Name	Fiddle
Image capt	A standard modern violin shown from the front and the side
Background	string
Hornbostel sachs	321.322-71
Hornbostel sachs desc	Composite chordophone sounded by a bow
Developed	Early 16th century
Range
Related	*Violin family (viola, cello) Viol family (includes double bass) Byzantine lira
Musicians	*List of fiddlers
Builders	*Luthiers
Articles	}}

The term fiddle may refer to any bowed string musical instrument, most often the violin. It is also a colloquial term for the instrument used by players in all genres, including classical music. Fiddle playing, or fiddling, refers to various styles of music.

History

The medieval fiddle emerged in 10th-century Europe, deriving from the Byzantine lira (Greek:''λύρα'', Latin:''lira'', English:''lyre''), a bowed string instrument of the Byzantine Empire and ancestor of most European bowed instruments. The first recorded reference to the bowed lira was in the 9th century by the Persian geographer Ibn Khurradadhbih (d. 911); in his lexicographical discussion of instruments he cited the lira (lūrā) as a typical instrument of the Byzantines and equivalent to the rabāb played in the Islamic Empires. Lira spread widely westward to Europe; in the 11th and 12th centuries European writers use the terms ''fiddle'' and ''lira'' interchangeably when referring to bowed instruments (Encyclopædia Britannica. 2009).

Over the centuries, Europe continued to have two distinct types of fiddles: one, relatively square-shaped, held in the arms, became known as the lira da braccio (''arm viol'') family and evolved into the violin; the other, with sloping shoulders and held between the knees, was the lira da gamba (''leg viol'') group. During the Renaissance the gambas were important and elegant instruments; they eventually lost ground to the louder (and originally less aristocratic) ''lira da braccio'' family.

The fiddle or violin

''Fiddle'', when used as a noun signifying an instrument, can have a more generalized meaning than ''violin''.

Contemporary viol

It can refer to a larger instrument of the viol family: * the double bass ("bull fiddle" or "bass fiddle")

Bowed string instruments, generally

''Fiddle'' may also be used (loosely) to refer to any stringed instrument played with a bow. Examples of this usage are:

Hardanger fiddle

Stroh violin or phonofiddle is a violin that amplifies its sound through a metal resonator and metal horns rather than a wooden sound box as on a standard violin.

Byzantine lira

Chinese erhu

Welsh crwth

Apache Tzii'edo' a 'tl

cello as played in the context of a Scottish violin/cello duo ("wee fiddle and big fiddle")

Etymology

The etymology of ''fiddle'' is uncertain: the Germanic ''fiddle'' may derive from the same early Romance word as does ''violin'', or it may be natively Germanic. The name seems however to be related to Icelandic Fiðla. A native Germanic ancestor of ''fiddle'' may even be the ancestor of the early Romance form of ''violin.'' Historically, ''fiddle'' also referred to a predecessor of today's violin. Like the violin, it tended to have four strings, but came in a variety of shapes and sizes. Another family of instruments which contributed to the development of the modern fiddle are the viols, which are held between the legs and played vertically, and have fretted fingerboards.

Musical style

Common distinctions between violins and fiddles reflect the differences in the instruments used to play classical and folk music. However, it is not uncommon for classically trained violinists to play folk music, and today many fiddle players have some classical training. A lot of traditional (folk) styles are aural traditions, so are taught 'by ear' rather than with written music.

Construction and setup

In construction, fiddles and violins are essentially identical (with the Norwegian Hardanger fiddle excepted as a special case). The medieval fiddle had rear tuning pegs set in a flat headstock similarly to the Byzantine lyra and unlike the rabāb and rebec.

Bridge

Some (folk) fiddle traditions fit the instrument with a flatter bridge than classical violinists use. The difference between "round" and "flat" is not more than about a quarter or half a millimeter variation in the height of one or two strings, but is sufficient to reduce the range of right-arm motion required for the rapid string-crossings found in some styles, and those who use flatter bridges say it makes playing double stops and shuffles (bariolage) easier. It can also make triple stops possible, allowing one to play chords. In bluegrass and old-time music, for example, the top of the bridge is sometimes cut so that it is very slightly flattened; the Hardanger fiddle uses an even flatter bridge, and the bridge of the ''kontra'' or ''bracsa'' (a three-string viola used in Hungarian and Transylvanian folk music) is flat enough that all three strings can easily be played simultaneously.

Most classical violinists prefer a more rounded curve to the top of the bridge, feeling that this allows them to articulate each note more easily and clearly. Many fiddle players use the same top curve as well; most fiddles are fitted with a standard classical bridge, regardless of the style of music played on the instrument. Since the bridge may be changed, it does not permanently define an instrument as fiddle or violin.

Soundpost

Since some genres of fiddling favor different tone than what most violinists might prefer, soundpost position and tension will vary according to the use of the instrument.

Strings and tuners

''Fiddle'' is more likely to be used than ''violin'' if the instrument's strings are steel rather than gut or synthetic, as the sound of steel strings better suits some fiddling styles. Tuning steel strings is easier with fine tuners (small screw mechanisms attached or built into the tailpiece) so fiddlers may favor instruments with fine tuners on all four strings; it is very uncommon to see four fine tuners on full-size instruments played by classical musicians. Strings are subject to regular replacement, fine tuners may be added or removed, and tailpieces may be changed, so, like flattened bridges, they do not make an irreversible difference.

Fiddle playing in ensemble

In performance, a solo fiddler, or one fiddler or two with a group of other instrumentalists, is the norm, though twin fiddling is represented in some North American, Scandinavian, Scottish and Irish styles. Violins, on the other hand, are commonly grouped in sections. These contrasting traditions may be vestiges of historical performance settings: large concert halls in which violins were played required more instruments, before electronic amplification, than did more intimate dance halls and houses fiddles were played in. The difference was likely compounded by the different sounds expected of violin music and fiddle music. Historically, the majority of fiddle music was dance music, while violin music had either grown out of dance music or was something else entirely. Violin music came to value a smoothness which fiddling, with its dance-driven clear beat, did not always follow - in situations that required greater volume, a fiddler (as long as they kept the beat) could push their instrument harder than could a violinist. (Different fiddle traditions had different values, as detailed below; these explanations are meant to present the differences between fiddle music and violin music generally.)

Following the folk revivals of the second half of the 20th century, however, it has become common for less formal situations to find large groups of fiddlers playing together—see for example the Calgary Fiddlers, and Swedish Spelmanslag folk-musician clubs, and the worldwide phenomenon of Irish sessions.

Scottish fiddle with cello

In the very late 20th century, a few artists have successfully attempted a reconstruction of the Scottish tradition of violin and "big fiddle," or cello. Notable recorded examples include Iain Fraser and Christine Hanson, Amelia Kaminski and Christine Hanson's Bonnie Lasses and Alasdair Fraser and Natalie Haas' Fire and Grace.

