Traditions: Ohio Heritage Fellows; 103; Kenny Sidle interview 1

Q:

KENNY: Uh, Kenny Sidle... uh, K-E-N-N-E-T-H S-I-D-L-E.

Q:

KENNY: Well, actually uh, oh, um, well, Toboso 5s where I originally was from, Toboso, you know. I live in Hanover, now, you know. And um, uh, yea um... uh, I we—I went to school a—at Toboso there for uh, for the first six years and then... and then from High School I had to... they—they... I had to come over here to.. .to Hanover for the High School, you know, to—to finish my years. And then, I didn't any more and... and get through and forty-nine and fifty, you know, and uh, I uh, I went to work for the Pennsylvania Railroad Company over in uh, Cornelia, Pennsylvania which is over by Pittsburgh. And uh, I was there for about a year there and um, and the uh, um, Korean War got me... military draft, and I had to go in the for two years, you know. But uh, um, but before... before that, you know, um, back when I was, you know uh, in school there and at my first grade of school um, I um, um... my s-... in my second year there, my school teacher, her name was uh, Butler, Miss Bu—Butler, and she said, Kenny, I would her husband. And uh, but she said Kenny I can see you getting off of that school bus carrying your little fiddle, (inaudible) And she said uh, oh she said uh, I'll never forget, she said, you started playing for my class, you know, you know, like that, you know. And she said, did you notice I disappeared? I said, you disappeared? I said, where'd you go? She said, you know the cloak room uh, where you hang your coats and hats? And I said, well she said... I went over there, she said, out of sight, you know, and she said, and you didn't see me and nobody did. But she said aw, and she had tears run down her eyes when she was telling me this, you know, um, um, about it... she said, you know what she said, and I was in there crying she said, while you was playing for my class, you know. And I said, I did not know that.

Q:

KENNY: Sure did, yes sir... mm-hm...

Q:

KENNY: Um, well um, on the weekends uh, on like Sunday afternoon, we used to go up there an uh, my father was a real good piano player. And um, and Uncle John he would get his f—old fiddle out and he... and he'd play um, few tunes and... and then he'd hand his fiddle to—to me, you know, and he'd say here Kenny, and he said take my old fiddle and he said, how 'bout gi—uh, giving me a little bit of the Arkansas Traveler, you know, like you know uh... uh, around the country you know to.. .and actually they wanted to... they... they loved to hear Uncle John and dad, you know, play, you know. And... and Uncle John on the fiddle, you know. And um, and I never will forget that. And then they'd come in there driving them old cars, you know, and then... they'd... they'd park 'em in front of the house, you know. And... and I was... I was just a... I was just a little grasshopper at that time, you know. And uh, yea we—um, played uh, and then uh, Uncle John, he loved to chew RedMan Chewing tobacco. So, he'd take a spit of that RedMan and... and... and he'd look over at dad and he'd say, well Vernon, he said um, uh, here— here's uh... let's do the uh, tune that I made up, he said, and um, I think it was... he called it Loafman's Quadrill (sp?). And they... and they... and they would play that tune, you know, and uh, and uh, and, of course the... uh, them old timers setting around there, they... they loved... they loved to hear that Uncle John play that fiddle, you know. And uh, and I'll never forget uh, one winter... one winter night, Uncle John went to play for a house dance, and they was in the sled riding in the—one horse uh, sled, and uh, the... the snow on the ground and it'd froze. And he got out there, and he... and he showed me the area where it was at, you know. And then once winter broke through the... the ice and snow, and his violin slid out of the.. .of the... of the sled, went under the fence, and down into bunch of green running briars. And Uncle John said, so I went down to—to get the old fiddle. And he said, and while I was down... I never will forget that, Uncle John said, he said my own horse, he can... I forget what he... she had to have a name, and said and played the uh... um, the um, house dance. You know, back then they used to take things out of the house, so that the people could go in and uh, and dance, you know, you know. And then, when they got through they put the stuff back in the house, you know. Yea, and it's....

