Dickey Betts, Vassar’s fiddle, & a visit to the Country Music Hall of Fame

Some thoughts after a visit to the Country Music Hall of Fame with my daughter Tyler.The museum had a new exhibit on Muscle Shoals that was outstanding. And there were quite a few Allman Brothers-related artifacts, photos, and stories.I’ll write more on both later. Today, I wanna share one of the coolest, new (to me) on display artifacts I encountered yesterday.Vassar’s fiddleVassar Clements was a bluegrass fiddler who was a key part of Dickey’s Highway Call album and American Music Show tour. He was a member of Bill Monroe & the Bluegrass Boys, and was a pioneer country musician in collaborations with rock and rollers, first on the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band’s 1972 album Will the Circle Be Unbroken and later with Jerry Garcia’s bluegrass side project Old & in the Way. And of course, his collaborations with Dickey.Dickey was particularly drawn to Vassar’s fiddle, which carried a mystique that I’ve written about before.Seeing Vassar’s fiddle gave me a chance to share a riff about my visit to the museum, the instrument’s story, and Dickey and Vassar’s partnership.LagniappeNew (to me) photo of Dickey and Vassar from the American Music Show Tour. (I cannot find details on the photo, if you have them, please share.)Upgrade to support the Conversation from the CrossroadsDickey Betts 12-11-74 Santa Monica Richard Betts American Music ShowUntil next time This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.longlivetheabb.com/subscribe