Old Time Fiddle | Wilmette, IL
Charlie Walden began playing fiddle at age 14 when inspired by players in a fiddler’s contest at the Boone County Fair in his native Missouri. With the generous help and encouragement of older master fiddlers he went on to be recognized as one the best Missouri old-time fiddlers of his day. He has won dozens of local fiddle contests as well as major championships in Missouri, Illinois and West Virginia. Charlie is the reigning Illinois State Fiddle Champ and has won that honor five times.
Charlie has taught fiddle and guitar to dozens of aspiring players. He has served as an instructor at the Bethel Youth Fiddle Camp, Festival of Fiddle Tunes (Port Townsend, WA), The Snowshoe Workshops/Allegheny Echoes (Marlinton, WV) Augusta Heritage Workshops (Elkins, WV), Montana Fiddle Camp and the National Folk School (Canberra, AUS). Intent on preserving and passing on the unique Missouri style and repertoire, Charlie organized the Bethel Youth Fiddle Camp in Bethel, Missouri, and directed camp operations and funding for a decade.
Charlie has performed at numerous concerts, contests and festivals, either solo or with his wife Patt Plunkett accompanying him on piano. Charlie and Patt have traveled three times to Australia to perform at a variety of venues and festivals there as well.
Charlie has recorded numerous fiddlers in Missouri in an attempt to preserve the traditional playing and repertoire of the Show-Me State and is an avid collector of fiddle music. He shared a Grammy Nomination for “Best Album Notes” with his collaborators on the recording, Now That’s A Good Tune (issued by the University of Missouri Extension Division). The overall project, on which he is a featured performer, was nominated as “Best Folk Recording”. He has also numerous CDs of older Missouri fiddlers and written many articles on Missouri fiddle and dance. His recording Traditional Fiddle Music of Missouri (Marimac label) appeared on the 1987 Library of Congress Select List of Folk Recordings. He maintains a web site dedicated to Missouri fiddling (www.missourifiddling.com).