On This Day in 1979, Country Music Said Goodbye to the Trailblazing Fiddler Who Played With Hank Williams, Bill Monroe, and George Jones

On this day (December 9) in 1979, all-star fiddle player Tommy Jackson died at the age of 53. He was one of the first session fiddlers in Nashville. As a result, he was a member of the city’s first “A-Team” of studio players. During his career, he recorded with Hank Williams, Red Foley, Bill Monroe, George Jones, and countless others.

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Like many young country fans in the early 20^th century, Jackson grew up listening to the Grand Ole Opry. Soon, he was drawn to the fiddle playing styles of George Wilkerson and Arthur Smith of the Fruit Jar Drinkers and Dixieliners, respectively. While he didn’t grow up in a musical household, his parent encouraged him to chase his passion.

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According to a brief biography written by Professor Charles Wolfe, Jackson was playing old-time fiddle tunes in Nashville bars for “nickels and dimes” when he was only seven years old. Before he reached his teens, Jackson was on tour, backing the likes of Kitty Wells and Johnny Wright. At just 17 years old, he was a regular on the Grand Ole Opry, playing with Curly Williams and the Georgia Peach Pickers.

After serving in World War II, Jackson returned to Nashville and formed the Cumberland Valley Boys with Zeke Turner, Jerry Bird, and Louis Innis. This group became the first Nashville A-Team, playing studio sessions for a variety of artists across multiple labels.

Tommy Jackson’s Session Career

Tommy Jackson played fiddle on countless recordings. His first, however, was a session with Hank Williams in 1947. Later that year, he worked with Williams again on the now-classic “I Saw the Light.” That’s Jackson’s fiddle in the song’s intro. He also played on “Lovesick Blues.”

Jackson was an in-demand studio musician during the 1950s and 60s. During that time, he appeared on early cuts from George Jones as well as recordings by Bill Monroe, Cowboy Copas, the York Brothers, and many more.

Jackson’s Solo Career

Tommy Jackson didn’t just play on the Grand Ole Opry and back a long list of country legends. He also recorded multiple solo albums and singles.

He first recorded the fiddle standards “Black Mountain Rag” and “Fire on the Mountain” as singles in 1949. Over the next few years, he recorded a dozen fiddle tunes, including standards like “Soldier’s Joy” and “Arkansas Traveler” and original compositions.

In the early 1950s, square dancing was becoming popular across the United States. Tommy Jackson’s fiddle tunes were the perfect accompaniment to those dances. He released three albums–Popular Square Dance Music Without Calls, Square Dance Tonight, and Do Si Do–aimed at that audience. Jackson also released eight albums of instrumental music for general audiences. His later albums included a full band that featured the likes of guitar legend Hank Garland.

It is hard to overstate the impact of Tommy Jackson on the world of country music. Some of the most enduring classics wouldn’t be the same without him.

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