Q:

KENNY: Well, I tell ya um, what made me do that? Uh, well, when I uh, was growing up, there was a fiddle player down in Charleston, West Virginia and his name was Clark Kessinger. And my dad told him, he said, Kenny, he said, boy he said, I'd love to hear you, you know, learn to uh, to play that fiddle like the Kessinger Brothers. And that was... and they were on um, Brunswick Records out of... of New Jersey... BrOnswic And uh, and I had an old record, you know, of, of uh, Clark, you know, and uh, and I think it was a, on one side was uh, uh, Arkansas Traveler and um, but I can't remember what was on the other side. It... it was uh, it was, it was a fiddle, it was a regular fiddle tune uh, um, uh, type thing and um, but uh, that's how... that's how I got started. And then, of course, as I uh, um, later on um, uh, s—s- oh uh, my sister and I, you know we... we used to sing together, Margie and uh, do... duets you know uh, songs like Down the Trails of Aching Hearts, you know. And uh, um, and um, and at that time um, oh um, oh uh, Wayne Newton and um, a—and, and, and his brother, called the Newton Brothers, they was... they was on this show there too, you know. And they had a contest down working you know every Sunday afternoon, you know. And uh, but Wayne, he uh, la— as he grew up, why, of course, I... um, they wanted him out in Vegas, you know uh, uh, and uh, next thing you knew he was... he was... he was leaving Ohio... He was going out there, you know. And uh, but some of his relations still lives here in Norco uh, Wayne's relation, mm-hm. But uh... but that's... that's how we got started down at the hill—hillbilly park you know. And then uh, later on, um, I had to go to uh, to Korean War, you know, and that took, kinda took me out of it. But while I was in there um, I put a band together, you know, and we played for the officer's club uh, like on the uh, weekends, you know, uh... uh, for the officers. And then the last nine months of my military... and this was after the truce was signed in Korea um, the—they uh, I come up and they had me for a European command uh, to Germany. So, I went over there and spent nine months in Germany, so when we got on the boat um, went down to the service club and I rounded up a bunch of boys from uh, Tennessee, and... and uh, I know uh, uh, uh, a Billy Barnes from uh, Cookeville, Tennessee, and he could sing uh, he was a good... good singer, and we put a band together and uh, the Captain, he come up and he said, well, if you can um, guys he said, boy I'd love to have ya, he said your... your band, you really sounds good. He said um, how about playing for the officers club on your way over on the boat and uh, and pretty soon he said uh, he looked back at one of the other fellas and he said, hey, he said, if you guys'll do this, for, he said, we'll... we'll have your beds marked, you know, special duty, and you won't have to do no guard... guard

KENNY: Uh, no not really. I mean uh... um, bluegrass... real bluegrass is pretty much uh, you know uh, right down, you know... yea... stays pretty much even, yea... yea sir.

Q:

KENNY: Well, no... the—they—they—they wanted me to go to Japan at that time and um, I um, I was having uh, let's see what was it... I was having... oh... I... I uh... um, was wor—I was working in the engineering for Owens/Corning and I um, messed up my knee... (PAUSED... background noise)

Q:

