Old-Time TOTW
Old-Time TOTW #328 is Getting George Bush Upstairs from the playing of Perry Franklin Riley (3 February 1893--9 July 1986) of Lewis Co., KY. He was the son of William Thomas Riley (1867-1950) and Mahala Smith (1872-1942).
Riley had at least eight siblings and was a second cousin of fiddler Buddy Thomas. Of Perry, Thomas said:
"There weren't hardly any other fiddler around when I was growing up, only Perry Riley and he'd just come through every once in a while. He's my second cousin on my mother's side. He worked in West Virginia and Arkansas a lot and he'd go away and nobody would even know whether he was dead or alive. Once when I was a boy, it was fifteen years before we ever saw him again..." (this quote comes from the liner notes in the CD "Kitty Puss," produced by Guthrie T. Meade and Mark Wilson)
Not much is known about Perry Riley's life, probably due to his itinerant nature. He is listed as having no occupation in the 1910 Census with the notation "crippled." In the 1920 Census he is listed as a miner, and as having no occupation in the 1930 Census. In all of them, he was living with his parents and family in Kentucky. His father was a farmer, and some of his brothers were miners.
His 1918 WWI draft registration gives the most information I was able to find about him. It notes that he was in the hospital since 4/7/1917 due to "Measles & Mastoiditis Rt & operation" and that he was "in quarantine" at the time the registration card was filled out (June 2, 1917). It is also noted that he had "tuberculosis of bone--knee left leg." Mastoiditis Rt refers to an infection of the bony air cells in the mastoid bone, located just behind the ear. It is rarely seen today because of the use of antibiotics to treat ear infections. "Rt" refers to his right ear.
The identity of the George Bush in the title is not known, but the tune predates the American presidents of the same name.
Joining me is friend Bill Braun (Cleveland, OH).
Old-Time TOTW is able to continue through your support. If you'd like to be a part of this journey, join my Patreon at: www.patreon.com/paulkirk
I'd like to thank Cheryl J. for being my newest Patron!
Paul Kirk has been playing bowed string instruments since 1980 and has been teaching them privately, in classroom settings, and in workshop formats since 1988. He studied music theory, composition, music education, music history, and musicology at Cleveland State University. While at CSU, Paul played violas da gamba, krummhorns, and recorders in early music ensembles. He was a founding member of Good Company: A Vocal Ensemble and has founded many of his own bands over the years including A Hundred Thousand Welcomes Celtic Ensemble, Knives and Forks English Country Dance Ensemble, and Down the Road Old-Time String Band. He has composed over 500 folk tunes in a variety of styles.
Paul has closely studied the music from Appalachia, the history of American old-time fiddling, source fiddlers, as well as the social aspects of the music. Since July 1, 2018, he has been creating and sharing videos each Sunday through his Old-Time Tune of the Week series on YouTube. Paul puts a great focus on fiddle bowing patterns and techniques and has devised practical methods for teaching with excellent results. One of his specialties is teaching old-time fiddle to crossover students, especially those coming from a background in classical violin and other musical traditions.
Join the Old-Time TOTW group on Facebook: / 33100. .
In 2022, Paul was designated as a master old-time fiddler and received a Traditional Arts grant from the Ohio Arts Council to work with an apprentice of his choice.
Paul taught viola, choir, music history, and assisted with drama and art for ten consecutive summers at orchestra and fine arts camps for The Music Settlement when it was known as Cleveland Music School Settlement.