George Shuffler
| George Shuffler | |
|---|---|
| Born |
April 15, 1925 Valdese, North Carolina, United States |
| Died | April 7, 2014 (aged 88) Valdese, North Carolina |
| Genres | Bluegrass |
| Occupation(s) | Musician |
| Instruments | Guitar, bass |
| Years active | 1946–2014 |
| Associated acts | The Bailey Brothers, The Stanley Brothers, Clinch Mountain Boys |
| Notable instruments | |
| 1950's Martin D-18 1950's Gibson Southern Jumbo Huss & Dalton D-GS signature model guitar Blueridge BR-4060 signature model guitar |
|
George Shuffler (April 11, 1925 – April 7, 2014) was an American bluegrass guitar player and an early practitioner of the crosspicking style. During his career Shuffler played with The Bailey Brothers, The Stanley Brothers and Ralph Stanley's Clinch Mountain Boys. He was a 2007 recipient of the North Carolina Heritage Award and in 2011 was elected to the International Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame.
George Shuffler was born in Valdese, North Carolina, United States, on April 11, 1925. As was the case with many southern musicians, Shuffler's first experience with music was when he attended shape note singing schools in Valdese. Shuffler's affinity for music grew and at age twelve his father traded an old broken-down car for a Kalamazoo guitar. There were very few guitars in North Carolina at that time, and Shuffler had only become interested in them through radio shows broadcast out of far-away cities like Cincinnati. Shuffler found out that one of his neighbors, Jack Smith, knew some chords on a guitar, and so he tracked him down. Smith showed him three chords, G, C, and D. Shuffler went home that night practicing the three chords over and over, afraid that he would forget them. When he got home his mother was singing an old song called "Birmingham Jail", and Shuffler started accompanying her, encouraging her to sing until she was hoarse.
Over the next few months Shuffler practiced his three chords, and made up others whenever he needed them. Another of Shuffler's neighbors had a guitar and invited him to come pick with him. At first, Shuffler was afraid, thinking that his homemade chords would make him look foolish, but he soon discovered that they were the same shapes his more experienced neighbor was making. Emboldened by this experience, Shuffler practiced in his spare time, and soon learned to play the bass as well. When his father traded the guitar for a new pistol, Shuffler went out and purchased a new one with his carefully saved money.
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