Monday, January 29, 2018

W. T. Snyder playing his fiddle - born 126 years ago today

Wiley Thomas "Tom" Snyder, my grandfather, loved to play the fiddle. He was born on January 29, 1892. Here is is in the early 1980s at his homeplace in Millers Creek, Wilkes County, N.C.

Tom didn't waste time or money on long distance telephone calls.  He said what he had to say and hung up.  But once in a while, he would call up me or another grandchild, and say "Listen to this."  He put down the phone and played a song on his fiddle.  Then he'd laugh joyously and hang up.

The songs I remember were Red Wing and Little Brown Jug. You can find other people playing these songs on YouTube:
Red Wing:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RiMpVub-Edw
Little Brown Jug - Banjo and Fiddle - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cNMm7jVMe3Y

Tom played music with his brothers.  His brother Don won some contests playing the banjo.  Here's a photo of Don (1903-1986) and Tom (1892-1988) standing in the front yard of Tom's homeplace on Pleasant Home Church Road.



1 comment:

  1. Hello. Your Blogiversary is coming up. Please email me at geneabloggerstribe.shannon@gmail.com so I can send you the form to fill out. Thank you!

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