Byron Berline
| Byron Berline | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Byron Berline |
| Born | July 6, 1944 |
| Origin | Caldwell, Kansas, United States |
| Genres | Bluegrass |
| Occupation(s) | Musician |
| Instruments | Fiddle, mandolin |
| Years active | 1960s–present |
| Notable instruments | |
| Fiddle | |
Byron Berline (born July 6, 1944) is an American fiddle player. He is widely recognized as one of the world's premier fiddle players, known for his ability to play almost any style within the vast American tradition—from old-time to ragtime, bluegrass, Cajun, country, rock, and beyond.
Berline was born in Caldwell, Kansas, started playing the fiddle at age five and quickly developed a talent for it. In 1965, he recorded the album Pickin' and Fiddlin' with the Dillards. The same year, he met Bill Monroe at the Newport Folk Festival and was offered a job with the Bluegrass Boys but he turned it down in order to finish his education. He graduated from the University of Oklahoma in 1967 with a teaching degree in Physical Education, and joined the Bluegrass Boys shortly after.
Byron Berline first met Bill Monroe in 1965 and was offered a job then. It wasn't until 1967 that he actually joined the band, though, replacing Richard Greene in March and leaving to go into the Army in September. He recorded three instrumentals with the Blue Grass Boys, including "Gold Rush" which he cowrote with Monroe, and which has become a jam session standard.
In September 1967, he was drafted by the U.S. Army. After his discharge, two years later, he joined Dillard & Clark on the album Through the Morning, Through the Night. In 1969, he moved to Southern California. Berline won the National Oldtime Fiddle Contest Championship in 1965 in Weiser, Idaho. He went on to win the title twice more, in 1967 & 1970.
While in California, he joined The Flying Burrito Brothers in 1971, recording two albums, Last of the Red Hot Burritos (Live), and Six Days On the Road: Live in Amsterdam. After the Burritos' breakup, Berline briefly worked with Stephen Stills' band Manassas (which also included several other Burritos' alumni), contributing to several songs on their debut album. He formed the Country Gazette early in 1972, together with Alan Munde, Kenny Werz, and Roger Bush.
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