Bows used in fiddling

Most fiddling styles that use the standard violin also use the standard violin bow, the same as classical players; the bow stick may be usually made from wood, but bows made from fiberglass and other materials are becoming more common, as they are much cheaper and less fragile. However, there are a few styles which use other bows. One notable example is the folk music from Hungary and Transylvania used in the táncház tradition. While the violinist uses a standard bow, both the kontra (3-string viola) and bass are played with heavy and crude "folk bows", consisting of a stout stick, usually hand-hewn, with the hank of horsehair attached at the tip and tied around the frog. Some players tension the hair by squeezing it when playing.

Scottish fiddlers emulating 18th century playing styles sometimes use a replica of the type of bow used in that period, which is a few inches shorter, and weighs significantly more.

Fiddling styles

To a greater extent than classical violin playing, fiddle playing is characterized by a huge variety of ethnic or folk music traditions, each of which has its own distinctive sound, including, but not limited to:

American fiddling, including

*Blues fiddling

*Bluegrass music fiddling

*Cajun fiddling

*Country fiddling

*Rock fiddling

*Jazz fiddling

*Worldbeat fiddling

*Folk dance fiddling, including square dance and contra dance fiddling

*Old-time fiddling

Western swing style fiddling

*Zydeco style fiddling

Forró, a type of music from Brazil

Balkan music, including Táncház (Hungarian music), Romanian music, Gypsy music Canadian fiddling, including

*Cape Breton fiddling, with a distinct Scottish and Acadian influence

*French Canadian fiddling, influenced from the Brittany area of northern France

*Métis fiddling, of central and western Canada, with French influence

*Newfoundland and Labrador fiddling, with a strong Irish Sliabh Luachra style of playing

*Maritimes, Acadian or Downeast style of fiddling which has many similarities to Cape Breton fiddling

*English-Canadian fiddling or Anglo-Canadian fiddling, which is a combination of English, Scottish, Irish, French, Ukrainian and German fiddling styles

Eastern European Jewish Klezmer fiddling

English Folk music fiddling

French fiddling (including a rich Breton music fiddling tradition)

Irish Folk music fiddling including, among others,

*Clare fiddling, from the central west

*Donegal fiddling, from the northwest

*Sliabh Luachra fiddling, from the southwest

*Sligo fiddling, from a bit south of the northwest

Mexican fiddling, including mariachi, huapango, son huasteco and son calentano

Middle Eastern and Mediterranean fiddling

Norwegian fiddling (including Hardanger fiddling; see also Bygdedans and Gammaldans)

Peruvian violin

Scottish fiddling

Shetland fiddling, which includes trowie tunes said to come from peerie folk.

Slovenian fiddling

Swedish fiddling (see Spelmanslag)

South Indian Carnatic fiddling

Welsh Fiddling (Welsh ''Ffidil''; see Ar Log)

See also

List of fiddlers

Donegal fiddle tradition

List of All-Ireland Champions

American fiddle

Old time fiddle

Rock violin

Blues fiddle

Canadian fiddle

African fiddle

Metis fiddle

Cajun fiddle

Western swing fiddle

Bluegrass fiddle

Instruments

Lira, the medieval bowed instrument of the Byzantine Empire

Erhu

Gadulka

Gusle

Gudok

Huqin family of Chinese fiddles

Kamancheh

Kemenche

Kobyz

K'ni

Lijerica

The lyra of Crete

Rebab

Rebec

Rubab

References

Bibliography

''The Fiddle Book'', by Marion Thede, (1970), Oak Publications. ISBN 0-8256-0145-2.

''The Fiddler's Fakebook'', by David Brody, (1983), Oak Publications. US ISBN 0-8256-0238-6; UK ISBN 0-7119-0309-3.

''Oldtime Fiddling Across America'', by David Reiner and Peter Anick (1989), Mel Bay Publications. ISBN 0-87166-766-5. Has transcriptions (standard notation) and analysis of tunes from multiple regional and ethnic styles.

''The Portland Collection'', by Susan Songer, (1997), ISBN 0-9657476-0-3 (Vol. 2 ISBN 0-9657476-1-1)

External links

Faroese fiddle

Fiddle and Alternative Strings Forum

Fiddle Fork

Fiddle Hangout

Kimberley Fraser's Fiddle Blog - Cape Breton Fiddler Kimberley Fraser discusses issues relevant to traditional fiddle music.

Voyager Records' catalog,organized by region, has clips of many North American styles.

A French Violin fiddle method website - video, text, and forum with explanation (with tablatures).

The Fiddler's Companion, an encyclopedia of historical notes on tunes from British, Celtic, and American traditions.

Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture - Fiddling

Traditional Irish fiddle Players

Category:Violins Category:Bowed instruments Category:Cajun musical instruments Category:Czech musical instruments Category:Irish musical instruments Category:Scottish musical instruments Category:Faroese musical instruments Category:Celtic musical instruments Category:Welsh musical instruments

de:Fiddle es:Fiddle fr:Fiddle it:Fiddle nl:Fiddle ja:フィドル pt:Fiddle simple:Fiddle zh:提琴

name	Keith Moon
background	non_vocal_instrumentalist
birth name	Keith John Moon
born	August 23, 1946Wembley, Middlesex, England
died	September 07, 1978Westminster, London, England
instrument	Drums, percussion, vocals, bugle, trumpet, tuba
genre	Rock, art rock, hard rock, power pop
occupation	Musician, songwriter, producer, actor
years active	1964–1978
associated acts	The Who, Plastic Ono Band, Jeff Beck Group }}

Keith John Moon (23 August 1946 – 7 September 1978) was an English musician, best known for being the drummer of the English rock group The Who. He gained acclaim for his exuberant and innovative drumming style, and notoriety for his eccentric and often self-destructive behaviour, earning him the nickname "Moon the Loon". Moon joined The Who in 1964. He played on all albums and singles from their debut, 1964's "Zoot Suit", to 1978's ''Who Are You'', which was released three weeks before his death.

Moon was known for dramatic, suspenseful drumming—often eschewing basic back beats for a fluid, busy technique focused on fast, cascading rolls across the toms, ambidextrous double bass drum work and wild cymbal crashes and washes. He is mentioned in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as one of the greatest of all rock and roll drummers, and was posthumously inducted into the Rock Hall as a member of The Who in 1990.

Moon's legacy, as a member of The Who, as a solo artist, and as an eccentric personality, continues to garner awards and praise, including a ''Rolling Stone'' readers' pick placing him in second place of the magazine's "best drummers of all time" in 2011, nearly 35 years after his death.

