Obit: Art Stamper (23 Jan 2005)

Subject: Obit: Art Stamper
From: GLoux
Date: 24 Jan 05 - 11:13 AM

Posted on New River Old Time (NROT) list:


I just got a call from Kay Stamper saying Art died a short while ago this evening
1/23/05.       jim g.

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http://www.nrot.org/   New-River-Old-Time on the WWW


We've lost another of the best old-time fiddlers. I have no further details.

-Greg

Subject: RE: Obit: Art Stamper
From: GUEST,NIckp (sans cookie)
Date: 24 Jan 05 - 12:49 PM

A sad loss and just as I was getting into seriously playing 'his' tunes. Old time fans who haven't heard them, do check out his cds.

Condolences on behalf of the Friends of AMerican Old TIme Music and Dance over here in the UK

Nick
(secretary)

Subject: RE: Obit: Art Stamper
From: GLoux
Date: 24 Jan 05 - 01:15 PM

Art was the son of a great 19th century fiddler, Hiram Stamper, whom Bruce Green recorded late in his life. I'm glad that Art made some old time recordings before he passed.

I'll keep an eye out for a proper Obituary on him and post it here if I find one.

-Greg

Subject: RE: Obit: Art Stamper
From: GUEST,Russ
Date: 24 Jan 05 - 01:16 PM

None better.

Subject: RE: Obit: Art Stamper
From: GLoux
Date: 24 Jan 05 - 01:34 PM

From rec.music.country.old-time:

I am sad to announce that Art Stamper passed away at 9:20 PM last night in the hospice ward of Norton Audubon Hospital in Louisville, Kentucky.

Art was up and around on Saturday, but did not wake up Sunday morning.
He was transported to the hospital in the afternoon and never regained
consciousness. His passing was quite peaceful. His wife Kay, his
daughter Jennifer, his sister Judy, my wife Ann and I were at his side
when he passed.

Details of the funeral have not been arranged at this point. There will be visitation both in the Louisville area, and in Hindman, Kentucky, where he was born. He will be buried in the family plot near Hindman.

We will all miss him.

Sincerely,
Harry Bickel

Subject: RE: Obit: Art Stamper
From: kytrad (Jean Ritchie)
Date: 24 Jan 05 - 02:28 PM

Art has been part of the Hindman Family Folk Week (where I go each summer)for the past few years. He loved being there, 'at home,'was a fine instructor, and made many new friends at the Settlement. He and Kay were good friends, and I'm glad his grave will be there. Jean R.

Subject: RE: Obit: Art Stamper
From: RangerSteve
Date: 24 Jan 05 - 02:41 PM

I bought one of his CD's this summer at Clifftop. I knew nothing about him, but bought the CD because there were song titles that I was unfamiliar with. I've always felt that Kentucky fiddlers are the best, and Mr. Stampers fiddling confirmed that belief. His passing is a genuine loss.

Subject: RE: Obit: Art Stamper
From: GLoux
Date: 24 Jan 05 - 04:22 PM

Art gave a fiddle workshop at Clifftop a couple of years ago. I forget which tune it was but he explained that the first time he played it, it was "his" way. Then he played it the way "Daddy" played it. It blew me away that he could "grassy-up" a tune (i.e., make it slick) but still remember how to play it the old way. It occurred to me then that there's more tradition in that man than probably any other living fiddler. And now he's gone...sigh...

Goodbye Girls, I'm Going To Boston...

Goodbye Art, we'll miss you.

-Greg

Subject: RE: Obit: Art Stamper (23 Jan 2005)
From: GUEST,petr
Date: 24 Jan 05 - 09:03 PM

I first ran into Art at the first Fiddle TUnes festival I attended, in
Port Townsend in 1997. I loved his fiddle playing, and his sense of humour. A lot of his class consisted of telling jokes, as well as playing.
In fact the very first time I heard old time was when I walked into the 204 building (atFiddle Tunes) and was overwhelmed with oldtime fiddle and banjo, and the first musicians I encountered were Art Stamper and John Herman on the banjo..

apparently he performed in the 50s with a lot of big names, stopped for
a few years and I believe he was a barber. When he retired he got back into playing.
I loved his music. (have a couple of cds Lost Fiddler and Goodbye Girls Im going to Boston) he will be missed.
Peter

Subject: RE: Obit: Art Stamper (23 Jan 2005)
From: open mike
Date: 25 Jan 05 - 12:03 AM

bio/interview here--no obit yet..
http://www.bluegrassworks.com/profile.php?profileID=42

preliminary obit here:
http://www.cmt.com/artists/news/1496191/01242005/stamper_art.jhtml

Subject: RE: Obit: Art Stamper (23 Jan 2005)
From: GUEST,petr
Date: 25 Jan 05 - 01:20 PM

I just wanted to add, at one of his performances Art told a story about his dad Hiram, who used to sit out on the porch and play the fiddle.
His mom would say 'there he is, playing that same old tune for forty years.'
Art added, 'you know when I close my eyes I can hear my daddy play'
and hear the music as it went out over that valley.

I was truly saddened to hear of his passing, as Id hoped to catch him
at some festival again and hear him play.
Petr

(its nice to know that playing the fiddle is one thing folks can do
well into old age, I know Im going to get much better in basketball, say, but I still hope to be playing in my later years)
And from older players that Ive met, many of them say, its the music that keeps me young.

goodbye Art..

Subject: RE: Obit: Art Stamper (23 Jan 2005)
From: GLoux
Date: 25 Jan 05 - 01:48 PM

open mike, thanks for the links.

