daily grist; a wise man once said nothing – – – – – – -but, it wasn’t me. JDRhynes
I don’t know if they still have this contest but back in June of 1977 during rodeo week in Salinas California they used to have a big fiddle contest that drew all the big names on the contest circuit, because they paid what was considered big bucks back then to win. My good friend Jack Sadler had arranged for a bunch of us CBA folks to be judges of a bluegrass band contest they were going to have in conjunction with the fiddle contest. The judges consisted of Jack Sadler, Roscoe Keithley, Keith little, Ray Park, and myself. The bluegrass bands entered into the band contest would play their set between breaks in the fiddle contests, so as a result we got to see all the world-class fiddle players that were present. Among the ones I can remember was Dick Barrett, Junior Shaughnessy, Jana Jae, and a very young Mark O’Connor. There were about two dozen other world-class fiddle players there but these are the only ones that I can remember, lo these 40 years hence.
If I remember right, first-place in the open category, or master class, or whatever it was called, paid $1500 to win. Second place was $500, and third place was $250. At the time Mark O’Connor was a young 17 years old but boy could he play the fiddle ! We know that first-place money would be between Dick Barrett, Junior Shaughnessy, or Mark O’Connor. Each fiddle player played three numbers and after Dick, Junior, and Mark played their three mandatory numbers, all five of us judges agreed that Mark O’Connor had put them all on the trailer, but boy were we in for a surprise. The judges tallied up the score and judged Dick Barrett the winner by a slim margin, Mark O’Connor second, and Junior Shaughnessy third.
The audience absolutely threw a fit and the results were announced ! But to our surprise, no make that everyone’s surprise, Dick Barrett came to the microphone and accepted the first place award, then told the audience the most gentlemanly thing I’ve ever witnessed in my life. He said; there is no doubt in my mind that Mark won this contest, so I am giving him $500 of my winnings because he deserves it. What a class act ! Dick Barrett was one of the best contest fiddle players that ever lived, he played at old Texas Longbow style that I just dearly love. That day in Salinas he also proved to be a world-class gentleman and I will never forget his kindness to a young Mark O’Connor who is now a world-class fiddle player in his own right. God bless Dick Barrett’s memory.
