Eck Robertson, “World Champion Fiddler”

This chapter concerns Eck Robertson’s heyday as a fiddler. He pursued mixed music professions in and around Vernon, Texas, financially focusing on tuning pianos, but aspirationally concentrating on fiddle performance, much of that at contests. Fiddling in early-twentieth century Texas Panhandle culture fit into a cowboy-based culture turning into a retrospective cowboy-referencing culture—fiddling expressing swiftly-burgeoning nostalgia. The cowboy theme, persisting as such, also came to infuse Confederate Reunions. Being hired to play at these events led to Eck’s and a partner’s making what are considered the first Country Music recordings.