording.

-Greg

Subject: RE: Obit: Snake Chapman - Old Time Fiddler
From: GUEST,Arnie
Date: 03 Nov 03 - 02:52 PM

I never met Mr. Chapman, but a friend of mine plays a lot of his tunes - really interesting tunes! We recorded one of them on a CD last year we just called "Snake Chapman's Tune" - killer!
His music will live on.

Subject: RE: Obit: Snake Chapman - Old Time Fiddler
From: GLoux
Date: 03 Nov 03 - 04:05 PM

I never met him either, but I believe I met you, Arnie, a few years ago at Lake Genero in Pennsylvania. Nice to "find" you again...

One my favorite Snake Chapman tunes is Can You Dance a Tobacco Hill? Brad Leftwich recorded it, too.

-Greg

Subject: RE: Obit: Snake Chapman - Old Time Fiddler
From: GUEST,Arnie
Date: 03 Nov 03 - 04:41 PM

Greg,
We did indeed meet a few years back, and I still listen to your fine playing on your In Good Company recording. And I do have Brad's recording - I wasn't aware that Snake Chapman was responsible for that tune (thought it was old time trad).
Arnie

Subject: RE: Obit: Snake Chapman - Old Time Fiddler
From: GLoux
Date: 03 Nov 03 - 05:38 PM

I believe Can You Dance a Tobacco Hill is a trad. tune that only he remembers...That was my earlier point...he seemed to know more tunes (trad. implied) that no one else knew...of course his own tunes wouldn't be known (duh implied :-)

-Greg

Subject: RE: Obit: Snake Chapman - Old Time Fiddler
From: GLoux
Date: 03 Nov 03 - 05:46 PM

BTW, for you Canadians out there (Arnie implied), did you know Snake Chapman was from Canada, Kentucky????

-Greg