Johnny Gimble: Difference between revisions

| death_date = {{death date and age|2015|5|9|1926|5|30}}

| death_place = [[Dripping Springs, Texas]], U.S.

| occupation = Musician, fiddler

| years_active = 1938–2015

| website = [http://www.johnnygimble.com Official website]}}

 

'''John Paul Gimble''' (May 30, 1926 – May 9, 2015)<ref name="Obit"/> was an American [[country music]]ian associated with [[Western swing]]. Gimble was considered one of the most important [[fiddle]]rs in the genre.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.allmusic.com/artist/johnny-gimble-mn0000820076/biography |title=Johnny Gimble &#124; Biography|last=Bush|first=John|website=[[AllMusic]]|access-date=16 September 2018}}</ref> He was inducted into the [[Rock and Roll Hall of Fame]] in 1999 in the early influences category as a member of [[Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys]].

 

 

==Biography==

{{More citations needed section|date=March 2023}}

 

Gimble was born in [[Tyler, Texas]], United States,<ref name="LarkinCountry">{{cite book|title=[[Encyclopedia of Popular Music|The Guinness Who's Who of Country Music]]|editor=[[Colin Larkin (writer)|Colin Larkin]]|publisher=[[Guinness Publishing]]|date=1993|edition=First|isbn=0-85112-726-6|page=161/2}}</ref> and grew up in nearby [[Bascom, Texas|Bascom]]. He began playing in a band with his brothers at age 12, and continued playing with two of them, George and Jerry, as the Rose City Swingsters. The trio played local radio shows, and gigs at dance halls. Gimble later moved to [[Louisiana]] and began performing with the [[Jimmie Davis]] gubernatorial campaign. He was offered a job in the Governor's administration but turned it down to volunteer for service in the U.S. Army. Gimble returned to Texas after completing his service in the U.S. Army in [[World War II]].

In 1955, Gimble moved to [[Waco, Texas]], and split time between running a [[barber]] shop near the regional VA Hospital and music.<ref name="LarkinCountry"/> In 1960, he quit touring with Bob Wills and hosted one of the first locally produced television shows on [[KWTX-TV|KWTX]], ''Johnny Gimble & the Homefolks''.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.kwtx.com/content/news/Legendary-fiddler-who-once-hosted-KWTX-show-joins-Country-Hall-of-Fame-478202733.html |title=Legendary fiddler who once hosted KWTX show joins Country Hall of Fame |last=Shadrock |first=Christopher |date=March 28, 2018 |website=Kwtx.com |publisher=KWTX-TV |access-date=15 September 2018}}</ref> Gimble's show featured a young bass player from nearby [[Abbott, Texas]], named [[Willie Nelson]], and a lifetime friendship and partnership was born.<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-country/legendary-fiddle-player-johnny-gimble-dead-at-88-189259/ |title=Legendary Fiddle Player Johnny Gimble Dead at 88 |last=Betts |first=Stephen L. |date=May 11, 2015 |magazine=[[Rolling Stone]] |access-date=15 September 2018}}</ref> In 1968, after repeated encouragement from his peers, Gimble moved his family to [[Nashville, Tennessee]]. From then on, his steady work as a [[session musician]] included sessions with [[Merle Haggard]] and [[The Strangers (American band)|The Strangers]] on their Bob Wills [[tribute album]] (''[[A Tribute to the Best Damn Fiddle Player in the World (or, My Salute to Bob Wills)]])'', [[Conway Twitty]], [[Connie Smith]], [[Loretta Lynn]], [[Lefty Frizzell]], [[Ray Price (musician)|Ray Price]], [[Willie Nelson]], and [[Chet Atkins]] on ''[[Superpickers]]'' in 1973. The following year he took a cue from a song ("Fiddlin' Around") which he had written and performed on the Atkins' Superpickers album, and recorded his first solo album, titled ''Fiddlin' Around''. {{citation needed|date=May 2015}}. He recorded nine other solo albums.