KENNY: Well, I tell ya um, one of the most important things um, was uh, when I went to uh, to uh, Washington, D.C. from a national heritage fellowship award back in eighty eight there. And um, and they called me on the phone that day, you know, a—and I—and first I thought it was uh, some kind of a... you know, you get phone calls, you know, and I could—you know, I thought it was just a... a joke, you know. And uh, Beth... Beth Halls was her name. She called me up and she said, we're gonna be uh... uh... getting on a plane, she said, I believe ya, you probably at Columbus, Ohio and flying over to D.C. to the airport and we'll pick you up in the limo and take you on down there. And then I... then I got to... gotten... well, she kept right on going, you know, and I thought, well uh, I said you know I'm not very far from there I take uh, um, uh, how 'bout me just driving down? I said, and I said uh, now I got a... a bass fiddle I'll be bringing, and I said but uh, um, uh, how, how, how to I... how do I get then? She said, well you get that thing down there and she said, we—we'll put that over in the van and she said that'll be uh, she said that'll be up on Capital Hill she said um, through security before you get there, waiting on ya, you know. So, that's what we done. And um, and I uh, uh, I'll never forget, they took us up to um, uh, interview at um, uh, at the... at the press up there, you know. And she said; now tomorrow night, Kenny, she said I want you to get up and do a little talk, give a speech. And I said, my goodness, ma'am, I said, I have to talk. She said, you've got to talk. She said they want to hear, you know, you know, how you got started and everything, you know. So, anyway um, tha-that—that... that... that's uh, so I... I'll never forget I... I had... they told me that uh, uh, that I... that brou— brought one of the biggest crowds with me. My sisters and brothers and all of 'em you know. And uh, I had uh, Troy on the flat top guitar, and... and... and Gary was on the... the uh, on the bass fiddle there, you know, and this was before um, uh, Gary went into the miss—missionary field, you know, and in Africa there. He... here locally is still home, and um, and we uh, uh, I'll never forget uh, I got... got up there and uh, and I got to talking and uh, and after uh—course, each one of us had to give a speech, you know. So, when we got back... got done, I went back t—to uh, to set down, you know, and I'll never forget my—my uh, guitar player, T—Troy, you know, he looked up at me,

KENNY: Well, that one—that there was another uh... uh... um, a nice award that I got too. And that's what.. .a—and I'm glad you brought that up because uh, because uh, that covers the state of Ohio, you know, along with the national, you know. And um, yea, my gosh, yes uh... um, I had one guy come up to me and he said, Kenny, he said, my goodness, here you are he said uh... he said uh, he said you're getting old, he said like that. And I said, well I said uh, sir, I said I guess I have to... you have to grow and get old, I said, in— in—in order to uh, uh, gain some of this popularity, you know. And he said, well boy he said, you sure have. And, I tell you it was great.

KENNY: Well I can remember um, when... when it was actually... first, you might say, getting up into this area, you know what I mean? And I (inaudible) and back then a lot... a lot-rrTlt lot of the people uh, really had... had a kind of a hard time getting 'em to... to... take a hold of it.. .to... to like it, you know. And you pi—you'd play a country song and they'd say, boy I love that, you know? And uh, but you'd play uh... uh... a bluegrass tune, you know, and... and they just... they just seemed like they just kind just drop off, you know? I mean, it's like uh, you know, you like uh, you left 'em in a open field somewhere, you know? But uh, well, I'll ne—I'll never forget the same with uh, uh, Elvis Presley, you know, when El—when he first come in, you know, they... and they said, oh, rock-n-roll, um, uh, I'm gonna be leaving you with a weekend and he said, and of course, I had to stay at the shop and work. And... and he said, I'm going down... I'm going down to Cincinnati, he said to see Elvis. I said uh... this weekend? And he said yes. And so uh, when he come back I said hey, how'd you like his show? Man, he said, I can't... my, I couldn't believe it, he said, boy he said, I loved it. I said, really good? He said, man, he said, (inaudible) and he said, they put me way back... I had to sit way back, he said, but I had field binoculars. He said, I'd look through them field binoculars and he said, boy he said, that Elvis has put on weight. He said, he got heavy... fat... but he said he really... really done a good... good show, yea.

Q.