Early life

Keith John Moon lived in Wembley, Middlesex. As a boy he was hyperactive and had a restless imagination. As a youth, the one thing that could hold his attention was music. Moon failed his eleven plus exam, and thus went to a secondary modern school, where in a report his art teacher commented: 'Retarded artistically. Idiotic in other respects'. Teacher Aaron Sofocleous praised his music skills and encouraged his chaotic style, even if one school report noted "He has great ability, but must guard against a tendency to show off". Often on his way home from school Keith would go to Macari's Music Studio in Ealing Road and would take instruction and practice on the drums there, where he learned his basic drumming skills. He left school in 1961.

On 17 March 1966, Moon married his pregnant girlfriend Kim Kerrigan in secrecy. Their daughter Amanda was born on 12 July 1966. Kerrigan left him in 1973. She took Mandy with her to live in the house of Faces keyboard player Ian McLagan, with whom she was having an affair, and divorced Moon in 1975. (Kerrigan and McLagan married in October 1978, one month after Moon's death. She was killed in a car crash in Texas in 2006). Before his divorce Moon dated Georgiana Steele, a British-born former fashion model who worked in their quadrophonic recording studio, Ramport, in Battersea, and in 1974 Moon began dating Swedish model Annette Walter-Lax.

Early musical career

At age twelve, Moon joined his local Sea Cadet Corps band as a bugle player but traded his position to be a drummer. He started to play the drums at age fourteen after his father bought him a kit. He received lessons from one of the loudest drummers at the time, Carlo Little, paying him ten shillings a lesson. During this time he joined his first serious band The Escorts. He later spent 18 months as the drummer for ''The Beachcombers'', a London cover band notable for renditions of songs by Cliff Richard.

Moon initially played in the drumming style of American surf rock and jazz, with a mix of R&B;, utilising grooves and fills of those genres, particularly Hal Blaine of Wrecking Crew. However, he played faster and louder, with more persistence and authority. Moon's favourite musicians were jazz artists Gene Krupa and Sonny Rollins.

The Who

At age 17, Moon joined The Who, replacing Doug Sandom after the band received the news that they could not expect a recording contract without a better drummer. Early in The Who's career, as they gained a following, they sought to set themselves apart from other bands of the time. When their live sets culminated in what they later described as "auto-destructive art", with Pete Townshend (and Moon delightedly following suit) destroying their equipment in elaborate fashion, they made a name for themselves in the press and gained the attention they had lacked. It was an act that was imitated by other bands and artists including Jimi Hendrix (who had just signed with the same label) in his break-out performance at the 1967 Monterey Pop Festival. Moon showed a zeal for this, kicking and smashing his drums. During the end of their 1967 appearance performing on ''The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour'', Moon had explosives loaded into one of his kit's two bass drums. During the finale of "My Generation", he kicked the other drum off the riser and then set off the charge, with the intensity of the explosion surprising even himself. He singed Townshend's hair and embedded a piece of cymbal in his own arm. The blast has been speculated as starting Townshend's tinnitus, though Townshend himself attributes his hearing loss to years of headphone use in the recording studio. During one of his only drum solo performances on television, Moon filled clear acrylic drums with water and goldfish, playing them for the audience. Antics like these earned him the nicknames "Moon the Loon" and "Mad Moon". Cultivating publicity for his behaviour, he became one of the most well-known drummers in his generation, and the other members of the Who benefited from the exposure as well.

His propensity for making his bandmates laugh around the vocal microphone whilst recording led them to banish him from the studio when vocals were being recorded. This led to a game, Moon sneaking in to join the singing. He can be heard singing lead on several tracks, including "Bell Boy" (''Quadrophenia,'' 1973), "Bucket T" and "Barbara Ann" (''Ready Steady Who'' EP, 1966), and the high backing vocals on other songs, such as "Pictures Of Lily".

Moon was credited as composer of "I Need You", which he also sang, and the instrumental "Cobwebs and Strange" (from ''A Quick One'', 1966), the single B-sides "In The City" (co-written by Moon and Entwistle), "Dogs Part Two" (1969) (sharing credits with Townshend's and Entwistle's dogs, Towser and Jason), "Tommy's Holiday Camp" (1969), "Waspman" (1972), and "Girl's Eyes" (from ''The Who Sell Out'' sessions; featured on ''Thirty Years of Maximum R&B;'' and a 1995 re-release of ''The Who Sell Out''). He also co-composed the instrumental "The Ox" (from the debut album ''My Generation'') with Townshend, Entwistle and keyboardist Nicky Hopkins. "Tommy's Holiday Camp" (from ''Tommy'') was credited to Moon, who suggested the action should take place in a holiday camp. The song was written by Townshend, and although there is a misconception that Moon sings on the track, the version on the album is Townshend's demo. However Moon did sing it in live concerts, and on the film version of ''Tommy''. He also produced "Baba O'Riley"'s violin solo (which he had suggested), performed by Dave Arbus, a friend.

Daltrey said Moon's drumming style held the band together; that Entwistle and Townshend "were like knitting needles... and Keith was the ball of wool."

Many rock drummers have cited Moon as an influence, including Neil Peart and Dave Grohl. The Jam paid tribute to Moon on the second single from their third album, "Down in the Tube Station at Midnight", in which the B-side of the single is a cover song from The Who: "So Sad About Us", and the back cover of the record is a photo of Moon's face; the Jam's record was released about a month after Moon's death.

Recklessness

Moon led a very destructive lifestyle. He laid waste to hotel rooms, the homes of friends and even his own home, throwing furniture out of high windows and setting fire to buildings. In one case, the band were due to perform at The Valley (home of Charlton Athletic F.C.), and were waiting in the dressing room for Moon to arrive. A witness described the drummer's sudden entry: "Suddenly, there was a great crash and Keith Moon dropped through the ceiling, having smashed his way through the corrugated iron roof."

Along with his drum sets, Moon's infamous (and favourite) calling card was to flush powerful explosives down toilets. It has been estimated that his destruction of toilets and plumbing ran as high as UK£300,000 (US$500,000). His levels of destruction forced the band to stay outside of New York City when they performed there, and his repeated practice of blowing up toilets with explosives led to Moon being banned for life from lodging at several hotel chains around the world, including all Holiday Inn, Sheraton, and Hilton Hotels, as well as the Waldorf Astoria. Moon became so notorious for this practice that when Nick Harper was asked about his childhood memories spent around The Who, his first recollection was, "I remember Keith blowing up the toilets."

According to Tony Fletcher's biography, Moon's toilet pyrotechnics began in 1965, when he purchased 500 cherry bombs. In time, Moon would graduate from just cherry bombs to taking out toilets with M-80s. Eventually, Moon began using sticks of dynamite, his explosive of choice, to destroy toilets. "All that porcelain flying through the air was quite unforgettable," Moon recalled. "I never realised dynamite was so powerful. I'd been used to penny bangers before." In a very short period of time, Moon developed a reputation of "leaving holes" in bathroom floors, completely annihilating the toilets, mesmerising Moon and enhancing his reputation as rock and roll's premier hellraiser. Fletcher goes on to state that, "no toilet in a hotel or changing room was safe," until Moon had detonated his supply of explosives.