 

 

Gimble's career spanned into the 21st century, recording with [[Vince Gill]],<ref name="Weber">{{cite news |last=Weber |first=Bruce |date=May 13, 2015 |title=Johnny Gimble, Who Fiddled His Way to Fame, Dies at 88 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/05/14/arts/music/johnny-gimble-who-fiddled-his-way-from-a-flatbed-truck-to-fame-dies-at-88.html |work=[[The New York Times]]|access-date=16 September 2018}}</ref> [[Tanya Tucker]], and performing at the [[49th Annual Grammy Awards]] with [[Carrie Underwood]] in 2007.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://countryrebel.com/blogs/videos/western-swing-hit-gets-resurrected-by-carrie-underwood/ |title=Western Swing Hit Gets Resurrected by Carrie Underwood |author=<!--Not stated--> |website=Country Rebel|access-date=16 September 2018}}</ref> "Until [[Lloyd Maines]] surpassed him, Johnny held the record for most appearances on [[Austin City Limits]]. He played with heart and soul and had an infectious spirit and sense of adventure - both in his music and personality," said ACL Executive Producer Terry Lickona.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://acltv.com/2015/05/11/johnny-gimble-1926-2015/ |title=Johnny Gimble 1926-2015 |author=<!--Not stated-->|website=acltv.com |date=May 11, 2015 |publisher=Austin City Limits |access-date=16 September 2018}}</ref> Johnny was also a regular on [[Minnesota Public Radio]]'s ''[[A Prairie Home Companion]]'' hosted by [[Garrison Keillor]],<ref>{{cite web |url=https://blogs.mprnews.org/newscut/2015/05/the-man-who-put-the-swing-in-our-prairie-home/ |title=The man who put the swing in our prairie home |last=Collins |first=Bob |date=May 14, 2015|publisher=Minnesota Public Radio |access-date=16 September 2018}}</ref> who in 1994 penned [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1TwgvnZ1aoc "Owed to Johnny Gimble"] as a tribute to his friend after Gimble received the NEA's National Heritage Fellowship, and who performed the song again on May 9, 2015, to commemorate Gimble's life.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.prairiehome.org/story/2015/05/09/script-owed-to-johnny-gimble-may-9-2015.html |title=Script: Owed to Johhny Gimble |author=<!--Not stated--> |date=May 9, 2015 |website=A Prairie Home Companion|publisher=Minnesota Public Radio |access-date=16 September 2018}}</ref>

Gimble's granddaughter, Emily, is a notable vocalist and keyboard player who has performed with Johnny, [[Asleep at the Wheel]], [[Warren Hood]], and [[Hayes Carll]]. Emily was a regular member of Asleep at the Wheel as keyboardist and vocalist from 2014 to 2016, a band that frequently partnered with Johnny to bring the music of Bob Wills to newer generations. She has since launched a solo career, based out of [[Austin, Texas]], and followed Johnny's footsteps as the State Musician of [[Texas]] for 2020.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://texashighways.com/travel-news/emily-gimble-2020s-texas-state-musician-grew-up-on-western-swing/|title=Emily Gimble, 2020's Texas State Musician, Grew Up On Western Swing|first=Matt|last=Joyce|website=Texashighways.com|date=July 13, 2020|access-date=August 7, 2021}}</ref>

 

 

==Death==

 

==Awards and honors==

 

In 1994, Gimble was awarded a [[National Heritage Fellowship]] as a Master Folk Artist from the [[National Endowment for the Arts]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://arts.gov/honors/heritage/johnny-gimble |title=Johnny Gimble: Anglo Western Swing Fiddler |author=<!--Not stated--> |date=n.d. |website=Arts.gov |publisher=National Endowment for the Arts |access-date=December 15, 2020}}</ref>

In 1999, Gimble was inducted into the [[Rock n Roll Hall of Fame]] in the Early Influences category as part of [[Bob Wills and his Texas Playboys]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.rockhall.com/inductees/bob-wills-and-his-texas-playboys |website=Rock N Roll Hall of Fame |access-date=August 29, 2021|title=Bob Wills and his Texas Playboys &#124; Rock & Roll Hall of Fame }}</ref>

 

 

Gimble was posthumously inducted into the [[Country Music Hall of Fame]] in 2018.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://countrymusichalloffame.org/artist/johnny-gimble/ |title=Johnny Gimble |author=<!--Not stated--> |date=2018 |website=Country Music Hall of Fame |access-date=May 29, 2021}}</ref>

[[Category:American country fiddlers]]

[[Category:Western swing fiddlers]]

[[Category:Million Dollar Band (country music group) members]]

[[Category:20th-century American violinists]]