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KEITH ROSS's WEBSITE
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Bio Information
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Fiddler,Guitarist + Mandolin,Bass Guitar--Recording Artist, Composer,Instructor,M.C.,Contest
Judge.
Over 60 years entertaining audiences at hundreds of Dances,Concerts, Festivals
and Jamborees.
When I was about 12 years old,my father gave me and my brother each a calf to raise.When I was 16 we sold
it and with the money I got my first guitar and amplifier.A Harmony arched top electric from T.Eaton Co.In 1952 I started
playing guitar in an old-time dance band in the Windsor area of Nova Scotia, Canada.Then in 1956 I started playing fiddle
in a country music group and for a year or so played in both bands, sometimes on the same night. Eventually I settled on the
fiddle,playing in the country band "The Acadians"all through the 50's and 60's.In the early '70s I formed my own band "The
Novas" doing country-rock at various clubs and bars(Playing mostly lead guitar)When two of the band members had to quit because
of the smoke in the clubs,I joined with four other musicians to form "Stage 5" and continued on with them until 1982 when
I got tired of the bar scene.
I then got more serious with the fiddle and started entering fiddling contests,winning a
few and finishing well in others.I also started on my Recording career in 1982,
recorded "Swingin' Fiddles"with two fiddler
friends Bill Guest and Ivan Hicks.We did another called "Swingin' Fiddles in Nashville"in 1995 with two of the world's
great fiddlers,Buddy Spicher and Vassar Clements doing a guest appearance.(These are still available on CD)
In the late
80s I started releasing my own recordings under my own label "K&B Productions".
My late wife and I had our own studio
where I recorded all my own projects plus some for other artists.
Over the years I played in several dance bands,show
bands and bluegrass bands as well as doing session work on other artist's recordings.For many years I taught music(fiddle,guitar,mandolin,bass,
rythym piano)in the fall and spring,played concerts as well as hire out if someone needs a musician for a specific job.We
spent eighteen winters in southern Texas,where I entertained at some of the many RV parks in the Rio Grande Valley.
I
had been releasing a new recording each year and the last one I released was a Cd titled "Live in Texas"...I also have
a DVD video of some of my performances from 1983 to 2007..
Be sure to check my Recordings,etc. page.
WHAT'S A FARM BOY FROM STE.CROIX,NOVA SCOTIA DOING HERE?
On several occasions in my musical career I,ve asked myself that question.Playing with the great Graham Townsend on CBC
TV.--On stage in New York state in 1990 with Chubby Wise--On stage in Texas in 1995 with the legendary Hank Thompson--Jamming
with Johnny Gimble at his home in Texas.--Recording in Nashville with some of the best musicians in the world.--Playing
to 6000 people on Padre Island in Texas and receiving a Standing Ovation at the end of the set.--In 2005 being named "Honorary
American Winter Texan Musician of the Year"by Fame Organization.--Being inducted into the Nova Scotia Country Music Hall of
Fame in 2007.--Named "2008 Fiddle Player of the Year" by the FAME organization ---2012 Inducted into the Western
Swing Music Society of the Southwest Hall of Fame...I've been truly blessed to have made all or part of my living from Music,something
that's "in my soul".
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SOME RADIO & TV APPEARANCES
During the later 1950's the band I played fiddle for had a fifteen
minute radio show,once a week on the Annapolis Valley Network in Nova Scotia.For eight years during the 1990's I had a weekly "Fiddling
Favourites" show on the same network. In the 1970's the CBC started to telecast a portion of the Maritime Fiddling Festival
on the network and I would be shown playing in the contest
or as a guest fiddler or as the fiddler for a step-dancing
group.
In more recent years the CTV network ran a series called
"Up home Tonight"and I was featured on that show on
four occasions.In July 2006 I was hired by an auction company to demonstrate one of the late Don Messer's remaining fiddles
which was being sold at auction.I was interviewed by several TV outlets as well as Canadian Press.Most recently I appeared
on CBC television promoting the Maritime Fiddle Festival.
IN ADDITION TO MY LIFE IN MUSIC,I have always had "day jobs".They included selling cars for two different
dealers in Windsor,N.S.which I always enjoyed.In 1976 my wife Bernice,our son Gary and I started "Ross Music Sales",a music
retail business,selling all types of musical instruments,song books,etc.Our daughter Kim also joined in later.At one point
we had three stores and 20 employees including a staff of music teachers.We had 21 enjoyable years in business.In 1997 a large
competitor offered to buy our business,and after much consideration we decided to sell and take it a bit easier.Funny though,we
still seem to be as busy as ever.
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| The BLUE FIDDLE Story |
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| I use this fiddle on most of my concerts etc. |
This is a violin I built from a kit.I assembled it,installed
the fittings,bridge,etc. & set the action to where it plays very nicely.I installed the electronics(LR Baggs pickup+input
jack,vol.control and internal capacitor)and spray-painted it Bright Blue,a GM car color.Many people ask me if the paint doesn't
effect the sound and of course you would expect it would if the instrument was played acoustically.Surprisingly it sounds
very robust and mellow and when played amplified it's,a very fine sounding instrument.For the last 15 years I've played
it through a Fender Deluxe 90 amplifier using a Boss DD3 digital delay pedal.More recently I've purchased a ZT Lunchbox
amp..very small but powerful. I sometimes use a wireless system if I need to move around a lot.Whenever I play where
people don't remember my name,people say "There's the man with the Blue Fiddle".
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ARE YOU LOOKING TO BOOK A FIDDLER,GUITARIST,M.C.,CONTEST
JUDGE,WORKSHOP INSTRUCTOR????
I have over 60 yrs experience.
FIDDLER::Many styles of music incl.Cajun,Swing,Cndn.
Also do back-up fiddling for singers.
GUITAR::Acoustic or Electric- Lead or Rythym Bluegrass,Country,Country-rock,Gospel
BASS GUITAR:
:Country,Swing,Country-Rock,Fiddle music
I do concerts of my own or with other artists.
Do Studio
session work
For information,prices,etc, see Contact Me page.
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SOME OF MY FIDDLING HEROES:::
People I have been in awe of
since my early days of fiddling:
I actually
got to play with some of them.
Tommy Jackson,
Don Messer,
Earl Mitton,
Johnny Gimble,
Chubby Wise,
Frankie Rogers
Kenny Baker,
Howdy Forester,
Buddy Spicher,
Vassar Clements,
Hugh Farr
Andy DeJarlis
Here are some of my favourite Guitarists
from over the years::::
Chet Atkins(of course)
Merle Travis
Don Rich
Glen Campbell
John Huey(steel)
Lloyd Green(steel)
Eldon Shamblin
Gordon Lightfoot
Jerry Reed
Jay Roy
SOME OF MY ALL-TIME FAVOURITE COUNTRY SINGERS:::::
George Jones
Hank Snow
Anne Murray
Emmylou Harris
George Strait
Merle Haggard
Ray Price
Patsy Cline
Allan Jackson
Statler Bros.
Vince Gill
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I enjoy most types of music
including Country,Bluegrass,Jazz,Swing,
Gospel,old Rock&Roll,Western Swing,some
Symphony music(especially strings)
Standards and more.
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