Unknown to many people at the time, Moon was often able to cajole John Entwistle into helping him blow up toilets. In a 1981 interview with the ''Los Angeles Times,'' Entwistle confessed, "A lot of times when Keith was blowing up toilets I was standing behind him with the matches." During one incident between Moon and hotel management, Moon was asked to turn down his cassette player because The Who were making "too much noise." In response, Moon asked the manager up to his room, lit a stick of dynamite in the toilet, and shut the bathroom door. Following the explosion, Moon informed the startled manager, "That, dear boy, was noise." Moon then turned the cassette player back on and proclaimed, "This is The Who." On a different occasion in Alabama, Moon and Entwistle loaded a toilet with cherry bombs because they could not receive room service. According to Entwistle, "That toilet was just dust all over the walls by the time we checked out. The management brought our suitcases down to the gig and said: 'Don't come back...'"

The acts, though often fuelled by drugs and alcohol, were his way of expressing his eccentricity, as well as the joy he got from shocking the public. In Moon's biography, ''Full Moon,'' longtime friend and personal assistant Dougal Butler, observed: "He would do anything if he knew that there were enough people around who didn't want him to do it."

According to Townshend, Moon's reputation for erratic behaviour was something he cultivated. Once, on the way to an airport, Moon insisted they return to their hotel, saying, "I forgot something. We've got to go back!" When the limo returned, Moon ran to his room, grabbed the television while it was plugged in, threw it out the window and into the pool. He then jumped back into the limousine, sighing "I nearly forgot".

In 1967, Moon set in motion events which would become one of rock's most famous legends. According to the book ''Local DJ, a Rock & Roll History'', after The Who opened for Herman's Hermits, Moon celebrated his 21st birthday party at the Holiday Inn in Flint, Michigan. Already intoxicated, he began the celebration by lighting a stick of dynamite in the toilet of his room. When the dynamite did not flush, Moon leapt out of the bathroom at the last possible moment to avoid porcelain toilet shards from the blast. He then allegedly drove a Cadillac (according to Moon's own account, it was a Lincoln Continental) into the hotel pool. While Holiday Inn management had begrudgingly tolerated Moon's notorious history of blowing up toilets at other locations as long as the damage was paid for, they decided after the car incident that they had had enough; Moon and The Who were subsequently banned from all Holiday Inns for life, as well as from Flint. Author Peter C. Cavanaugh, who was there and witnessed the event firsthand, recalled the events for a documentary on the 1960s rock scene. According to the book, ''The Who In Their Own Words'', Moon said the Holiday Inn incident was how he broke his front tooth. Other people who attended the event, including Entwistle, cast doubt on the veracity of the car-in-the-swimming-pool story, but confirm some other parts of the tale. Another version of the night was recounted by Moon biographer Tony Fletcher in the book ''Moon: The Life and Death of a Rock Legend''; "It was (after a cake fight) that the cry came to 'debag' the birthday boy... Various members of (Herman's Hermits and The Who) launched themselves on Keith, pinned him to the floor and successfully pulled his trousers down... As the teenage girls began gasping and giggling and the cops started grunting their disapproval, Keith, naked from the waist down, made a good-natured dash for it out of the room...and smashed one of his front teeth out".(p.p. 210) It was after Moon went to the dentist and the party was disbanded that the 30 to 40 guests filed out, a few taking fire extinguishers to cars and dirtying the swimming pool. According to VH1's Behind the Music, the broken tooth came from Moon diving into the pool at the Flint Holiday Inn when there was no water in it, and him being lucky that that was all that happened to him from it.

Passing out on stage

Moon's penchant for the wild life was not only outwardly detrimental; it began to take a toll on his health while he was still in his twenties, as well as on his drumming and his reliability as a band member. On the 1973 Quadrophenia tour, at the Cow Palace in San Francisco, California, Moon took a large mixture of horse tranquillisers and brandy. He passed out during "Won't Get Fooled Again" and again in "Magic Bus". Townshend asked the audience, "Can anyone play the drums? – I mean somebody good". An audience member, Scot Halpin, filled in for the rest of the show. Townshend later said in an interview that Moon had consumed large tranquilliser pills, meant to be shot at animals, with the brandy. During the band's recording sabbatical between 1975 and 1978, Moon put on a great deal of weight. Nonetheless, Entwistle maintained that Moon and The Who reached their prime live peak during 1975 and 1976. That tour earned them ''Rolling Stone'''s 'red suspenders' for best live rock band.

Moon's close friend Ringo Starr was seriously concerned about his lifestyle and told Moon that if he kept going the way he was he would eventually kill himself. Moon simply replied "Yeah, I know."

Personal relationships

A darker side to Moon's behaviour, tentatively diagnosed as caused by a borderline personality disorder in Fletcher's biography, was the eruption of physical violence towards his wife Kim. Although he never hit his later girlfriend Annette, he was verbally abusive toward her. Moon loved his daughter Mandy, but he had not been prepared to be a father, and this translated to an uneasy relationship with her as a very young girl, as he was not quite sure how to relate to her. When Kim at last left him, his jealousy towards his wife was powerful enough that Moon was even prepared to pay someone to break the fingers of Faces keyboardist Ian "Mac" McLagan who became Kim's boyfriend after the marital break-up. It was not until a month after Moon's death that the two married.

Annette Walter-Lax described his Mr Hyde-like change into a growling, uncontrollable beast as something out of a horror movie. She begged Malibu neighbour Larry Hagman to check Moon into yet another clinic to dry out, (as he had tried more than once before) but when doctors recorded Moon's intake at breakfast (a full bottle of champagne along with Courvoisier along with amphetamines), they concluded there was no hope.

Alice Cooper remembers their drinking club, The Hollywood Vampires, commenting that Moon ("the Puck of Rock 'n' Roll") used to enter dressed up as the Pope, one of many costumes he wore to elicit humour from others. Joe Walsh recorded chats with Moon, finding it remarkable how witty and alert the inebriated drummer managed to stay, ad-libbing his way through surrealistic fantasy stories ''à la'' Peter Cook, which Cooper reaffirms, saying he was not even certain he ever knew the real Keith Moon, or if there was one.

The Hollywood Vampires was also attended by the likes of John Lennon, Ringo Starr, Keith Richards and Ronnie Wood all of whom Moon maintained friendships with. Another of Keith's friends was Larry Smith, who was regularly seen partying with Moon.