KENNY: Well, um, I tell ya, uh my... my dad back, you know, when I was growing up, you know, things my—kinda become uh, stalled, you know, and it got to the place where you couldn't hardly hear the fiddle at all. It was all, you know, guitars and steel guitars and my... my dad made the statement. He said, son, he said, you know, he said, they got.. .something's gotta happen, he said uh, you know, he said uh, the, the, the, the, the, you don't hear the violin anymore, you know, the fiddle? But... but I'll tell ya, they uh, they made... they... they made a comeback though, a they, you know, and... and just, and of course, he did make a remark. He said, you know uh, uh, after so long a time he says, you know uh... uh, you know, the um, what you call it the cycle of change, you they was growing up, you know. Uh... uh... Adam Jackson was one of 'em. And uh... and uh... Josh McFarren was another one. And then I had... I had one girl from here— here locally, you know, and uh, she was pla—she was playing all this classical type music and um, and of course I teach by ear, instead of music, and but uh, um, I couldn't get her... I couldn't get her away from the sheet music, you know, to do it. And finally her mother uh, told her, she said, you know, she said, uh, we could go home, you know, and... and she will not... she will not work on... on... you know, the stuff that you give her. And I said well, now we're not getting nowhere this way, you know. So her mother, her mother, she said, I appreciate you. Uh, tell me what you did, she said, and... and I said, well I think we better, you know, just... you know, hold up, you know. But... but Adam um, I had Adam and he uh, um, he took to that fiddle I mean uh, and he wa—I mean, he was... he already knew some of the stuff on the fiddle and of course little Josh, he... he started from scratch, you know. And uh, and he took to that fiddle like a duck takes to water, you know, that's the saying, you know. And uh, and like I said uh... uh... uh, he... he uh, both of 'em really uh, has made a... a great accomplishment playing the fiddle. They really have. And uh, now uh, now Adam uh, he's working with uh... um, a local band, Back Porch Street Band, the group that he plays with. And they do uh, uh, country and western swing, you know, and... and uh, middle of the road stuff, you know um.. .um, songs. And uh, and then uh, um, Josh uh, he went down and um, oh uh, uh, down Tennessee there and uh, and I haven't hear uh, uh, it's probably been uh, about I think (inaudible) with them other theaters down there right now. And uh, I was trying to think of the name of the theater... Fiddler's um... I want to see Fiddler's (inaudible) theater, but I think it's a little different from that but... but it's one of the theaters down there, yea but uh... and uh, but uh, he'd be about twenty-seven years old now. I had... I had him when he was eight, you know, starting, you know. And uh, boy I... I'd show him a tune and that boy would... it was no time at all, he would... he would pick that tune right up, just... just... just slicker tha—yes.

Q:

KENNY: Well, uh, you know uh, I... I think uh... the wa—the way I see it today, you know uh, bluegrass is... is a type of music that uh, if you listen to the words of it it tells uh... it tells uh, the real life story, you know, uh of what... what's going on, you know what I mean? And, and, and, and I love this... this country music stuff today is just more (inaudible) big noise and a boom and a bang, you know. And back... back... a few years back, you take like Marty Robbins and uh, uh, oh uh, Jim Reeves, and uh, uh, some of them other singers you know, I mean they, they, they were, I mean, that... that was good country. I... L. we... you know, I loved it... I just loved to hear it, you know. And uh, but like I said, um, I'm not gonna... I'm not gonna knock all that country music stuff 'cause uh, 'cause some of it I hear to—to—still today I... I ki—I kinda like it, really do. Kentucky state and... and um, ala... ala... uh, Athens, Alabama down there ya know? And um, but uh... now we had... had a lot of fun though uh, um, as time went by, you know, sometimes me... me and Troy we'd take off and... and uh, go down into West Virginia, down to some of the places, you know, and uh, and uh,um, play shows and... and um, then uh, um, we'd go down to Nashville, to Grand Masters down there, uh, several times down there and played, you know. And um, and I tell ya um, you know, you could be a real good fiddle player but... but I'll tell ya, one of the things you gotta have is a real good accompaniment. And I tell ya, I have one uh, sittin' in there right now, Troy Herdman. And he's... he's a.. .he's a, he's a real machine on that guitar... proud of Troy, yes sir.

Q:

KENNY: Well uh, I'd say uh, one of 'em would be uh, their uh, their uh, noting activity uh, on their noting. Uh, their bow work, (inaudible) you know, actually on./with the fiddle, the, the, the, the, the bow is really the hard part on the violin, you know what I mean? Yea, I mean, you can ru—you can run fingers all over the place but... but yo—that... you gotta know how to operate that swing that bow back and forth or get, get the right technique there, you know? And um, um, um, I um, now I judged uh, some of the older fellas. And then one of the uh, things that I really enjoyed was the uh, um, was the, the, the little... little ones coming on, you know? Uh, I love... I loved that, I'll tell ya. And so young, you know? And um, uh... and a—and this is what really uh, this is what really what is life's all about. I mean, you know, um, en—enjoy doing the... the judging like that, you know. And um, of course, uh, now um, we're... I'll tell ya where some of 'em breaks... break down on the fiddle is uh, like on their waltz's. Now, they can play a pretty good hoedown, but when it comes to a good waltz, some of 'em a just drop right off and... and, you know, and uh, just, I mean, just couldn't, you know, they... they'd try, you know, but they... it uh, you gotta... you gotta have that certain touch on the waltz, you know? Yea.

