Old-Time TOTW #414: Sail Away Ladies (Uncle Bunt Stephens) 5/31/26 #fiddle #tennessee

Old-Time TOTW #414 is “Sail Away Ladies” from the playing of Tennessee fiddler, John Lenard [sic] "Uncle Bunt" Stephens (2 February 1879--25 July 1951). He was the son of Eli Stephens (1816-1880) and Feby A. Susan (maiden name unknown; 1854-?). Documents from his lifetime (including his marriage application) sometimes spelled the surname "Stevens." John married Nancy "Nannie" Pearl Pack (1886-1975) on 16 April 1904. His ancestor, Dr. John Stephens, was born in Gloucestershire, England, in 1595 and was in Jamestown, VA by 1627, where his son John was born that year. (source: Ancestry and public documents) Stephens was orphaned from a young age. His father is said to have died in 1880. Though his mother's death date is unknown, she is listed in the 1880 Census. Young John was raised by an aunt in Flatcreek, a small community located between Lynchburg and Shelbyville. When he was eleven years old, he bought a fiddle from a hobo and taught himself to play. He began playing at local dances in 1896 and played regularly at different events into the early part of the 20th century. In early 1926, Ford Motor Company attempted to improve sales by capitalizing on the media success of Maine fiddler Mellie Dunham, who, in December 1925, made a Tuesday evening appearance at a Detroit ballroom of Ford's old-time dance orchestra. An experimental network of radio stations around the country was organized. Local Ford dealers were to participate by getting loudspeakers and inviting the public in to dance to the broadcasts. Ford dealers in Kentucky quickly organized fiddle contests. After capturing first prize at the Ford dealership in Lynchburg, Stephens went on to the Tennessee statewide contest in Nashville, TN, on January 19, 1926. Stephens won third place behind Uncle Jimmy Thompson and a one-armed fiddler from Hartsville named Marshall Claiborne. The "Champion of Dixie" contest took place at Brown Theatre in Louisville, KY, on January 26 and 27, 1926. The three finalists from Tennessee competed against three finalists from Kentucky and two from southern Indiana. Stephens won second place behind Indiana fiddler W.H. Elmore, and being in the top three, earned a trip to Detroit. On February 9–10, 1926, Stephens, along with Elmore and Claiborne, played at a banquet in Dearborn, MI, that was held during a convention of Ford dealers from around the country. Henry Ford was present. After gaining notice from all of this, Stephens went on a tour across the Eastern United States, which included a guest radio spot in Chicago and several appearances at the WSM Barn Dance, later to be known as the Grand Ole Opry. I recommend this excellent article with more history about Uncle Bunt at Old Time Party: https://oldtimeparty.wordpress.com/20... Stephens recorded “Sail Away Ladies” for Columbia Records in 1926. It was one of four sides he recorded (this tune appears as “Sail Away Lady”) along with “Louisburg Blues”, “Candy Girl”, and “Left in the Dark Blues.” Joining me is friend Mark McNulty on guitar. My book, Marion Thede and the Fiddlers of Oklahoma: The Fiddle Book, the Musicians and Their Tunes is now available from McFarland & Company: https://mcfarlandbooks.com/product/ma... I am planning a series of house concerts of Oklahoma tunes which will include book signings and jams. Please contact me at [email protected] if you are interested in hosting such an event. My Patreon: www.patreon.com/paulkirk June 10: Lecture and concert on Marion Thede and the Fiddlers of Oklahoma: The Fiddle Book, the Musicians and Their Tunes at Lakeside Chautauqua with Paul Kirk (fiddle) and Mark McNulty (guitar). July 11: Down the Road Old-Time String Band at Visible Voice Books, Cleveland, OH.