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Meet the Judges for the 2010 State of Tennessee Old-Time
Fiddlers' Championships!
We at the State of Tennessee Old-Time Fiddlers'
Championships take great pride in having the finest judges available for our
music and dance competitions. All our judges, led by Judging Coordinator Boge
Quinn, are championship-caliber musicians or dancers who bring a lifetime of
experience to our event.
(click pictures for a larger version)
Music Judges
Boge Quinn - Judging Coordinator
A mandolinist, guitarist and Old-Time banjo player, Boge was raised
in Clarksville, TN and grew up around the State of Tennessee Old-Time
Fiddlers' Championships. Boge has won many contests across the
Southeastern United States over the years, and is currently a long-time
judge at the Uncle Dave
Macon Days festival in Murfreesboro, TN. Boge currently plays
and sings Gospel and Old-Time Country/Western music as a solo act, leads
singing at a small country church where his dad recently retired after a
long career as Pastor, and plays and sings Blue Grass and Country music
with Nashville-based NextaKyn. |
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Fred Duggin
Fred began playing the guitar as a teenager and learned many styles. After becoming interested in acoustic music, he concentrated on the flat top guitar. In the 80's he played with
Wynn Osborne, and also worked the Grand Ol' Opry with Mike
Snider, as well as the Nashville Now TV show. Fred later met a musician named
Danny Roberts and they started the band The New Tradition. The band played the Grand Ol" Opry and had a number one video on
CMT called "Seed Of Love". After playing many festivals nationwide. Fred left the band in the 90's and started playing with
Tim Graves. In the last several years, Fred has placed at the National
Flatpick Guitar Championships at Winfield, KS, and won the State
of Tennessee Old-Time Fiddlers' contest in guitar and Blue Grass band, as well as many other contests. He resides in Nashville Tn, and owns a recording studio,
SongCity Studios.
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Frederic “Freddie” Thomas
Born in West Virginia and now living in Cunningham, Tenn., Freddie
has played the guitar for 30 years, having performed at an early age in
Princeton, W.Va. with his uncle playing and singing bluegrass gospel
music. Freddie sang lead and harmony vocals for three years with a local
bluegrass group in Goldsboro, NC. Infused with bluegrass, gospel and
country influences, Freddie is considered one of the best lead vocalists
in the Southeast. He is also an accomplished mandolin player and
bassist. |
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Richie Dotson
A banjo player and guitarist
who has won many contests across the Southeastern U.S., Richie was
born and raised in White
Bluff, Tennessee,
and is a former member of the award-winning bluegrass group, New
Tradition. Although Richie no longer plays
professionally, he is a member of a hometown band, One Way Street,
and bluegrass continues to play an integral part in his life.
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Fiddle Judges
Ed Carnes
Ed was born and grew up in Leitchfield, Kentucky, and has been
playing the fiddle since 1977. He began playing as a charter member of
the Grayson County school orchestra and learned to play fiddle with
several other students who also became champion fiddlers.
Ed has won fiddle championships in 5 states - Tennessee, Kentucky,
Indiana, Alabama and Ohio, and placed as high as Runner-Up in
the Grand Master Fiddler Championship. He has won numerous other
championships, such as the Mid-America Championship (5 times), Empire
State Championship, Western KY. Championship and many others.
Ed has fiddled all over the US, and also in Canada. An accomplished and
Nationally certified fiddle judge, Ed has judged the KY State
Championship several times, the IN State championship, the U.S.
National Contest in Weiser, ID, the Western Open Contest in
Redding, CA, and many other contests. Ed has two solo recordings of his
music available, and has been featured on several collections. Ed is
also one of the organizers of the new Grand
Master Fiddler Championship Competition, which restarted in
2005, and serves on its Board of Directors. |
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Bobby Taylor
Bobby is a fourth generation West Virginia fiddler and he has played
fiddle for more than 40 years, starting at the age of 13. He was the
1977 West Virginia State Fiddle Champion. In 2003, Bobby received
the Footbridge Award, presented by FOOTMAD (Friends of
Old-Time Music and Dance) for his contributions to old-time music.
He has been coordinator of many prestigious contests across the U.S.,
including West Virginia's Vandalia Gathering
contests, the Appalachian Open Contest, and the Appalachian String Band
Music Festival contest. Bobby has judged the Ohio,
Kentucky and West Virginia State Championships, the Galax (VA) Fiddlers Convention,
the Grand Master Fiddle Championship,
Jana Jae’s Grand Lake National
Fiddle Fest, the Western
Open Fiddle Championship, and the
Grand National Fiddle Championship in Weiser, Idaho. He's a
consultant regarding the rules, guidelines and selection of judges for
various fiddle contests throughout the nation. He has taught fiddle
workshops at the Augusta Heritage Center and Allegheny Echoes. |
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Matt Wyatt
Fiddling goes back generations on both sides of Matt Wyatt's family
and there was always music at family get-togethers.
He developed a love and respect for music at a young age and had
the opportunity to learn directly from some of Missouri's most
influential fiddlers as well as many legendary fiddlers in Texas and
Oklahoma. Matt has played
for hundreds of square dances and been an instructor at numerous fiddle
camps and workshops. Matt
has won state fiddle contest titles in many states and has judged
contests around the country. He
has a Bachelors degree in Music from Belmont University in
Nashville, TN. While living in Nashville he had opportunities to
work with many artists including playing on the Grand Old Opry.
He currently owns the Wyatt Violin Shop and teaching
studio in Independence, Missouri with his father and travels the country
buying, selling, and trading fine violins and bows.
www.wyattviolinshop.com
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Dance Judges
L-R: Susanne Buttrey, Jewel Proper, Dianne Franklin
Dianne Franklin
Dianne is the daughter of the late Robert Spicer, recipient of
the National Heritage Award for the Endowment of the Arts for old
time flat foot dancing. She’s been dancing since she was eight
years old. Every Saturday night she and her family could be found
at one of the local community centers, dancing and having a good time.
Dianne has danced on several local square-dance groups throughout the
years. She thoroughly enjoys dancing and “doesn’t plan on
giving it up any time soon.” In addition to her dancing
abilities, Dianne also plays a bass fiddle.
Jewel Proper
Jewel has been dancing all her life. As an adult, she’s
entered single competitions and usually placed. She’s danced on
several teams and like the single competitions, has usually been on a
team that placed. This includes being on the 1992 team (with
Susanne Buttrey) that placed first at the 1992 State of Tennessee
Old-Time Fiddlers' Championships. Jewel has been judging at
different events since 1993.
Susanne Buttrey
Like the other two judges, Susanne has danced all her life. Her
father and mother danced with the Cedar Hill Square Dancers, a
group that appeared regularly on the Grand Old Opry in the early
1950s. She grew up a dance floor as her father called dances most
every weekend including being the caller for Roy Acuff’s Dunbar
Cave. Susanne has team danced and entered single competitions
since her early 20s. She was on the 1992 State of Tennessee
Old-Time Fiddlers' Championships and is a former individual Champion
here also. She’s judged at different events for a number of
years. |
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