Fiddlin' Doc Roberts (April 26, 1897 - August 4, 1978) was an American Kentucky-style old-time fiddler.
Biography
Dock Roberts was born and raised on a farm in Madison County, KentuckyKleber 1992, p. 775. and learned to play the fiddle at an early age with some help from his older brother Liebert. Doc's and Liebert's musical mentor was the African-American fiddler Owen Walker.Carlin 2003, p. 346.Kennedy 1994, p. 158. After finishing his studies in
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Roberts married in 1913.Carlin 2003, p. 347. In 1925, a talent scout, Dennis Taylor, recruited Roberts along with Welby Toomey and Edgar Boaz as old time recording artists for
Gennett Records
Gennett (pronounced "jennett") was an American record company and label in Richmond, Indiana, United States, which flourished in the 1920s. Gennett produced some of the earliest recordings by Louis Armstrong, King Oliver, Bix Beiderbecke, and H ...
.Kennedy 1994, pp. 157.Wolfe 1996, p. 29. In early 1927, Roberts recorded with the string band, the "Booker Family". Together with Dick Parman and Ted Chestnut, he formed the ''Kentucky Thorobreds''. They recorded in April 1927 for the Paramount label.
In the fall of 1927, he formed a duo with
Asa Martin
Asa F. Martin (June 25, 1900 – August 15, 1979) was an American old-time musician, singer, and guitarist, who made many recordings during the 1920s and 1930s and was closely associated with renowned fiddle player Doc Roberts, for whom he played ...
called Martin & Roberts.Wolfe 1996, p. 30. They made their recording debut in May 1928 for the Gennett label.Russell, Pinson 2004, p. 588. Between 1927 and 1934, the duo performed at fiddler's conventions, in schoolhouses, on vaudeville stages, and on radio ( WHAS in Louisville, Kentucky). Martin & Roberts recorded altogether more than 200 sides on 11 different labels. Later on, with the addition of Doc Roberts' son James, the ''Fiddlin' Doc Roberts Trio'' was formed. In 1928, Roberts was hired, through the agency of
Bradley Kincaid
William Bradley Kincaid (July 13, 1895 – September 23, 1989) was an American folk singer and radio entertainer.National Barn Dance radio show in Chicago. He was paid $50 a week. After only two weeks he quit the show and moved back to Kentucky. The reason was that he was unable to sleep due to the noise of the big city. The Doc Roberts Trio lasted until 1934 when Roberts retired as a recording artist. During the next four decades, he continued to make personal appearances and occasional radio works.
He died at the age of 81 in his hometown of
Richmond, Kentucky
Richmond is a home rule-class city in and the county seat of Madison County, Kentucky, United States. It is named after Richmond, Virginia, and is home to Eastern Kentucky University. In 2019, the population was 36,157. Richmond is the fourth-la ...
.
Discography
78s:
In various prewar lineups Roberts recorded singles on Gennett and affiliated labels,
ARC
ARC may refer to:
Business
* Aircraft Radio Corporation, a major avionics manufacturer from the 1920s to the '50s
* Airlines Reporting Corporation, an airline-owned company that provides ticket distribution, reporting, and settlement services
* ...
labels, and Paramount and affiliated labels.
Reissued material also appears on:
* Fiddlin' Doc Roberts: Classic Fiddle Tunes, Recorded During The Golden Age - Davis Unlimited DU-33015 (ca. 1974)
* Fiddling Doc Roberts: Old Time Tunes - County 412 (1983)
* Fiddlin' Doc Roberts: Complete Recorded Works In Chronological Order, Volume 1: 1925–1928 - Document DOCD-8042 (1998)
* Fiddlin' Doc Roberts: Complete Recorded Works In Chronological Order, Volume 2: 1928–1930 - Document DOCD-8043 (1998)
* Fiddlin' Doc Roberts: Complete Recorded Works In Chronological Order, Volume 3: 1930–1934 - Document DOCD-8044 (1998)
Footnotes
References
* Carlin, Richard (2003) ''Country Music: A Biographical Dictionary'', Taylor & Francis
* Kennedy, Rick (1994) ''Jerry Roll, Bix and Hoagy: Gennett Studios and the Birth of Recorded Jazz'', Indiana University Press
* Kleber, John E. (1992) ''The Kentucky Encyclopedia'', University Press of Kentucky
* Russell, Tony - Pinson, Bob (2004) ''Country Music Records: A Discography 1921–1942'', Oxford University Press
* Wolfe, Charles K. (1996) ''Kentucky Country: Folk and Country Music of Kentucky'', University Press of Kentucky