In the spring of the 2000, shortly after my father died, my mother passed on to me one of my father’s fiddles. As it was the instrument I played from age 12 until I left home in my 20’s, it felt like finding an old friend. I hadn’t played if for almost 25 years, but having it around again brought me back to some of my early passion and enthusiasm. I started playing more often and in 2001 once again stepped into the Top 5 in the Grand Champion competition at Weiser’s National Oldtime Fiddlers’ Contest – the first time I’d been in the Top 5 since 1983.

Over the past few years, my style has continued to mature, I’ve learned new tunes, and I just recorded a new CD “Seventeen Tunes” which was released in the spring of 2004.

I feel blessed that fiddling has been a part of my life. I hope this fiddle history of mine continues to have a few more chapters.

John Francis
January 2004