Annotation:Cruel Willie

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CRUEL WILLIE. American, March (cut time). D Major. DDad tuning (fiddle). Learned from Wikipedia:Fiddlin'_Arthur_Smith (1898-1971) by Nashville session fiddler Howard "Big Howdy" Forrester (1922-1987), to whom it is sometimes attributed. However, Forrester credited Smith for the tune when he re-recorded it for the Stoneway label, although the older musician never recorded it himself. Forrester's version proved durable and has been fairly frequently recorded by others, such as the Bing Brothers and Junior Daugherty. Lester Woodie used to play it with the Stanley Brothers in the 1950's. Words were set to Forrester's version of the tune in the 1970's by Bill Caswell (formerly of Nashville, now an Oklahoman), which versions are also frequently recorded (e.g. by the Bing Brothers and others).

Additional notes

Printed sources : - Briar 4204, Earl Collins - "That's Earl" (1975). Copper Creek Records CCCD-0174, Tony Ellis - "Sounds Like Bluegrass to Me" (1999. Fiddled by Lester Woodie). Cub LP 8008, Howdy Forrester - "Fancy Fiddling' Country Style" (1960). Happy Valley PRP 43871-2, Ramona Jones (1973). Musical Traditions MTCD343-2, J.P. & Annedine Fraley - "Meeting's a Pleasure" (2007). Rounder SS-0145, J.P. Fraley (Rush, Ky.) - "Traditional Music on Rounder: A Sampler" (1981. The tune was learned by Fraley from Howdy Forrester). Rounder Records 11661 0500-2, Connie and Babe (featuring Red Roberts - "Blue Trail of Sorrow" (2001. Various artists). Jim Moss - "Sleeping Lady." State of the Ozarks String Band (Bob Holt) - "The Way I Heard It."

See also listing at :
Hear Max Collins' 1976 home recording at Slippery Hill [1]
Hear Howdy Forrester's 1960 recording at Slippery Hill [2]
Read interviews with Howdy Forrester by Buddy Spicher (Devil's Box, vol. 21, No. 4, Winter, 1987, pp. 3-14), and by Tex Logan (Devil's Box, vol. 31, No. 3, Fall, 1997; pp. 4-21).

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