In 1974, Moon struck up a friendship with actor Oliver Reed, while working on the movie version of ''Tommy''.

Aside from his romantic relationships, although his behaviour was outrageous, it was in the humorous vein as his friend Vivian Stanshall, of the Bonzo Dog Band claimed. Moon produced Stanshall's version of Terry Stafford's ''Suspicion''.

Moon owned a lilac-coloured Rolls-Royce, painted with house paint. On ''Top Gear'', Daltrey commented that Moon liked to take upper-class icons and make them working class. The car is now owned by Middlebrook Garages (based in Nottinghamshire).

Car-pedestrian death

On 4 January 1970, Moon was involved in a car-pedestrian death outside the Red Lion pub in Hatfield, Hertfordshire. Trying to escape hostile patrons from the pub who had begun to attack his Bentley, Moon, drunk, attempted to take control of his car, which in the melee, ran over and killed his friend, driver, and bodyguard, Neil Boland. Although the coroner said Boland's death was an accident and Moon was given an absolute discharge having been charged with driving offences, those close to him said Moon was haunted by the accident for the rest of his life. Boland's daughter spent a significant amount of time investigating and questioning each witness from the police blotter, and concluded that Moon was not the person behind the wheel of the car. However, Keith never recovered from feelings of guilt. Pamela Des Barres, a groupie with whom Moon had an ongoing relationship over the course of three years in Los Angeles, was alarmed by his frequent nightmares, which woke them both during the night, with Moon convinced that he had no right to be alive.

Work outside The Who

It was Moon who recommended the name "Led Zeppelin" to Jimmy Page who intended to name his new band 'Mad Dog'. According to Oxford lexicographer Susie Dent, Moon and Entwistle were speculating with Page about the possible formation of a supergroup when Moon remarked that a particular suggestion had fallen like a "lead zeppelin" (''i.e.'' "lead balloon"). Page later adopted the term, but spelt "lead" as "led" because he thought otherwise it would be mispronounced (as /li:d/ -lead). Although Moon's work with The Who dominated his career, he participated in minor outside projects. In 1966, he did his first work with Yardbirds guitarist Jeff Beck, session man Nicky Hopkins, and future Led Zeppelin members Page and John Paul Jones to record an instrumental, "Beck's Bolero", released as a single-double later that year. He also played timpani on another track, "Ol' Man River" (credited on the back of the album as ''"You Know Who"'').

On 15 December 1969, Moon joined John Lennon's Plastic Ono Band for a live performance at the Lyceum Ballroom in London for a UNICEF charity concert. The supergroup also consisted of Eric Clapton, George Harrison, Nicky Hopkins, Yoko Ono, Billy Preston and Klaus Voormann. The band played Lennon's Cold Turkey and Ono's ''Don't Worry Kyoko''. The performance was eventually released in 1972 as a companion disc to Lennon's and Ono's ''Some Time In New York City'' LP.

In 1973, Moon was featured in the film ''That'll Be the Day'', playing J.D. Clover, the drummer in a fictional early-era rock-and-roll band called Stray Cats. He would reprise this role the following year in Michael Apted's sequel, ''Stardust''.

In 1974 Track Records/MCA released a solo single: "Don't Worry, Baby" backed with "Teenage Idol", a reflection of his love of The Beach Boys.

On Valentine's Day 1974, Moon performed on drums with Jimmy Page, Ronnie Lane, Max Middleton and fellow drummer John Bonham on acoustic guitar for the gig premiering Roy Harper's album ''Valentine''.

In 1974, he played drums on Harry Nilsson's album "Pussy Cats" produced by John Lennon.

In 1975, he released his only solo album, pop covers entitled ''Two Sides of the Moon''. Although this featured Moon's singing, much drumming was left to other artists including Ringo Starr, session musicians Curly Smith and Jim Keltner and actor/musician Miguel Ferrer (''Twin Peaks'' and ''Crossing Jordan''). Moon played drums on only three tracks.

In late 1975, he played drums on the track "Bo Diddley Jam" on Bo Diddley's ''The 20th Anniversary of Rock 'n' Roll'' all-star album.

In 1971, he had a cameo role in Frank Zappa's film ''200 Motels''. He acted in drag as a nun fearful of death from overdosing on pills. In 1973 he appeared in ''That'll Be the Day,'' playing J.D. Clover, the drummer at a holiday camp during the early days of British rock 'n' roll. Moon reprised the role for the sequel ''Stardust'' in 1974. The film co-starred Moon's friend Ringo Starr of The Beatles. He appeared as ''"Uncle Ernie"'' in Ken Russell's 1975 film adaptation of ''Tommy''.

In a bar about 1975, he asked Graham Chapman and Bernard McKenna to do a "treatment" for a "mad movie". They asked a thousand pounds, Moon pulled the cash from his pocket and gave it to them. This was the start of the project that would become the movie ''Yellowbeard''. Moon wanted to play the lead but the movie took many years to develop, and by that time he was in physically poor shape, and unsuitable.

In 1976, he covered the Beatles' "When I'm Sixty-Four" for the soundtrack of the documentary ''All This and World War II.''

He joined Led Zeppelin on stage and drummed with John Bonham for encores in a show on 23 June 1977 at the L.A. Forum (recorded on Led Zeppelin bootlegs, For Badgeholders Only/Sgt. Page's Badgeholders Only Club).

He impersonated a camp fashion designer in ''Sextette'' (1978), starring Mae West.

Moon once owned a hotel, the Crown and Cushion in Chipping Norton where he held "lavish parties". A receptionist at the hotel told a guest Moon bought it from Petula Clark.

Death

Moon was Paul McCartney's guest at a film preview of ''The Buddy Holly Story'' on the evening of 6 September 1978. After dining with Paul and Linda McCartney at Peppermint Park in Covent Garden, Moon and his girlfriend, Annette Walter-Lax, returned to a flat on loan from Harry Nilsson, No.12 at 9 Curzon Place, Shepherd Market, Mayfair in which Cass Elliot had died a little more than four years earlier. Moon watched a film, ''The Abominable Doctor Phibes'' and requested Annette cook him a breakfast of steak and eggs. When she objected, he replied "If you don't like it, you can just fuck off!" These turned out to be his last words.

Moon then took 32 tablets of Clomethiazole (Heminevrin). The medication was a sedative he had been prescribed to alleviate his alcohol withdrawal symptoms as he tried to dry out on his own at home; he was desperate to get clean, but was terrified of another stay in the psychiatric hospital for in-patient detoxification. However, Clomethiazole is specifically contraindicated for unsupervised home detox because of its addictiveness, tendency to rapidly induce drug tolerance and dangerously high risk of death when mixed with alcohol. The pills were also prescribed by a new doctor, Dr. Geoffrey Dymond, who was unaware of Moon's recklessly impulsive nature and long history of prescription sedative abuse. He had given Moon a full bottle of 100 pills, and instructed him to take one whenever he felt a craving for alcohol (but not more than 3 per day). The police determined there were 32 pills in his system, with the digestion of 6 being sufficient to cause his death, and the other 26 of which were still undissolved when he died.

