Bob Holt was an American

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 ...

r, playing old-time and for

square dance A square dance is a dance for four couples, or eight dancers in total, arranged in a square, with one couple on each side, facing the middle of the square. Square dances contain elements from numerous traditional dances and were first documente ...

s. He was known for his lightning-fast, energetic style of playing. He played his signature song "Ninth of January" at as much as 144 beats per minute while playing for dances. He was born on November 25, 1930, in Ava, Douglas County,

Missouri Missouri is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking List of U.S. states and territories by area, 21st in land area, it is bordered by eight states (tied for the most with Tennessee ...

. He died March 19, 2004, in Ava. Holt was a recipient of a 1999

National Heritage Fellowship The National Heritage Fellowship is a lifetime honor presented to master folk and traditional artists by the National Endowment for the Arts. Similar to Japan's Living National Treasure award, the Fellowship is the United States government's h ...

in the amount of $10,000 from the

National Endowment for the Arts The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) is an independent agency of the United States federal government that offers support and funding for projects exhibiting artistic excellence. It was created in 1965 as an independent agency of the federal ...

, which is the United States' highest honor in the folk and traditional arts.

Recordings

* ''Rabbit in the Pea Patch'' (cassette tape) * ''The Way I Heard It'' (cassette tape) * ''Got a Little Home to Go To

Rounder, 1998 CD 0432 He appears on: * ''Jump Fingers'', a tape by the Childgrove Country Dancers. * ''Face the Creek'', a CD produced by the Childgrove Country Dancers. * ''Traditional Fiddle Music of the Ozarks: Volume I: Along the Eastern Crescent'', Rounder, 1999 (CDROUN0435 / 018964443528) * ''North American Traditions: The Art of Traditional Fiddle'

Rounder, 1999

References

External links

Library of Congress-local legacies

American fiddlers People from Ava, Missouri Musicians from Missouri 2004 deaths 1930 births Old-time fiddlers 20th-century American violinists National Heritage Fellowship winners Rounder Records artists {{US-violinist-stub