Pendleton Vandiver

"Uncle Pen" redirects here. For the song, see Uncle Pen.

James Pendleton Vandiver (1869–1932) was a Kentucky fiddler, born there shortly after the American Civil War. He was uncle to bluegrass musician Bill Monroe, who immortalized him in a song, "Uncle Pen".

Monroe used to hear his uncle playing fiddle on the hilltop where he lived, while Monroe put away his mules at night. He later said that Vandiver was "the fellow that I learned how to play from." Vandiver played fiddle at local square dances and social events, and his nephew backed him up, playing mandolin. Monroe's parents had both died by the time he was 16, and he lived part of the time with his Uncle Pen, in his two-room hilltop house in Rosine, Kentucky. Vandiver had been crippled earlier, and he made some money with his music. Bill Monroe's biographer, Richard D. Smith writes, "Pen gave Bill more: a repertoire of tunes that sank into Bill's aurally trained memory and a sense of rhythm that seeped into his bones. Sometimes Bill played guitar behind his uncle, sometimes the mandolin."

Uncle Pen (song)

"Uncle Pen" is a song written by Bill Monroe about his uncle and musical mentor, Pendleton Vandiver. Besides Monroe, the song was recorded by Porter Wagoner in 1956, Michael Nesmith of "The Monkees" in 1973 on his solo album Pretty Much Your Standard Ranch Stash, and Ricky Skaggs in 1984. "Uncle Pen" was Ricky Skaggs' ninth number one single on the country chart. The single went to number one for one week and spent a total of thirteen weeks on the country chart. Bill Monroe played a character named "Uncle Pen" disappointed at the citification of Ricky Skaggs in the 1985 video for "Country Boy". The improvisational-rock band Phish has performed their cover version of Uncle Pen over 90 times in the band's 30-year career.

Chart performance

Porter Wagoner

Ricky Skaggs

References