75 Years of Country Music and the SCV:

The Story of Eck Robertson

     Eck Robertson has been credited as being the first person to commercially record country music.  He received his first instrument at age 5 and was soon learning songs from many of the Civil War Veterans, like Polk Harris, and from fiddlers like Matt Brown, who is credited with composing Ragtime Annie and Done Gone, of which Eck later recorded.  In 1922, Eck and his friend Henry Gilliland, a Civil War Veteran, attended and entertained veterans at the Old Confederate Soldiers Reunion in Richmond, Virginia. After doing so, they decided to travel to New York and try to make some records.  Eck and Gilliland, dressed in Confederate uniforms, then appeared at the Victor Talking Machine Company for an audition.  The Victor manager requested that Eck just take out his fiddle and start of a tune.  After playing about half of Sallie Gooden, the manager was convinced to let them record a test record.  The next day Eck and Gilliland recorded Arkansas Traveler and Turkey in the Straw.  Eck then recorded several other tunes for Victor before leaving New York and returning home to Vernon, Texas.  His musical career spanned eight decades and helped establish what is now known as the Texas style of fiddling.  Eck Robertson, "The Famous Cowboy Fiddler" died on February 17, 1975. 

For additional information on Eck Robertson see:  Old Time Music, Old Time Fiddlers Hall of Fame  at  http://www.oldtimemusic.com/FHOFEck.html 

We recommend the album "Eck Robertson, Old-Time Texas Fiddler" (County). http://www.countysales.com