173:) wants to learn to play the fiddle, and seeks lessons from an old master (Thomasson). Jeff Bridges, Sally Field, Joanna Cassidy, Ed Begley Jr., and Robert Englund are also in the cast. Fiddling legend Byron Berline (then living in Los Angeles) was engaged by the producers to provide music for the film, and was considered for the part as the fiddle mentor. However, Berline was too youthful and athletic (he played for the University of Oklahoma football team) to fit the part, and he suggested Thomasson. Thomasson and his wife, Bea, attended the screening of the movie, but walked out before the end, embarrassed by racier parts of the film.
150:, one of 10 children in a family where music was not only encouraged, it was a key ingredient of life. His parents were Lewis Alexander and Sarah Elizabeth Wright Thomasson. The elder Thomasson played fiddle, as did his brother Ed, Benny's uncle. Thomasson began fiddling at age five. His father wrote the well-known fiddle tune titled "Midnight on the Water". The boys were influenced by renowned fiddlers such as
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Thomasson worked hard and took home many trophies. He won several contests multiple times, including the Texas State
Championship 15 times, the World Championship three times in a row (1955, 1956 and 1957, where he was the first out of three to do so), and the National Old-time Fiddlers Championship.
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Thomasson entered his first fiddle contest in the late 1920s, at age 19, thinking he was pretty good. He was disappointed that he placed near 60th place. After that, he decided that the tunes needed to be "rounded out, and smoothed up" .
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He improved and improvised on many simple traditional tunes. He practiced and developed controlled improvisation, keeping the tune true to its melody while embellishing and expanding that melody.
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401:"Controlled improvisation in Texas-style fiddling : Benny Thomasson and Mark O'Connor play Grey Eagle"
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state in the early 1970s to be nearer their son Dale. Thomasson died in 1984 in
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Tenino Old Time Music
Festival: 1970 - 1978 Fiddle Tunes and Other Instrumentals
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Benny had a brief brush with
Hollywood when he was cast in the 1976 film "
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264:(Voyager VRCD 345) recorded informally on March 3, 1974, re-released 1999
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517, VHS video) recorded early 1970s, released late 1990s
307:"Texas Fiddle Legends: Benny Thomasson and Dick Barrett"
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In 1928, Thomasson married
Beatrice "Bea" Hollander, in
131:(April 22, 1909 – January 1984) was an American
295:. JEMF Quarterly Volume 10, Part 3 (Autumn 1974) #35.
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Texas Fiddle
Legends Benny Thomasson and Dick Barrett
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and Lefty
Franklin, friends of the Thomasson family.
340:"Benny Thomasson and the Texas Fiddling Tradition"
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224:(Voyager CD 317) early 1970s, re-released 2002
246:A Jam Session With Benny and Jerry Thomasson
222:Dudley Hill - Guitar: From a Northern Family
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230:(Weiser, Idaho Chamber of Commerce) 1972
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240:Oldtime Fiddling and Other Folk Music
228:Oldtime Fiddling and Other Folk Music
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376:Say Old Man Can You Play the Fiddle
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290:"An interview with Benny Thomasson"
262:Say Old Man Can You Play the Fiddle
212:Country Fiddling From the Big State
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338:Mendelson, Michael (Autumn 1974).
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528:20th-century American violinists
473:article which mentions his death
460:at Fiddler Frolics Hall of Fame
432:. Genealogy.com. Archived from
169:". In the film, a bodybuilder (
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523:People from Gatesville, Texas
518:Old-time musicians from Texas
430:"Social Security Death Index"
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498:People from Winters, Texas
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288:Garelick, David (1974).
248:(Voyager VRLP 309) ~1973
378:. Voyager Records. 1999
270:(Voyager CD 367) - 2005
236:(Voyager VRCD 309) 1972
137:Texas style of fiddling
458:Biography of Thomasson
313:. 2000. Archived from
142:Thomasson was born in
171:Arnold Schwarzenegger
513:Musicians from Texas
503:Texas-style fiddlers
242:(Weiser, Idaho) 1973
190:Ellis County, Texas
65:Ellis County, Texas
234:The Weiser Reunion
84:Auto body mechanic
508:American fiddlers
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16:American musician
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100:Years active
60:(1984-01-14)
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208:703) - 1965
196:Discography
167:Stay Hungry
89:Instruments
482:Categories
440:2009-07-15
415:2008-05-05
382:2008-05-05
357:2008-05-05
321:2008-05-05
275:References
218:724)~ 1970
186:Washington
148:Gatesville
81:Occupation
42:1909-04-22
468:Allmusic
399:(1992).
135:in the
133:fiddler
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216:County
206:County
182:Dallas
93:Fiddle
71:Genres
343:(PDF)
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256:Yazoo
112:–1984
116:1984
108:1928
104:1928
55:Died
36:Born
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