This is Fiddlin' Ed Morrison (1891-1951) whose father Christian Morrison allegedly learned "Blackberry Blossom" from the whistling of Col. James Garfield (he did not become a general until later) in 1863 during the Civil War activity in Kentucky. This was recorded in Ashland, Boyd Co., KY during the American Folk Song Festival, 1934. Ed lived in the Big Sandy River valley, south of Ashland.  (Photo and sound clip from Kerry Blech)

Blackberry Blossom - Ed Morrison

In the 19-teens or 1920s Ed Haley (born in 1883 in Logan county, West Virginia, though he lived much of his life in Ashland, Kentucky) learned Blackberry Blossom from Ed Morrison (Haley's son Ralph made a home recording of Ed playing it in 1949, when Ed and family were living in Ashland).  Photo and sound clip from Kerry Blech.

Blackberry Blossom - Ed Haley

It's probable that Arthur Smith (born in 1898 in Humphries Co., Tennessee) heard Burnett's recording or maybe heard him playing the tune in person (or perhaps he had even heard Ed Haley play it) and used that basic melodic contour to concoct a new tune which he recorded (backed by the Delmore Brothers) in 1935 on the Bluebird label. It is in the key of G major (with the second part in E major), though later some musicians decided to make the second part sound in the relative minor mode, but it is clearly in major on Smith’s original recording.

Blackberry Blossom-Arthur Smith

Charlie Higgins (born 1878), of Galax, Virginia, was a huge Arthur Smith fan and learned the tune either from Smith's recording or from hearing Smith play it on the radio. As we can hear from this 1958 Higgins' recording, he rearranged some of the tune. He is backed here artfully by Wade Ward’s finger-style banjo accompaniment and solid guitar by Dale Poe. They too use the E major chord in the last part of the tune.

Blackberry Blossom-Charlie Higgins

Blackberry Blossom probably was dispersed the furthest when Nashville session fiddler Tommy Jackson (born 1926 in Alabama) recorded it on a single in 1952 and it travelled even further when it appeared on LP collections of his singles. This recording, of Nashville studio musicians, goes to the relative minor (E minor) in the second part, which was highly influential, as Jackson’s recordings were gobbled up nationally and he regularly appeared on the clear-channel radio broadcasts of the Grand Ole Opry.

Blackberry Blossom-Tommy Jackson

Blackberry Blossom - Burnett

Possum and Racoon (AFS 3053-B1

Old Sharon (AFS 3058-A)-Harry

Shear the Sheep, Bobbie (Co 15

Share 'Em (Ok 45256)-Scottdale

Share 'Em-Arthur "Cush" Holsto

Shear 'Em (AFS 3897-A2)-Bob Ha

A tribute to Tom Staley, written by Allen Hood.

Tom Staley Memorial

Tom Staley's Tune

from the 1981 Florida State Fiddlers Convention.

Off to California, by Janse Van Arnum

From the 1981 Florida State Fiddlers Convention.

Piney Woods Gal, by Michael Kemp

From the 1981 Florida State Fiddlers Convention

Green Willis, by Bill Webb

Fishers Hornpipe, by John Chambers

Over the Waterfall, by Bob Stone

Take Me Back to Tulsa, by Hugh Markham

Margaret's Waltz, by Alexa Jaffurs

Blackberry Blossom, by Tom Staley

Ragtime Annie, by Clare Davis

Cattle Call Waltz, by Wayne Martin

From the 1981 Florida State Fiddlers Association.

Crapshooters Rag, by Bob Sadler

Tom & Jerry, by Erik Hokannen

From the Florida State Fiddlers Convention.

Leather Britches, by Willie Jones

Cumberland Gap, by Dave Forbes

Cowboy Waltz, by Anna Freeman

Old French, by Buzz Sibley

Grand finale to the 1981 Florida State Fiddlers Convention

Soldiers Joy, by all fiddlers at Convention

Closing tune by all fiddlers at the 1981 Florida State Fiddlers Convention.

Liberty, all fiddlers at the Convention.

Florida fiddler Richard Seaman, record by Lloyd Baldwin.

Annie Seaman's Waltz

Florida State Fiddlers Association, a non-profit group dedicated to preserving old-time fiddle music in and around Florida.  Please visit our website for more information.

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