Fred "Freddie" Eugene Langdon (February 23, 1922 – August 2, 1988) was a world champion

fiddle A fiddle is a bowed string musical instrument, most often a violin. It is a colloquial term for the violin, used by players in all genres, including classical music. Although in many cases violins and fiddles are essentially synonymous, th ...

player.

Biography

Langdon was born in the small town of

Annville, Kentucky Annville is an unincorporated community, a census-designated place (CDP), and the largest community in Jackson County, Kentucky, Jackson County, KY. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 1,102. The community was esta ...

, and learned to play the fiddle by ear at a very early age. He obtained most of his fame on the Cincinnati-based WLW-TV show "

Midwestern Hayride ''Midwestern Hayride'', sometimes known as ''Midwest Hayride'' and later ''Hayride'', was an American country music show originating in the 1930s from radio station WLW and later from television station WLW-T in Cincinnati, Ohio. During the 1950s ...

" as the fiddle player on the show. Langdon played with well-known greats like

Kenny Price Kenny is a surname, a given name, and a diminutive of several different given names. In Ireland, the surname is an Anglicisation of the Irish ''Ó Cionnaith'', also spelt ''Ó Cionnaoith'' and ''Ó Cionaodha'', meaning "descendant of Cionnaith". ...

Bonnie Lou Mary Joan Okum (née Kath; October 27, 1924 – December 8, 2015), known by her performing name Bonnie Lou, was an American musical pioneer, recognized as one of the first female rock and roll singers. She is also one of the first artists to gain ...

, Buddy Ross and Jay Neas. He also sang backup for

James Brown James Joseph Brown (May 3, 1933 – December 25, 2006) was an American singer, dancer, musician, record producer and bandleader. The central progenitor of funk music and a major figure of 20th century music, he is often referred to by the honor ...

at King Records in

Cincinnati, OH Cincinnati ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located at the northern side of the confluence of the Licking and Ohio rivers, the latter of which marks the state line wit ...

in the early 1960s. He got his start in

country music Country (also called country and western) is a genre of popular music that originated in the Southern and Southwestern United States in the early 1920s. It primarily derives from blues, church music such as Southern gospel and spirituals, ...

Renfro Valley Renfro Valley is a neighborhood located just off Interstate 75 at the junction of U.S. Route 25 and Kentucky Route 2793 north of Mount Vernon, a city in Rockcastle County, Kentucky, United States. The community of Renfro Valley (which has its own ...

in Kentucky. Langdon also appeared on the

Arthur Godfrey Arthur Morton Godfrey (August 31, 1903 – March 16, 1983) was an American radio and television broadcaster and entertainer who was sometimes introduced by his nickname The Old Redhead. At the peak of his success, in the early-to-mid 1950s, Godf ...

show in the late 1950s. Langdon, Price, Ross and Jay Neas were part of a country music band called "The Hometowners" Langdon died of

liver cancer Liver cancer (also known as hepatic cancer, primary hepatic cancer, or primary hepatic malignancy) is cancer that starts in the liver. Liver cancer can be primary (starts in liver) or secondary (meaning cancer which has spread from elsewhere to th ...

in 1988. His survivors are wife, Faye, and son, James (Jamie), Worthington, OH and children from a previous marriage, Lynda, Barry, Larry, Donna, Devona, and eleven grandchildren.

Other instruments played

Bass Bass or Basses may refer to: Fish * Bass (fish), various saltwater and freshwater species Music * Bass (sound), describing low-frequency sound or one of several instruments in the bass range: ** Bass (instrument), including: ** Acoustic bass gui ...

Guitar The guitar is a fretted musical instrument that typically has six strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming or plucking the strings with the dominant hand, while simultaneously pressing selected stri ...

Discography

* ''Freddie Fiddles Around'' (1974 - Artist's Recordings) * ''Closest Thing to Love/Mama Call Me Home - Single'' (1978 - AMG)

References

Hillbilly-Music.com

External links

Midwestern Hayride television series information at Internet Movie Database
{{DEFAULTSORT:Langdon, Freddie People from Jackson County, Kentucky American fiddlers 1922 births 1988 deaths Deaths from liver cancer in the United States Deaths from cancer in Ohio 20th-century American violinists Country musicians from Kentucky