Moon died shortly after the release of ''Who Are You''. On the album cover, he is seated on a chair back-to-front to hide the weight gained over three years (as discussed in Tony Fletcher's book ''Dear Boy''); the words "NOT TO BE TAKEN AWAY" appear on the back of the chair.

Keith Moon was cremated later that month at Golders Green Crematorium in London and his ashes scattered in its Gardens of Remembrance.

After death

After his death, Moon was replaced by Small Faces/Faces drummer Kenney Jones as an official member of the band. Simon Phillips later toured with the band as an unofficial member. The Who also added keyboardist John "Rabbit" Bundrick to the live band. The Who's drum position is currently occupied by Zak Starkey, son of Ringo Starr. Starkey was taught drumming by Moon and referred to him as "Uncle Keith".

Daltrey recorded a song, "Under a Raging Moon", as a tribute to Moon and the "Middle Bar" in the London Astoria was named after him.

A biography was written about Moon by Tony Fletcher, entitled ''Dear Boy: The Life of Keith Moon'' in the United Kingdom. "Dear Boy" became a catchphrase of Moon's when he started affecting a pompous English accent around 1969, particularly when ordering drinks. The book was released in the U.S. under the title, "Moon (The Life and Death of a Rock Legend)".

In early 2006, Moon's signature ''Pictures of Lily'' drum kit was reissued by Premier Percussion under the name ''Spirit of Lily''.

Moon's ex-wife, Kim, was married to Ian McLagan of the Faces in 1978, the year that Moon died. She was killed in a road traffic accident near Austin, Texas on 2 August 2006.

Daltrey is producing a biopic about Moon called ''See Me Feel Me: Keith Moon Naked for Your Pleasure'', which will be released in 2012. Comedian Mike Myers will play the main role and may have to take drumming lessons to suit the character. However, according to Daltrey, this project may currently be stalled.

Legacy

Keith Moon is often cited by critics as one of the greatest and most eccentric drummers in rock music. Holly George-Warren, editor and author of ''The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: The First 25 Years'', argues: "With the death of Keith Moon in 1978, rock arguably lost its single greatest drummer." According to Allmusic, "Moon, with his manic, lunatic side, and his life of excessive drinking, partying, and other indulgences, probably represented the youthful, zany side of rock & roll, as well as its self-destructive side, better than anyone else on the planet." In the words of Pete Townshend, "The production of our [The Who's] records has got nothing to do with sound. It's got to do with trying to keep Keith Moon on his fucking drum stool." Dave Marsh's ''The New Book of Rock Lists'' ranks Moon at No. 1 on its list of The 50 Greatest Rock 'n' Roll Drummers. Similarly, he was ranked at No. 2 on ''Rolling Stone'''s "The Best Drummers of All Time" readers poll in 2011.

Many notable rock drummers have been influenced by Keith Moon, including Dave Grohl, Neil Peart, Tommy Lee, and Peter Criss.

The character of 'Animal' from ''The Muppet Show'' is based on Keith Moon.

Drum kits

The first kit Moon owned was a blue Premier kit bought on hire purchase (credit) and co-signed by his father, Alf. It was purchased at the suggestion of his friend and fellow drummer Gerry Evans. Throughout 1964 and 1965 he played typically four, then five-piece kits, but moved to a Premier double bass kit in June 1966. This new set widened his playing; he abandoned his hi-hat cymbals almost entirely and started basing his grooves on a double bass ostinato with eighth note flams, and a wall of white noise created by riding a crash or ride cymbal. On top of this he played fills and cymbal accents. This became his trademark.

Moon's Classic Red Sparkle Premier setup comprised two 14×22-inch bass drums, three 8×14 mounted toms, one 16×16 floor tom, a 5×14 Ludwig Supraphonic 400 snare and one extra floor tom of different sizes but mainly 16×18 or 16×16. Moon's classic cymbal setup consisted of two Paiste Giant Beat 18" crashes and one 20" ride. In 1973, Moon added a second row of tom-toms (first four, then six) and, in 1975, two more timbales. These huge kits became well known, notably the amber set in the films, ''Tommy'' and ''Stardust,'' and in footage shot by the BBC at Charlton in 1974. The 1975–1976 white kit with gold fittings, in which the gold was actually copper because of the weakness of gold, was given by Moon to a young Zak Starkey. His final kit, a dark metallic one, is seen in the footage from ''The Kids Are Alright'' at Shepperton in 1978.

Quotation

''NME'' – October 1971.

References

Further reading

''Moon: The Life and Death of a Rock Legend'' by Tony Fletcher

''Anyway Anyhow Anywhere (Revised Edition): The Complete Chronicle of The Who 1958–1978'' by Andrew Neill and Mathew Kent

''The Who: Maximum R&B;'' by Richard Barnes and Pete Townshend, Plexus Publishing; 5th edition (27 September 2004)

''Before I Get Old: The Story of The Who'' by Dave Marsh, Plexus Publishing (16 September 2003)

External links

Further Information about Forthcoming Keith Moon Biopic

Category:1946 births Category:1978 deaths Category:English rock drummers Category:The Who members Category:Plastic Ono Band members Category:People from Alperton Category:People self-identifying as alcoholics Category:Accidental deaths in England Category:Drug-related deaths in England Category:British rhythm and blues boom musicians

cs:Keith Moon da:Keith Moon de:Keith Moon et:Keith Moon es:Keith Moon eo:Keith Moon fr:Keith Moon ga:Keith Moon gl:Keith Moon it:Keith Moon he:קית' מון hu:Keith Moon nl:Keith Moon ja:キース・ムーン no:Keith Moon nn:Keith Moon pl:Keith Moon pt:Keith Moon ro:Keith Moon ru:Мун, Кит Джон simple:Keith Moon sk:Keith Moon sl:Keith Moon fi:Keith Moon sv:Keith Moon th:คีธ มูน

name	Natalie MacMaster
background	non_vocal_instrumentalist
birth name	Natalie Ann MacMaster
birth date	June 13, 1972
brth place	Troy Nova Scotia, Canada
instrument	Violin, Backing vocals
genre	Cape Breton fiddle music
occupation	Musician
years active	1989–present
label	Rounder Records,
associated acts	Buddy MacMasterDonnell Leahy
website	www.nataliemacmaster.com
notable instruments	}}

Natalie MacMaster, CM (born June 13, 1972) is an award-winning fiddler from the rural community of Troy in Inverness County, Nova Scotia, Canada who plays Cape Breton fiddle music.

