Johnny Gimble

Vocation

American country musician associated with Western swing. He is considered one of the most impressive fiddlers in the genre's history. Late in the 1940s, Gimble joined Bob Wills's band, the Texas Playboys. With Wills, he played both fiddle and electric mandolin, and distinguished himself by using a five-string fiddle (most fiddles have four strings). After a break, he and Wills began recording together again in 1969. From this time on he enjoyed steady work as a session musician, including with Merle Haggard on his Bob Wills tribute album and Chet Atkins on Superpickers in 1973. The following year he recorded the first of ten solo albums, Fiddlin' Around. Since the late 1970s, he has won five Best Instrumentalist awards from the Country Music Awards and eight Best Fiddle Player awards from the Academy of Country Music. From 1979 to 1981, Gimble toured with Willie Nelson worldwide. Gimble was also nominated for a Grammy award for his performance on the 1993 Mark O'Connor album Heroes. Gimble continues to perform and teaches fiddle, ensuring that the style of western fiddle playing is passed on to the next generation. Link to Wikipedia biography