Byron Berline

Byron Berline (born July 6, 1944) is an American fiddle player. He is widely recognized as one of the world's premier fiddle players, known for his ability to play almost any style within the vast American tradition—from old-time to ragtime, bluegrass, Cajun, country, rock, and beyond.

Biography

Berline was born in Caldwell, Kansas, started playing the fiddle at age five and quickly developed a talent for it. In 1965, he recorded the album Pickin' and Fiddlin' with the Dillards. The same year, he met Bill Monroe at the Newport Folk Festival and was offered a job with the Bluegrass Boys but he turned it down in order to finish his education. He graduated from the University of Oklahoma in 1967 with a teaching degree in Physical Education, and joined the Bluegrass Boys shortly after.

Byron Berline first met Bill Monroe in 1965 and was offered a job then. It wasn't until 1967 that he actually joined the band, though, replacing Richard Greene in March and leaving to go into the Army in September. He recorded three instrumentals with the Blue Grass Boys, including "Gold Rush" which he cowrote with Monroe, and which has become a jam session standard.