MacMaster has toured with the Chieftains, Faith Hill, Carlos Santana and Alison Krauss, and has recorded with Yo-Yo Ma. She has appeared at the Celtic Colours festival in Cape Breton, Celtic Connections in Scotland, and MerleFest in the United States.

Background

MacMaster is the daughter of Alex and Minnie (Beaton) MacMaster, and the niece of Cape Breton fiddler Buddy MacMaster. She is the sister of Kevin and David MacMaster. She is the cousin of two other Cape Breton fiddlers, Ashley MacIsaac and Andrea Beaton. She was born on June 13, 1972. In 2002, she married fiddler Donnell Leahy of the Leahy family band, and moved to Lakefield, Ontario. In 2011 she moved to Douro, where she built a new house. In December 2005, she gave birth to a daughter, Mary Frances Rose. Her second child, a son, Michael Joseph Alexander, was born in June 2007. In 2007, MacMaster learned she was related to Jack White. Her third child, a daughter, Clare Marie, was born in February 2009. Her fourth child, another daughter, Julia Elizabeth, was born in January 2011.

MacMaster began playing the fiddle at the age of nine, and made her performing debut the same year at a square dance in Glencoe Mills, Nova Scotia. When she was sixteen she released her first album, ''Four on the Floor'', and a second album, ''Road to the Isle'', followed in 1991. Both of these self-produced albums were initially released only on cassette, but Rounder Records omitted a few tracks and re-released as ''A Compilation'' in 1998.

In recent years she has expanded her musical repertoire, mixing her Cape Breton roots with music from Scotland and Ireland, as well as American bluegrass.

She has received a number of Canadian music awards, including several "Artist of the Year" awards from the East Coast Music Association, two Juno awards for best instrumental album, and "Fiddler of the Year" from the Canadian Country Music Association. MacMaster was also awarded an honorary doctorate from Niagara University in New York in 2006. In 2006, she was made a member of the Order of Canada.

Discography

Albums

Year	Album details	Peak chart positions		! rowspan="2"
		CAN	! width="70"
1989	''Four on the Floor''	*Label: Astro Custom Records ACC-4979
1991	''Road to the Isle''	*Label: Astro Custom Records ACC-49290
1993	''Fit as a Fiddle''	*Label: Rounder Records CD7022
1996	''A Compilation''	*Label: Rounder Records CD7021
1997		*Released: March 11, 1997	*Label: Rounder Records CD7023
1999	''In My Hands''	*Released: September 14, 1999	*Label: Rounder Records CD7025
2000	''My Roots Are Showing''	*Released: April 11, 2000	*Label: Rounder Records 11661-7033-2
2002		*Label: Rounder Records 11661-7048-2
2003		*Label: Rounder Records CD7056
2005	''Traditional Music from Cape Breton Island''(with Buddy MacMaster)
2006	''Yours Truly''	*Label: Rounder Records CD7065

Singles

! Year	! Single	CAN AC	! Album
1996	"Catharsis"
	"Fiddle and Bow" (with Bruce Guthro)
	"In My Hands"
"Get Me Through December" (with Alison Krauss)
2004	"Appropriate Dipstick"		''Blueprint''

Music videos

! Year	! Video	! Director
1996	"Catharsis"
	"Fiddle and Bow" (with Bruce Guthro)
	"In My Hands"	Christopher Mills
"Get Me Through December" (with Alison Krauss)	Mark Hesselink
2004	"Appropriate Dipstick"

Other appearances

''Traditional Music From Cape Breton Island'', Nimbus NI5383, 1993 (two tracks)

''Celtic Colours — The Road Home'', 1997 (one track)

''Celtic Colours — The Second Wave'', 1998 (one track)

''Celtic Colours — Forgotten Roots'', 1999 (one track)

''Roots Music: An American Journey'', Rounder 0501, 2001 (one track)

''Songs for the Savoy'', 2001 (one track)

''Celtic Colours — The Colours of Cape Breton'', 2002 (one track)

''Celtic Colours — Volume VII'', 2003 (one track)

''Yo-Yo Ma & Friends: Songs of Joy and Peace; Songs:A Christmas Jig/Mouth of the Tobique Reel; 2008 (Sony BMG)

''Thomas Dolby: Amerikana EP'', Songs:''Toad Lickers'' and ''17 Hills'', 2010 (Lost Toy People, Inc)

References

External links

Natalie MacMaster official website

TED Talks: Natalie MacMaster fiddles in reel time at TED in 2002

TED Talks: Natalie MacMaster and Donnell Leahy play the Cape Breton fiddle at TED in 2003

Category:1972 births Category:Canadian people of Scottish descent Category:Cape Breton fiddlers Category:Juno Award winners Category:Living people Category:Rounder Records artists Category:Members of the Order of Canada Category:Musicians from Nova Scotia Category:People from Inverness County, Nova Scotia Category:Canadian fiddlers

Name	Charlie Daniels
Background	solo_singer
Birth name	Charles Edward Daniels
Alias	Charlie Daniels
Birth date	October 28, 1936
Origin	Leland, North Carolina, US
Instrument	Vocals, guitar, fiddle
Genre	Country, rock, southern rock, outlaw country, country rock
Occupation	Musician, singer-songwriter
Years active	1950s–present
Label	Buddah, Epic, Liberty
Associated acts	Marshall Tucker BandThe Charlie Daniels Band
Website	}}

Charles Edward "Charlie" Daniels (born on October 28, 1936) is an American musician known for his contributions to country and southern rock music. He is known primarily for his number one country hit "The Devil Went Down to Georgia", and multiple other songs he has performed and written. Daniels has been active as a singer since the early 1950s. He was inducted into the Grand Ole Opry on January 24, 2008.

Career

Daniels is a singer, guitarist, and fiddler, who began writing and performing in the 1950s. In 1964, Daniels co-wrote "It Hurts Me" (a song which Elvis Presley recorded) with Joy Byers. He worked as a Nashville session musician, often for producer Bob Johnston, including playing electric bass on three Bob Dylan albums during 1969 and 1970, and on recordings by Leonard Cohen. Daniels recorded his first solo album, ''Charlie Daniels'', in 1971 (see 1971 in country music). He produced the 1969 album by The Youngbloods, ''Elephant Mountain'' and played the violin on "Darkness, Darkness".

His first hit, the novelty song "Uneasy Rider", was from his 1973 second album, ''Honey in the Rock'', and reached No.9 on the Billboard Hot 100.

During this period, Daniels played fiddle on many of The Marshall Tucker Band's early albums: "A New Life", "Where We All Belong", "Searchin' For a Rainbow", "Long Hard Ride" and "Carolina Dreams". Daniels can be heard on the live portion of the "Where We All Belong" album, recorded in Milwaukee, WI on July 11, 1974.

