Biography:Absie Morrison

ABSIE MORRISON (1876-). A fiddler from Landis, Searcy County, Arkansas, in the Ozarks Mountains. Morrison was recorded, probably in his home, by field researcher Alan Lomax in October, 1959. Lomax's notes indicate that Morrison was a skilled violin-maker who was proud of his family heritage. He was the product of long-lived generations. His family lore was that his grandfather fought in the American War of Independence "with the Bucktail gang [Regiment] from Virginia" and lived to age 100, passing on in 1847. A grand-uncle (grandfather's brother) fought in the Battle of New Orleans. Absie's father (1842-1921) was born in the family cabin at the mouth of Long Creek (according to Morrison's figures and dates, this would mean his grandfather sired his father at age 95!). During the Civil War, Searcy County was split between those for and against secession, and Morrison said that his father served in the Union army and navy for four years. Morrison said his grandfather loved "Billy in the Lowground" and "Walk along John," and "kept up on all the Revolutionary War tunes"