Q:

KENNY: Well, oh well uh, you probably... probably wanna laugh on this un. But I had a guy to tell me the difference between the violin and the fiddle, he says, i—is... is the price. He told me that. No uh... uh...

Q:

KENNY: Well... well... no... um, well yes uh, in a way. But then um, uh, you know, you got certain type uh violin's, you know, (inaudible) and somes cut out for classical type of stuff. And then you got another... other fiddles that's more or less uh, cut out for uh, country, uh, playing old fiddle, fiddle tunes and stuff, you know what I mean? And um, uh, you know, uh... (OVERLAP TALKING)... like if you're gonna be playing tunes like thing right out you know. And, but... but you know, some of the... some of 'em you know, uh, you get down on the second octave and they just fade out, you know what I mean? You know for... you know, it's the way they're setup. And uh, I know on a classical music, I... a lot of your violinists like... they like their strings to be up a little higher off of the finger board, where if you're doing country, the.. .they... they run um, the string height a little closer to the finger board so they... they play easier, you know what I mean? But uh, but you gotta watch too, not get 'em too close or you get a chatter, you know, from the... from the playing the violin. And uh, you can't have that uh, especially uh, well playing any kind of music for that matter. But uh, but I know the classical music they... they keep the string height up pretty... pretty high there. And uh, my... of course, my dad told me, he said uh, son, he said, I'm real good the violin will have a pretty high bridge on there. He said, uh, uh, keep that... keep that br—uh, bridge pressure up there, he said, 'cause he said that's what makes... makes the violin kick, you know.

Q.

KENNY: It... it is ma'am... it... it's got the high and the lows. And uh, um, and a lot of it uh, is uh, done with, in harmony, you know, um, there, there, there uh, and uh, when I say harmony I... some of 'em even does it in three part harmony, you know what I mean, you with it, you know. And uh, and it's uh... and un, un not only that but a lot of the... a lot of the tunes is, the melody is real pretty and I, I, I, I like... I like a beautiful song... I, I, you know, it, it, it, it makes it interesting to... to do backup work behind us a good singer that's like that, you know? 'Cause uh, it... it don't want to help him, but it... it ma— makes you sound better too when you...

Q:

KENNY: Well um, not really... not really no.

Q:

KENNY: Well, I... actually um, you mean, before I... before I play the tune, you mean?

Q:

KENNY: Well uh... um, yea... Um, it's the uh, it's the uh, composer's that writes the song, you know, you know. And uh, um, and they may write a song. And they say well, I don't... I don't quite like that, you know, and you gotta change it just a little bit, you know, the wording on it. And so they'll take and change the wording a little bit on it, you know, and uh, and they say, well now, I like that, I, you know... and uh... um, yea, it's uh, um, I, I, I, I tell ya, um, there—what makes me like bluegrass uh, really over country is... is the uh. is the... the... the words that thev nut in these songs, vou know, I mean, vou some of these songs are so sad, he says, I can't hardly stand to hear it. But I said, I said, well now, (inaudible) you know, I said, well, you know, Hank Williams sang some songs like that, you know, you know, that was sad, you know, but they told a story, really um, you know, way things go and what happens is you know, you growing up in life, you know, yea.

Q:

KENNY: Yea, yea um, uh, actually uh, some of the songs um, (clears throat) if uh, what's that word you want to use... if ya... you know, if you gotta... if you hear a song and you um, um, implifly a little bit on it, you know, what I mean, in other words uh, you, you, you but yet when you play it it's a little bit different from... from what the... the original run is on it? Is that what you're... is that what you're saying? Yea, um, and so I amplified to, you know, to do some of this stuff. You don't (inaudible) you don't really get away from the main melody of the song, but yet it does, it... it's... you know, when you do that it, it, it, it changes... changes, it changes a little bit I mean, you know. But uh, but you kinda... but... but they want you to stay more or less on the... on the regular melody, you know, (inaudible) on a tune, you know.