In 1974, Daniels organized the first in a series of Volunteer Jam concerts based in or around Nashville, Tennessee, often playing with members of Barefoot Jerry. Except for a three-year gap in the late 1980s, these jams have continued ever since. In 1975, he had a top 30 hit as leader of the Charlie Daniels Band with the Southern rock self-identification anthem "The South's Gonna Do It Again". "Long Haired Country Boy" was a minor hit in that year. Daniels played fiddle on Hank Williams, Jr.'s 1975 album Hank Williams, Jr. and Friends.

Daniels won the Grammy Award for Best Country Vocal Performance in 1979 for "The Devil Went Down to Georgia", which reached No.3 on the charts. The following year, "Devil" became a major crossover success on rock radio stations, after its inclusion on the soundtrack for the hit movie ''Urban Cowboy''. He appeared in the movie. The song is by far Daniels' greatest success, still receiving regular airplay on U.S. classic rock and country stations, and is well-known even among audiences who eschew country music in general. A hard rock/heavy metal cover version of the song was included in the video game ''Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock'' as the final guitar battle against the last boss (Lou, the devil). Daniels has openly stated his opposition to the metal cover and the devil winning occasionally in the game.

Subsequent Daniels pop hits included "In America" (#11 in 1980), "The Legend of Wooley Swamp" (#31 in 1980), and "Still in Saigon" (#22 in 1982). In 1980, Daniels participated in the country music concept album, ''The Legend of Jesse James''.

In the late 1980s and 1990s, several of Daniels' albums and singles were hits on the Country charts and the music continues to receive airplay on country stations today. Daniels released several Gospel and Christian records. In 1999, he made a guest vocal appearance on his song "All Night Long" with Montgomery Gentry (Eddie Montgomery and Troy Gentry) for their debut album, "Tattoos and Scars," which was a commercial success.

In 2000, he composed and performed the score for the feature film ''Across the Line'' starring Brad Johnson. In 2005, he made a cameo appearance along with Larry the Cable Guy, Kid Rock, and Hank Williams, Jr. in Gretchen Wilson's music video for the song "All Jacked Up". In 2006, he appeared with Little Richard, Bootsy Collins, and other musicians as the backup band for Williams' opening sequence to ''Monday Night Football''.

On October 18, 2005, Charlie Daniels was honored as a BMI Icon at the 53rd annual BMI Country Awards. Throughout his career, Daniels' songwriting has garnered 6 BMI Country Awards; the first award was won in 1976 for "The South's Gonna Do It Again".

In November 2007, Daniels was invited by Martina McBride to become a member of the Grand Ole Opry. He was inducted by Marty Stuart and Connie Smith during the January 19, 2008, edition of the Opry at the Ryman Auditorium.

Daniels now resides in Mount Juliet, Tennessee, where the city has named a park after him. Daniels continues to tour regularly. Daniels appeared in commercials for UPS in 2001 with other celebrities convincing NASCAR driver Dale Jarrett to race the UPS Truck.

Daniels is currently featured playing fiddle in a television commercial for GEICO auto insurance.

Political statements

"The South's Gonna Do It" had a mild message of Southern cultural identity within the Southern rock movement. Daniels was an early supporter of Jimmy Carter's presidential bid and performed at his January 1977 inauguration.

"In America" was a reaction to the 1979–1981 Iran Hostage Crisis; it described a patriotic, united America where "we'll all stick together and you can take that to the bank / That's the cowboys and the hippies and the rebels and the yanks." The song experienced a revival following the September 11 attacks, when it was floated around the internet as "F*** Bin Laden." In contrast, "Still in Saigon" (written by Dan Daley) was an effective portrayal of the plight of the American Vietnam veteran ten years after the war; it was part of an early 1980s wave of attention to the subject, presaging treatments such as Bruce Springsteen's "Born in the U.S.A." and "Shut Out the Light", Billy Joel's "Goodnight Saigon", Huey Lewis and the News' "Walking on a Thin Line", Paul Hardcastle's "19" and somewhat later Steve Earle's "Copperhead Road".

In 1989, Daniels' country hit "Simple Man" was interpreted by some as advocating vigilantism. Lyrics such as "Just take them rascals [rapists, killers, child abusers] out in the swamp / Put 'em on their knees and tie 'em to a stump / Let the rattlers and the bugs and the alligators do the rest," got Daniels considerable media attention and talk show visits.

In 2003, Daniels published an ''Open Letter to the Hollywood Bunch'' in defense of President George W. Bush's Iraq policy. His 2003 book ''Ain't No Rag: Freedom, Family, and the Flag'' contains this letter as well as many other personal statements. During the 2004 presidential campaign, Daniels said that having never served in the military himself, he did not have the right to criticize John Kerry's service record. His band's official website contains a "soapbox" page, where Daniels has made statements such as the following: "In the future Darwinism will be looked upon as we now look upon the flat earth theory," and "I am more afraid of you and your ilk than I am of the terrorists," regarding U.S. Senator Harry Reid. On March 27, 2009, Daniels criticized the Obama Administration for "changing the name of the War on Terror to the "Overseas Contingency Operation" and referring to terrorism as "man-caused disasters"".

Personal life

Charlie Daniels was born October 28, 1936, in Wilmington, N.C., and raised on a musical diet that included Pentecostal gospel, local bluegrass bands and the rhythm & blues and country music from Nashville's 50,000-watt radio stations WLAC and WSM. He graduated from high school in 1955. Already skilled on guitar, fiddle and mandolin, Daniels formed a rock 'n' roll band and hit the road.

Charlie Daniels enjoys hunting, fishing, and other outdoor activities. He is a member and supporter of the National Rifle Association (NRA). Daniels married his wife, Hazel, in 1963. Together, they have one son, as well as three grandchildren. On January 15, 2010, Daniels was rushed to the hospital after suffering a stroke while snowmobiling in Colorado. He recovered and was released 2 days later.

Discography

References

External links

Official Website

Charlie Daniels interview www.AwaitngTheFlood.com

Charlie Daniels interview www.CountryMusicPride.com

Charlie Daniels at bmi.com

Category:American country singers Category:American male singers Category:American session musicians Category:American country fiddlers Category:Grammy Award winners Category:Grand Ole Opry members Category:Musicians from North Carolina Category:People from Wilmington, North Carolina Category:People from North Carolina Category:Southern rock fiddlers Category:1936 births Category:Living people Category:Epic Records artists Category:American Christians Category:National Rifle Association members

cs:Charlie Daniels de:Charlie Daniels es:Charlie Daniels fr:Charlie Daniels it:Charlie Daniels nl:Charlie Daniels ja:チャーリー・ダニエルズ pt:Charlie Daniels fi:Charlie Daniels