Swing Fiddle Program

DENNIS STROUGHMATT WILL SPEAK ON "SOUTHERN ILLINOIS SWING FIDDLE"

AT NEXT MEETING OF HISTORICAL SOCIETY

String-musician Dennis Stroughmatt will be the guest performer at the next meeting of the Lawrence County Historical Society on Monday, May 22, 2023, 7:00 p.m., at the History Center in Lawrenceville. The program is titled: "Play that Hot Fiddle! Old Time Radio and the Life of Southern Illinois Swing Fiddle Pappy Wade Ray."

Stroughmatt, a native of southern Illinois, is a nationally-recognized authority on French-Creole music of the Midwest, once known as Upper Louisiana. He is a member of the National Oldtime Fiddler's Hall of Fame, and he has performed at venues across the county, including the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.

Stroughmatt will discuss the life and perform samplings of his fiddle mentor, "Pappy" Wade Ray. Once a member of the WLS "National Barn Dance," Wade went on to front his own bands, the Wade Ray Five and Wade Ray and his Ozark Mountain Boys. Ray's unique swing style of fiddle playing remained influential in country music throughout the post-war years. Country stars such as Willie Nelson sought out Ray's talents for both concerts and recording sessions.

The meeting is free and open to the public.