James Pendleton Vandiver (1869–1932) was a Kentucky fiddler, born there shortly after the American Civil War.[1] He was the uncle to bluegrass musician Bill Monroe, who immortalized him in a song, "Uncle Pen".[2]
Pendleton Vandiver | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | James Pendleton Vandiver |
| Also known as | Uncle Pen |
| Born | 1869 |
| Origin | Butler County, Kentucky, US |
| Died | 1932 |
| Genres | Old-time music |
| Occupation(s) | Old-time music artist and square dance musician |
| Instrument | Fiddle |
| Years active | 1920s[citation needed] – 1932 |
Monroe used to hear his uncle playing fiddle on the hilltop where he lived, while Monroe put away his mules at night.[1] He later said that Vandiver was "the fellow that I learned how to play from."[2] Vandiver played fiddle at local square dances and social events, and his nephew backed him up, playing mandolin.[1] 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.[2] Vandiver had been crippled earlier, and he made some money with his music.[1] 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."[3]
On September 13, 1973, a monument in honor of Uncle Pen was unveiled by Monroe at the Rosine Cemetery.[4] Another way he honored Penn's memory was to play the part of "Uncle Penn" in Ricky Skaggs' Country Boy music video.
References
edit- ^ a b c d Woodside, Donice. "Uncle Pen". Retrieved January 6, 2009.
- ^ a b c Dawidoff, Nicholas, In the Country of Country (1997) p. 87
- ^ "Can't You Hear Me Callin'". archive.nytimes.com. Retrieved February 22, 2024.
- ^ Keith Lawrence, Owensburo Messenger Inquirer. "Bluegrass legend's grave still draws fans". Retrieved December 25, 2011.
External links
edit- Pendleton Vandiver at Find a Grave
- Biography of two influences on Bill Monroe, Pendleton Vandiver and Arnold Schultz
- Chapter one of Can't You Hear Me Callin': The Life of Bill Monroe, Father of Bluegrass by Richard D. Smith. Contains information on Vandiver family and a description of Uncle Pen.
- Video of Bill Monroe performing his song Uncle Pen at the Grand Ole Opery on YouTube
- Genealogy page for James Pendleton Vandiver