Chubby Wise

Robert Russell "Chubby" Wise (October 2, 1915 – January 6, 1996) was an American bluegrass fiddler.[1][2]

For other people named Robert Wise, see Robert Wise (disambiguation).
Chubby Wise
Born
Robert Russell Wise

(1915-10-02)October 2, 1915
St. Augustine, Florida, U.S.
DiedJanuary 6, 1996(1996-01-06) (aged 80)
Bowie, Maryland, U.S.
OccupationBluegrass fiddler

Originally starting out playing the banjo and guitar, Wise began playing fiddle at age 12, working locally in the Jacksonville area.[3] He joined the Jubilee Hillbillies in 1938, then began playing with Bill Monroe's Blue Grass Boys in 1942, including dates at the Grand Ole Opry.[3] He worked with Monroe through 1948, then played with Clyde Moody.[3] He also played with the York Brothers, Flatt & Scruggs, and Connie B. Gay.

In 1954, Wise became a member of Hank Snow's Rainbow Ranch Boys, again appearing at the Grand Ole Opry; he remained with the group until March 1970.[3] Alongside this he worked as a session musician with Mac Wiseman and Red Allen, among others.[3] Wise returned to Florida in 1984 and went into semi-retirement, though he continued to tour and record occasionally, such as with the Bass Mountain Boys in 1992.[3]

He joined producers Randall Franks and Alan Autry for the In the Heat of the Night cast's CD Christmas Time's a Comin' performing "Christmas Time's a Comin'" with the cast on the CD released on Sonlite and MGM/UA. Franks occasionally joined Wise performing twin fiddle with him on his shows.

Discography
  • Chubby Wise and the Rainbow Ranch Boys (Starday Records, 1961)
  • The Tennessee Fiddler (Starday, 1961)
  • Chubby Plays Bluegrass (Stoneway Records, 1970)
  • Chubby Plays Bob Wills (Stoneway, 1970)
  • Grassy Fiddle (Stoneway, 1975)
  • Chubby Plays Hank Williams (Stoneway, 1977)
  • Chubby Wise in Nashville (Pinecastle Records, 1994)
  • An American Original (Pinecastle, 1995)

References
  1. "Chubby Wise". Nationalfiddlerhalloffame.org.
  2. "TRUE BLUEGRASS CHUBBY WISE CAN MAKE A FIDDLE SING SWEETER THAN JUST". Orlando Sentinel. April 30, 1989.
  3. Colin Larkin, ed. (2002). The Virgin Encyclopedia of Fifties Music (Third ed.). Virgin Books. pp. 503/4. ISBN 1-85227-937-0.
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