Johnny Gimble facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Johnny Gimble
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | John Paul Gimble |
| Born | May 30, 1926 Tyler, Texas, U.S. |
| Died | May 9, 2015 (aged 88) Dripping Springs, Texas, U.S. |
| Genres | Country, swing, jazz |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, fiddler |
| Years active | 1938–2015 |
John Paul Gimble (born May 30, 1926 – died May 9, 2015) was an American country musician. He was famous for playing Western swing music. Many people thought Johnny Gimble was one of the best fiddle players in this style.
He was honored for his music many times. In 1999, he joined the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as part of the group Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys. Later, in 2018, he was also added to the Country Music Hall of Fame.
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Johnny Gimble's Early Life and Music
Johnny Gimble was born in Tyler, Texas, in the United States. He grew up in a nearby town called Bascom. When he was just 12 years old, he started playing music with his brothers in a band. He continued playing with two of them, George and Jerry, in a group called the Rose City Swingsters.
This trio played on local radio shows. They also performed at dance halls. Later, Johnny moved to Louisiana. There, he played music for Jimmie Davis during his campaign to become governor. Johnny was even offered a job in the governor's office. But he chose to join the U.S. Army instead. He served in the Army during World War II. After the war, he returned to Texas.
Becoming a Professional Fiddler
Back in Texas, Johnny kept getting better at playing the fiddle. He played with many radio and dance bands. In 1948, he made his first recording. He played with Robert Brother's Rhythmairs in Corpus Christi. A year later, in 1949, he joined Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys. He toured with them for almost ten years.
With Bob Wills, Johnny played both the fiddle and the electric mandolin. He stood out because he used a special five-string fiddle. Most fiddles only have four strings.
The Texas Fiddling Style
Johnny Gimble's way of playing the fiddle was special. It was influenced by other Texas fiddlers. These players were known for "breakdown" fiddle tunes. Johnny's style became known as the "Texas fiddling style." This style grew popular in the first half of the 1900s. Other famous fiddlers like Cliff Bruner and Jesse Ashlock also played this way.
Johnny learned from them. He developed his own unique style while playing with Bob Wills. Wills was a great example of and helped make popular a new type of music called Western swing. Western swing became very popular in the 1940s. It mixed old-time Southern string band music with big band jazz and pop music.
Life in Dallas and Waco
In 1949, Johnny married Barbara Kemp. They settled in Dallas. In the early 1950s, he started doing radio and TV shows. He worked with Bill and Jim Boyd. He also performed on The Big D Jamboree. This was a live weekly TV show from the Dallas Sportatorium.
In 1951, Johnny started his own group. They were the house band at Bob Wills's clubs. These clubs were in Fort Worth and Oklahoma City. But in 1953, he rejoined Bob Wills. He continued to play with Wills until the early 1960s. He also played fiddle on Marty Robbins's hit song "I'll Go on Alone".
In 1955, Johnny moved to Waco, Texas. He spent his time working as a barber and playing music. In 1960, he stopped touring with Bob Wills. He then hosted his own TV show on KWTX. It was called Johnny Gimble & the Homefolks. A young bass player named Willie Nelson was on Johnny's show. They became lifelong friends and musical partners.
Moving to Nashville and Solo Career
In 1968, many of his friends encouraged him to move. So, Johnny moved his family to Nashville, Tennessee. This city is a big center for country music. The next year, he was inspired by a song he wrote called "Fiddlin' Around." He recorded his first solo album with the same name. He went on to record nine more solo albums.
From 1979 to 1981, Johnny toured all over the world with Willie Nelson. He also had a small role in the movie Honeysuckle Rose. In 1983, Johnny put together a Texas swing group. Ray Price sang with them. They had a hit country song called "One Fiddle, Two Fiddle." This song was in the Clint Eastwood movie Honkytonk Man. Johnny also had a supporting role in that movie, playing Bob Wills.
Johnny appeared on the TV show Austin City Limits many times. He also performed on Garrison Keillor's radio show A Prairie Home Companion. At the time of his death, he had appeared on Austin City Limits more than anyone else. He was also a member of the Million Dollar Band. He was a frequent guest on the TV show "Hee Haw".
Johnny's career continued into the 2000s. He recorded with famous artists like Vince Gill and Tanya Tucker. In 2007, he performed with Carrie Underwood at the 49th Annual Grammy Awards.
Johnny Gimble's Family and Legacy
Johnny Gimble and his wife Barbara were married, divorced, and then remarried twice. They had a son and two daughters. As of 2022, they had four grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.
Johnny and his son Dick Gimble started a Western Swing Camp. Dick is a music professor at McLennan Community College. The camp focused on teaching fiddle playing. After two years in Waco, they moved the camp. With help from his daughter Cyndy, they moved it to SMU's Taos Campus. This helped make sure the Western swing style of country music was passed on to new generations.
Johnny's granddaughter, Emily, is also a talented singer and keyboard player. She has performed with Johnny, Asleep at the Wheel, and Hayes Carll. Emily was a regular member of Asleep at the Wheel from 2014 to 2016. This band often worked with Johnny to share Bob Wills's music. Emily has now started her own solo music career. She lives in Austin, Texas. In 2020, she followed in Johnny's footsteps. She was named the State Musician of Texas.
Johnny's grandson, Jon Gimble, is the District Clerk in McLennan County. He also serves on the Texas Judicial Council.
Johnny Gimble's Death
Johnny Gimble passed away on May 9, 2015. He was 88 years old. He died near his home in Dripping Springs, Texas. His daughter said that he was "finally rid of the complications from several strokes over the past few years."
Johnny Gimble's Albums
- Celebrating with Friends (2010): This was his last album. It featured duos with friends like Merle Haggard, Willie Nelson, and Vince Gill. His son Dick and granddaughter Emily also played on it.
- A Case of the Gimbles (2005): A collaboration with Johnny, his son Dick, and granddaughter Emily.
- Under the X in Texas (1992): This album featured several songs Johnny wrote himself.
- Still Fiddlin' Around (1988): This album included classic songs and some of Johnny's own compositions.
- Glorybound (1987): Johnny's instrumental gospel album.
- Texas Fiddle Collection (1981): A double album of Johnny's fiddle music.
- Johnny Gimble & the Texas Swing Pioneers (1980): Another double album.
- Johnny Gimble's Texas Honky Tonk Hits
- Johnny Gimble's Texas Dance Party (1976): A live album recorded in 1975.
- Fiddlin' Around (1974): His first solo album.
Awards and Honors for Johnny Gimble
Johnny Gimble received many awards for his amazing music.
- From 1975 to 1990, he was nominated 15 times for Instrumentalist of the Year. He won the Country Music Association Award five times.
- Johnny also won nine Best Fiddle Player awards from the Academy of Country Music.
- He was nominated for a Grammy Award in 1993. This was for his playing on the Mark O'Connor album Heroes.
- He won two Grammy awards:
- In 1994, for his arrangement of "Red Wing" on a Bob Wills tribute album by Asleep At The Wheel.
- In 1995, for Best Country Instrumental Performance for "Hightower" with Asleep At The Wheel.
- In 1994, Johnny received a National Heritage Fellowship. This award honors master folk artists.
- In 1999, he was added to the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame. He was recognized in the Early Influences category as part of Bob Wills and his Texas Playboys.
- In 2005, Johnny was named State Musician for the state of Texas. He was also inducted into the Texas Country Music Hall of Fame.
- In 2018, after his death, Johnny was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame.