Q:

KENNY: Right... well you take your bass player, vou know. um. know what I mean 'cause they implify. I mean, they they... (inaudible) put... put that extra... extra... well, some call... some calls it over noting, you might say, you know what I mean? But hey, I mean, some of that stuff goes right in there, I mean to this (laughing)...

Q.

KENNY: Well um, when I um, up on the stage there and um, um, play... playin a number and I see the people sitting out there and uh, if uh... if they... if they look like there, that—that there kinda being bored, you—you—you know what I'm saying, you know, be—now... that... that... that kinda bugs me, you know. I'd say, you know, I got... I got... I gotta do something your... to change... change it to, to, you know, to... to get it converted... converted over ya know? So... so when I do I—I just... I just uh, get a chance next time around I pick a different type tune to, you know, and then... and a lot of times when you do that, you'll see them people just open up and a big smile on their face, you know, and of course, whe—when that happens, you see, you see a big... big smile on my face, you know, i... I mean, it, it, it, it makes ya really feel good to know that you're, that they're enjoying what you're doing, you know, yea?

Q:

KENNY: Well, I, I, I want 'em... when I... when... when I'm... when vou're do uh. doinp a show really... I really, I really like this band, and... and you know. And uh, and—and uh, I want to come back and hear 'em again a—and when do yo—when are you guys uh, when are you—when are you guys gonna be back or... or where you gonna be playing next, you know, you know? And—and—and—and—and they'll come up and ask ya. Uh, they'll say uh, what... what's the date on the... where... where ya gonna be, you know? And then others will come up and they'll say, well I hear you're gonna uh, uh... hear ya, you... you guys are gonna be playing here uh... uh... next week or two weeks, you know, you know? And uh, what time... what time's this gonna be, you know? They want the time, you know, and everything, you know? And uh, a lot of times uh, a lot of times I have to ask my wife, ask you know they, you know, on the... on the dates there, you know, I kinda... got... got... so many dates up there in my head, you know, going you know, yep.

Q:

KENNY: I tell ya... this is my thinking... really. Blue... uh, bluegrass music comes right down to the real story of the American life, the way people uh, you know, grows up and lives in our country, you know. And, and, and it... and... and... (inaudible) bluegrass has got a st—uh, it tells a story, you know what I mean. Uh, and... and uh, a—and th—and th— and this, the... uh, this is what makes America so great, you know, you know, I mean uh, now I... I lo—I love country music. I mean in the past I have. But I'm... I'm not all I tell ya, what I've really enjoyed over the years um, um, oh uh, um, a few years back I travelled up in Canada to the uh, Canadian Fiddle Contest and uh, and I... another thing I liked up there was there uh, Irish step dancing. I I I tell you what, I... I... I can't dance with my feet, but I'll tell you what, if I could, I'd probably be... I'd probably be a step dancer. I—I lo—I love step dancing and uh, and when I watched uh, Michael Flatley over there uh, you... you know uh, yea, he was one of the recipients in the... over there in D.C., you know. And boy, I tell ya what, he really... he really put on uh, and act there. And it... I never seen such feet... feet activity, feet work in my life. I mean, it was am—really amazing, you know. But, you know, I... when it comes to entertainers uh, actors, singers, you know, um, you know um, I really love to so—uh, actors, you know, um, well um, take comedians like Red Skelton, Bob Hope, oh, I tell ya... I... I loved them guys, I tell ya, you know. Never... never got to meet him. I—I would love to, but I know uh, uh, getting back to um, one year, Troy and I uh, down to Nashville uh, backstage there during the Grand Masters Fiddling Contest, we got to st—uh, to uh, um, oh uh, stand right beside, women talk to him, uh, oh uh... oh... ain't that something. Oh, the famous singer down there. I... I mentioned his name here a while ago... Marty Robbins... Marty. I'll tell ya what uh, now there—now there was a guy that sang songs and I mean, and uh, and his songs had to... had the real life story, you know, that went with it, you know. And uh... and (inaudible) I never will forget my wife and I went down to uh.. .um, one weekend to the opry land. And I said to her, I said, you know, I tell ya what, when he... when he finished up on that song, I mean, standing ovation. It— it was—it was it was amazing. And I don't think there was a dry eye in the crowd. I know... I know my eyes weren't dry, I'll tell ya that. It was beautiful. Uh, and like I said, uh, Troy and I we—we spent quite a little time there talking to Marty backstage there and uh, that—that made my day right there. I mean uh, that... that was it with um, Troy and I talking to Marty Robbins, I think boy oh boy. And then another time was uh, of course uh, judging with Chet Atkins down to... to Alabama, you know, and I thought oh my um, the world's champion guitar player and here I am sitting right beside of him.

