Robert C. Byrd Center for Congressional History and Education
  • Home
  • About
    • Latest News
    • Statement on Systemic Racism
    • Leadership
    • Our Partners
    • Parking and Directions
  • Education
    • People Powered 2023 Program
    • Educational Resources
    • Teacher Institute
    • Internship Program
  • Research
    • Congressional Collections >
      • Robert C. Byrd Congressional Papers
      • Harley O. Staggers, Sr. Congressional Papers
      • Harley O. Staggers, Jr. Congressional Papers
      • Scot Falkner CAO Papers
    • Blog
    • Digital Collections
    • Oral History Project
    • Plan a Visit to the Archives
    • Collecting Policy
  • Events
    • Voices of the Community series
    • Summer Fundraiser 2023
    • Forum on Pollution
    • Formidable - author event
    • Voices of the Community
    • Constitution Day
    • Past Events
  • Support Us
    • Friends of the Byrd Center
    • Name a Seat
    • Annual Report
  • Reservations
  • Login

Senator Robert C. Byrd, Mountain Fiddler IV (Student Edition)

2/11/2014

 
Note: This post was previously listed under our "News from the Grey Box" blog series ​
Part 4 of a 4-part series

By Malorie Matos

Our final installment of the Mountain Fiddler series will focus on Senator Byrd’s musical legacy.

For Robert C. Byrd, music was always an important aspect of life. Although he used the fiddle as an unorthodox political tool, and his opponents used it as a subject of criticism, for Byrd, fiddling was first and foremost a personal passion. His devout appreciation for fiddling and bluegrass is evident in the amount of musical memorabilia we have in the Byrd collection here at the Byrd CLS.
​
Amongst the countless objects obtained by the Byrd CLS following the senator’s passing in 2010 are two fiddles from his personal collection.
Picture
Byrd’s Fiddles
We are also lucky enough to have Senator Byrd’s personal record collection. The albums in Byrd’s collection include his fiddling idol Clark Kessinger, Scottish folk fiddling, country gospel, and a variety of other folk, bluegrass, and Appalachian artists. Of course, we also have several copies of the senator’s very own Mountain Fiddler album on vinyl and 8-track!
Picture
Mountain Fiddler 8-tracks and vinyl record. From the CLS archive.
Being able to see Byrd’s record collection makes him appear more down to earth, just as playing the fiddle for voters did in the early years of Byrd’s career. All of Senator Byrd’s belongings that we have here at the archive, like his record collection, help to create a more personal image of him to ensure that he is remembered not just as some larger-than-life political figure, but as an actual human being who lead a life of his own.
Picture
Just a small sample of Byrd’s record collection
Byrd’s dedication to fiddle music was widely recognized. He was honored by several music associations for his support of fiddlers and other bluegrass musicians. The Appalachian Fiddlers Association of Huntington, West Virginia presented Byrd with an honorary lifetime membership in 1979 for his “contribution to Appalachian Music.”
Picture
Appalachian Fiddlers Association Plaque inscribed to Senator Robert Byrd, 1979.
In 2008, Byrd was awarded the Perry F. Harris Award at the Grand Master Fiddler Championship. In an oral history interview, champion fiddler and friend of Byrd, Bobby Taylor talks about what a great honor it was for Senator Byrd to receive this award. The Perry F. Harris Award is presented to any individual who demonstrates significant support for fiddle music over the years, something Senator Byrd certainly did throughout his lifetime. Taylor says that it was important for Byrd to receive the honor because “that was who he was…He was a national politician. He was a national treasure. But he was a fiddler.”[1]
Picture
Perry F. Harris Award issued to Robert C. Byrd, 2008.
Picture
Because Byrd’s fiddling was so widely publicized, he received many gifts that commemorated his love for mountain music. The Byrd collection houses several handcrafted fiddle-themed gifts given to the senator that he kept in his home and offices.

Byrd’s passion for mountain music really comes through in a 1964 “Byrd’s Eye View” article where he describes the importance of fiddle tunes in Appalachian culture by lovingly explaining that: “To a mountain music lover, a fiddling contest in his community is an event with more life than an Independence Day parade in any metropolis.”[2]

Despite whatever issues faced Senator Byrd in his political life, his love for music and the fiddle always stayed constant. The fiddle was his way of personally connecting to the people of West Virginia and he maintained that connection for over 60 years.

Robert C. Byrd left behind a long political legacy, but nearly as enduring is his musical legacy. Through gifts and awards, we can see that Byrd the Fiddler was almost as important to constituents as Byrd the Politician.
​
Even after his passing in 2010, the fiddle continued to be recognized as a significant aspect of Senator Byrd’s life.

Senator Robert C. Byrd, Mountain Fiddler III (Student Edition)

2/4/2014

 
Note: This post was previously listed under our "News from the Grey Box" blog series ​
Part 3 of a 4-part series

By Malorie Matos

When Senator Byrd played his fiddle on the Grand Ole Opry in 1979, country musician Ben Smathers told him he was glad to see that a fiddle player was helping to run the government. This was the sentiment of many voters in West Virginia who kept Byrd in office for so long. His fiddling created a country-boy persona to which voters could relate. But not everyone found that persona appealing. Robert Byrd’s fiddle helped to bring him political success, but it also brought him ridicule from opponents and the media.
​
Byrd’s fiddling became an easy target for his opponents. In his early campaigns especially, established politicians mocked the backwoods image of Byrd as a fiddle playing butcher. The ridicule did not prevent Byrd from winning his elections, but it persisted throughout most of his career. ​

Read More
    Welcome to the Byrd Center Blog! We share content here including research from our archival collections, articles from our director, and information on upcoming events. 

    Categories

    All
    Director's Posts
    Intern Blogs
    Posts From The Archives

    Archives

    January 2023
    November 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    November 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    April 2019
    March 2019
    December 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    January 2013
    November 2012
    October 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    December 2011

    RSS Feed

Picture
213 North King Street
PO Box 5000
Shepherd University
Shepherdstown, WV 25443
(304) 876 - 5702

Our Mission:

The Byrd Center advances representative democracy by promoting a better understanding of the United States Congress and the Constitution through programs and research that engage citizens.
© 2021 Robert C. Byrd Center for
​Congressional History and Education
  • Home
  • About
    • Latest News
    • Statement on Systemic Racism
    • Leadership
    • Our Partners
    • Parking and Directions
  • Education
    • People Powered 2023 Program
    • Educational Resources
    • Teacher Institute
    • Internship Program
  • Research
    • Congressional Collections >
      • Robert C. Byrd Congressional Papers
      • Harley O. Staggers, Sr. Congressional Papers
      • Harley O. Staggers, Jr. Congressional Papers
      • Scot Falkner CAO Papers
    • Blog
    • Digital Collections
    • Oral History Project
    • Plan a Visit to the Archives
    • Collecting Policy
  • Events
    • Voices of the Community series
    • Summer Fundraiser 2023
    • Forum on Pollution
    • Formidable - author event
    • Voices of the Community
    • Constitution Day
    • Past Events
  • Support Us
    • Friends of the Byrd Center
    • Name a Seat
    • Annual Report
  • Reservations
  • Login