There I found out that Art had just released a new CD two months ago:

Wake Up Darlin' Corey
Release date: 11.23.04
Label: County

Haven't heard it yet, but how could it not be excellent?

-Greg

Subject: RE: Obit: Art Stamper (23 Jan 2005)
From: GLoux
Date: 26 Jan 05 - 09:59 AM

Bluegrass pioneer Art Stamper dead at 71

Associated Press


LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Art Stamper, a member of the Bluegrass Hall of Fame who performed with the Stanley Brothers and Bill Monroe's Blue Grass Boys, died after a four-year battle with throat cancer. He was 71.

Stamper, considered a bluegrass pioneer among his peers, died Sunday night in Louisville.

His style emphasized melody and emotion over speed.

"It's almost overwhelming to think about Art as being one of the first, but he was right there," said acclaimed mandolinist Sam Bush.

"Art was from the first generation of fiddle players to combine old-time music and mountain fiddling with the blues that was part of bluegrass," Bush said. "By that, I mean he was bending the notes to mimic the way a person sings."

Stamper was a native of Hindman in eastern Kentucky and a longtime resident of Shepherdsville, near Louisville.

"You're never a hero in your own hometown, I guess, but Art was one of the first to record bluegrass music back when he was with the Stanley Brothers," said Harry Bickel, a Louisville bluegrass musician and historian. "He grew up in that eastern Kentucky tradition that a lot of fiddlers never got to witness."

Bickel teamed with Stamper on his final recording, "Wake Up Darlin' Corey," released late last year on Country Records.

Stamper also performed with the Osborne Brothers and the Goins Brothers, among many others.

Last year, Stamper received the Distinguished Achievement Award from the International Bluegrass Music Association, joining the likes of Earl Scruggs, Lester Flatt, Kenny Baker and Monroe.

His father, Hiram, was an accomplished old-time musician, and Stamper followed suit at age 9. He was a professional by age 16 and joined Ralph and Carter Stanley's band in 1952, just in time to help define a new genre of music eventually called bluegrass.

"Art Stamper is a classic Kentucky fiddler and a giant in traditional mountain music and the bluegrass style that evolved from it," wrote musician and historian Eugene Chadbourne in the "All Music Guide." "When the ... soundtrack for `O Brother, Where Art Thou?' became a hit, there was speculation that the `Art' in the title might be Art Stamper."

Stamper retired from a full-time music career in 1956 to raise a family (his son, Blake, released a country album last year).

He became a well-known hairdresser, winning several awards as owner of Louisville's The Way of Art. He never stopped performing, including between haircuts.

"We used to have hair-cutting day at Art's shop," Bickel said. "All of the musicians would go out to Art's and play, taking turns getting our hair cut."

Stamper returned to music full time in 1978, sitting in with a variety of bands, including Monroe's, and recording two highly regarded albums, "The Lost Fiddler" and "Goodbye Girls, I'm Going to Boston."

Besides his son, survivors include his wife, Kay Kawaguchi Stamper; a daughter, Jennifer Stone; and another son, Blane Stamper.

Funeral services will be at 7 p.m. EST Wednesday at Schoppenhorst, Underwood and Brooks with visitation after 3 p.m. Wednesday. Another funeral will be at noon Saturday at Hindman Funeral Services with visitation from noon to 9 p.m. Friday. Burial will be in Stewart-Stamper Family Cemetery in Knott County.

Subject: RE: Obit: Art Stamper (23 Jan 2005)
From: GUEST,Art's Webmaster
Date: 27 Jan 05 - 12:59 AM

You can find a lot of information about Art - stories, photos, music, and a Guest Book at Art Stamper's Web site
.

Please drop by and leave similar kind words there where Kay and the rest of Art's family can see them.

The funeral home in Shepherdsville was packed with friends, family, fellow musicians. Stories were shared, tears were shed, and a lot of old-time music was played.

There is a second visitation/music session set for Friday in his birthplace, Hindman, Ky.

For details about this and more about Art and his music, visit his Web site.

Thanks,

Ed Gregory
Rookie fiddler, fan, and Webmaster
www.artstamper.com

Subject: RE: Obit: Art Stamper (23 Jan 2005)
From: open mike
Date: 27 Jan 05 - 02:16 AM

the other link did not get you to http://www.artstamper.com/
i fixed the blickie....that is mud cat for blue clickie..or link.

Subject: RE: Obit: Art Stamper (23 Jan 2005)
From: kytrad (Jean Ritchie)
Date: 27 Jan 05 - 01:36 PM

Kay emailed to me this morning to say there was a great sadness at Art's services but also much celebration of his life...Joe Isaacs, Wayne Lewis, James Monroe, J.D.Crowe, Tim O'brien, Butch Robins, Jack Kincaid, Heather Norwood, Gary Brewer, Mike Seeger, Bill Clifton and wife Tineke were there, and more, and all musicians played for Art. Kay's words, "... Art was happy to have them!"

The Hindman (KY)services on Friday: Visitation at Hindman Funeral Home, 12 noon to 9:00 PM; Funeral service same place at 12 noon on Saturday. This is Art's home town (or near it), and those attending will be his neighbors and relatives for the most part.

Subject: RE: Obit: Art Stamper (23 Jan 2005)
From: open mike
Date: 27 Jan 05 - 11:21 PM

thanks for the news Jean...trying to imagine the music...must have been
incredible....and the choir "up there" is gonna be even more incredible
with so many great ones recently arrived.