Q:

KENNY: Yes... well, I'll tell ya um, a lot of times they make comments like this and y—you don't never get to hear their comments, you know what I mean, you know? Uh, um, but... but they'll... but they'll talk to others. They'll say, boy I can't believe this. I was just... I was just talking to Kenny Sidle over here. Or I was sitting Kenny Sidle over here, you know, I can't... you know, I can't believe this, you know. And... but you know um, um, once in a while another thing that I always liked... not so much today but back, years back, I used to take my fiddle and go out and join different groups, you know what I mean? And.. .and... and, and play with the groups, you know, get in their and uh, play with 'em you know? And uh, and then um, everybody would break up you know and uh, two or three weeks later they'd say, you'd run into 'em and they'd say, boy I can't... I made our day, you know, for Kenny coming by, you know. But uh, but you know uh, uh, the same thing went for uh, well some of your big entertainers, you know, uh, oh uh, oh he used to... Vince Gill, you know, from over in Columbus? And he used to... he used to go do—go downtown there and... and stop in and see them guys you know? And here is, Nashville, Carnegie Hall, Las Vegas, you know? I mean, you know, big time now, you know? And to think you know, and uh, and one guy told me, well yea, Kenny, he said, you know, he said, Vince... Vince and his dad used to come out to Jackson town uh, to Clark's Chicken Place overnight and eat supper, you know? And I didn't know this but they told me. They said, oh, yea, said Vince Gill and his dad used to come down there and eat that chicken place there in Clarksville—er Jacksontown, Ohio. Yea, that's over by Buckeye Lake area, you know, mm-hmm, and uh, but um, but I uh, I tell ya... uh, oh uh, uh, boy he—he's—he's another one of my uh, singers too, you know. I love to hear Vince Gill sing. And uh, I, now I didn't get to see it on television, but they said um, uh, George Jones um, when George Jones passed away that uh, him and uh, Patty Loveless sang at their uh, High on the Mountain. And they said Kenny, said, you should have heard that. Said, oh, said was that ever good. Well, I can imagine, you know, doing the him and her singing together, you know, yea.

Q:

KENNY: Well, I tell—thank you very much and I—I appreciate you taking the time to... to spend and I... if I... if I can help a um, um, um, a fiddle player out, you know, coming on, (inaudible) I—I love working with these young... young kids. I just dearly love it. I... I tell ya... one year... one more thing... uh, one year, Chet Atkins was the judge, and this little girl can't... nine years old, came in from Jackson, Mississippi, you know, to—to— to—to, you know, in the contest? And she started playing, well, we couldn't talk... the judges you know, I mean, but we could see each other though and we could see... we could sit and look right at her, you know, too why... so I looked over at Chester and Chester he looked over at me, big smile on his face. He didn't say nothing but he... he went like that nodded his head, you know, and I nodded back. And guess what, she won first place in her division. Nine years old. I kid you not, had a bow arm on her it... it was... it was unreal. Jackson Mississippi, and her name was uh, smith... uh, Robin Smith. And uh, why I never... and... and I'll tell ya uh, things like that just, you know, now... now.. .now that's... that's... how do I say this... that, that, that, shows you ma'am, the other side of Kenny Sidle. I love it. Yes I do. END