Fiddlin' Powers: A new chapter in the story of the great VA fiddler

We will present new research and findings about Fiddlin' Cowan Powers and family from extensive visits with family, and link Powers to regional fiddlers in an effort to better define regional style and repertoire. Born in 1879, Fiddlin' Cowan Powers led a family stringband in southwest Virginia that was among the first groups ever to record country music. It is little known that four of his children from a second marriage are alive today. Visits with the surviving children have shed new light on the musical history of Powers and his first family, and have revealed documents, photographs, stories and repertoire information that help paint a more complete picture of the fiddler and his musical life and times. We also will share research linking Powers fiddle style and repertoire to other regional fiddlers as part of a larger project to better define the historical fiddling of east Tennessee and southwest VA.