A new book from the University of Mississippi Press, Eck Robertson at the Crossroads of American Fiddling, offers a detailed biography of the early 20th century musician who helped popularize fiddling via commercial recordings. He is credited as being the first artist featured in a country, or “hillbilly,” recording session when the Victor Talking Machine Company released a set of fiddle duets with Robertson and Henry Gilliland in 1922.
An Arkansas native who grew up in Texas, Eck, born Alexander Campbell Robertson in 1887, lived until 1975. This new book, written by Howard W. Marshall, presents the results of his deep research into Robertson’s life, using such archival records as exist as well as personal interviews, to present a complete picture of the man who defined a genre for America prior to the two World Wars.
Eck’s early recordings with Gilliland produced Victor releases of Arkansaw Traveler and Turkey in the Straw, two old time fiddle tunes that are still in the common parlance, and a subsequent solo session generated cuts of Sallie Gooden, Ragtime Annie, Sally Johnson/Billy in the Low Ground, and Done Gone.
For many Americans outside the rural south, these records would mark their first time hearing what we now readily recognize as fiddle music, and while the Eck Robertson releases were not major sellers like those from Jimmie Rodgers, they made a mark on the culture of American music.
Eck Robertson at the Crossroad of American Music is available now from the University of Mississippi Press in either hard cover or paperback, as well as popular online booksellers like Amazon and Barnes & Noble. It runs to 272 pages, with 66 musical examples and 36 illustrations.
