Benny Thomasson
Encyclopedia
Benny Thomasson was an American
fiddler
in the Texas style of old-time fiddling.
Thomasson was born in Runnels County, Texas and raised in Gatesville
, one of 10 children in a family where music was not only encouraged, it was a key ingredient of life. His parents were Lucas "Red Luke" and Sarah Elizabeth Wright Thomasson. The elder Thomasson played fiddle, as did his brother Ed, Benny's uncle. Thomasson began fiddling at age three, from as soon as he could hold the instrument up without dropping it. His father wrote the well-known fiddle tune titled "Midnight on the Water". The boys were influenced by renowned fiddlers such as Eck Robertson
and Lefty Franklin, friends of the Thomasson family.
Thomasson entered his first fiddle contest in the late 1920s, at age 19, and was disappointed when he did not place among the top contestants. He decided he needed to be different than the others, and began to work on different interpretations of tunes, so he would stand out at contests.
Thomasson worked hard and took home many trophies. He won several contests multiple times, including the Texas State Championship 15 times, the World Championship three times in a row (1955, 1956 and 1957), and the National Old-time Fiddlers Championship. He improved and improvised on many simple traditional tunes. He practiced and developed controlled improvisation, keeping the tune true to its melody while embellishing and expanding that melody.
Benny had a brief brush with Hollywood when he was cast in the 1976 film "Stay Hungry". In the film, a bodybuilder (Arnold Schwartzenegger) wants to learn to play the fiddle, and seeks lessons from an old master (Thomasson). Jeff Bridges, Sally Field, Joanna Cassidy, Ed Begley Jr., and Robert Englund are also in the cast. Fiddling legend Byron Berline (then living in Los Angeles) was engaged by the producers to provide music for the film, and was considered for the part as the fiddle mentor. However, Berline was too youthful and athletic (he played for the University of Oklahoma football team) to fit the part, and he suggested Thomasson. Thomasson and his wife, Bea, attended the screening of the movie, but walked out before the end, embarrassed by racier parts of the film.
In 1928, Thomasson married Beatrice "Bea" Hollander, in Taos, New Mexico
. They had four children. Thomasson spent most of his life working at an auto body shop in Dallas, but the Thomassons moved to Washington state in the early 1970s to be nearer their son Dale.. Thomasson died in 1984 in Ellis County, Texas
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
fiddler
Fiddler
A fiddler is a person who plays a fiddle or violin.Fiddler may also refer to:*Fabrangen Fiddlers, an American musical group founded in 1971*Tupolev Tu-28 "Fiddler", a fighter aircraft*Fiddler , a DC Comics villain...
in the Texas style of old-time fiddling.
Thomasson was born in Runnels County, Texas and raised in Gatesville
Gatesville, Texas
Gatesville is a city in and the county seat of Coryell County in Central Texas, United States of America. The population was 15,591 at the 2000 census...
, one of 10 children in a family where music was not only encouraged, it was a key ingredient of life. His parents were Lucas "Red Luke" and Sarah Elizabeth Wright Thomasson. The elder Thomasson played fiddle, as did his brother Ed, Benny's uncle. Thomasson began fiddling at age three, from as soon as he could hold the instrument up without dropping it. His father wrote the well-known fiddle tune titled "Midnight on the Water". The boys were influenced by renowned fiddlers such as Eck Robertson
Eck Robertson
Alexander "Eck" Robertson was an American fiddle player, mostly known for commercially recording the first country music songs in 1922 with Henry Gilliland.-Early life:...
and Lefty Franklin, friends of the Thomasson family.
Thomasson entered his first fiddle contest in the late 1920s, at age 19, and was disappointed when he did not place among the top contestants. He decided he needed to be different than the others, and began to work on different interpretations of tunes, so he would stand out at contests.
Thomasson worked hard and took home many trophies. He won several contests multiple times, including the Texas State Championship 15 times, the World Championship three times in a row (1955, 1956 and 1957), and the National Old-time Fiddlers Championship. He improved and improvised on many simple traditional tunes. He practiced and developed controlled improvisation, keeping the tune true to its melody while embellishing and expanding that melody.
Benny had a brief brush with Hollywood when he was cast in the 1976 film "Stay Hungry". In the film, a bodybuilder (Arnold Schwartzenegger) wants to learn to play the fiddle, and seeks lessons from an old master (Thomasson). Jeff Bridges, Sally Field, Joanna Cassidy, Ed Begley Jr., and Robert Englund are also in the cast. Fiddling legend Byron Berline (then living in Los Angeles) was engaged by the producers to provide music for the film, and was considered for the part as the fiddle mentor. However, Berline was too youthful and athletic (he played for the University of Oklahoma football team) to fit the part, and he suggested Thomasson. Thomasson and his wife, Bea, attended the screening of the movie, but walked out before the end, embarrassed by racier parts of the film.
In 1928, Thomasson married Beatrice "Bea" Hollander, in Taos, New Mexico
Taos, New Mexico
Taos is a town in Taos County in the north-central region of New Mexico, incorporated in 1934. As of the 2000 census, its population was 4,700. Other nearby communities include Ranchos de Taos, Cañon, Taos Canyon, Ranchitos, and El Prado. The town is close to Taos Pueblo, the Native American...
. They had four children. Thomasson spent most of his life working at an auto body shop in Dallas, but the Thomassons moved to Washington state in the early 1970s to be nearer their son Dale.. Thomasson died in 1984 in Ellis County, Texas
Ellis County, Texas
As of the census of 2000, there were 111,360 people, 37,020 households, and 29,653 families residing in the county. The population density was 118 people per square mile . There were 39,071 housing units at an average density of 42 per square mile...
.
Discography
- Texas Hoedown (CountyCounty RecordsCounty Records also expanded into the bluegrass music genre, although Freeman preferred those artists who stayed the closest to their old-time roots. The label's first bluegrass release was 1965's Blue Ridge Bluegrass featuring Larry Richardson and the Blue Ridge Boys.-Related businesses:Freeman...
703) - 1965 - Country Fiddling From the Big State (CountyCounty RecordsCounty Records also expanded into the bluegrass music genre, although Freeman preferred those artists who stayed the closest to their old-time roots. The label's first bluegrass release was 1965's Blue Ridge Bluegrass featuring Larry Richardson and the Blue Ridge Boys.-Related businesses:Freeman...
724)~ 1970 - Dudley Hill - Guitar: From a Northern Family (Voyager CD 317) early 1970s, re-released 2002
- Oldtime Fiddling and Other Folk Music (Weiser, Idaho Chamber of Commerce) 1972
- Oldtime Fiddling and Other Folk Music (Weiser, Idaho) 1973
- A Jam Session With Benny and Jerry Thomasson (Voyager VRLP 309) ~1973
- Texas Fiddle Legends Benny Thomasson and Dick Barrett (YazooYazoo RecordsYazoo Records is an American record label, founded in the late 1960s by Nick Perls. It specializes in early American blues, country, jazz, and other rural American genres ....
517, VHS video) recorded early 1970s, released late 1990s - Say Old Man Can You Play the Fiddle (Voyager VRCD 345) recorded informally on March 3, 1974, re-released 1999
- Tenino Old Time Music Festival: 1970 - 1978 Fiddle Tunes and Other Instrumentals (Voyager CD 367) - 2005
External links
- Biography of Thomasson at Fiddler Frolics Hall of Fame
- [ Benny Thomasson] at Allmusic
- article which mentions his death