Charlie Bowman

Charles Thomas Bowman (July 30, 1889 – May 20, 1962) was an American old-time fiddle player and string band leader. He was a major influence on the distinctive fiddle sound that helped shape and develop early Country music in the 1920s and 1930s. After delivering a series of performances that won him the first prize in dozens of fiddle contests across Southern Appalachia in the early 1920s, Bowman toured and recorded with several string bands and vaudeville acts before forming his own band, the Blue Ridge Music Makers, in 1935. In his career, he would be associated with country and bluegrass pioneers such as Uncle Dave Macon, Fiddlin' John Carson, Roy Acuff, Charlie Poole, and Bill Monroe.

Birth and Death Data: Born July 30, 1889 (Gray), Died May 20, 1962

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1926 - 1929

Roles Represented in DAHR: violin, vocalist, banjo, speaker, guitar

= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.

Recordings (Results 1-25 of 50 records)

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Columbia W147208 10-in. 10/16/1928 Roll on buddy Charlie Bowman and his Brothers Male vocal and instrumental quartet instrumentalist, violin, vocalist  
Columbia W147209 10-in. 10/16/1928 Gonna raise the rockus tonight Charlie Bowman and his Brothers Male vocal and instrumental quartet instrumentalist, violin, vocalist  
Columbia W147971 10-in. 2/20/1929 Polly Ann Blue Ridge Mountain Trio ; Frank Wilson Instrumental trio instrumentalist, violin  
Columbia W147972 10-in. 2/20/1929 Forky dear Charlie Bowman and his Brothers Instrumental quartet instrumentalist, violin  
Columbia W147973 10-in. 2/20/1929 Moonshine and his money Charlie Bowman and his Brothers String band, with talking instrumentalist, violin, speaker  
Columbia W147975 10-in. 2/20/1929 Katy-did waltz Blue Ridge Mountain Trio ; Frank Wilson Instrumental trio instrumentalist, violin  
Columbia W149256 10-in. 10/23/1929 Railroad take me back Bowman Sisters Female vocal duet, with fiddle (violin) and accordion instrumentalist, violin  
Columbia W149257 10-in. 10/23/1929 Old lonesome blues Bowman Sisters Female vocal duet, with fiddle (violin) and accordion instrumentalist, violin  
Columbia W149258 10-in. 10/23/1929 Wild horse Charlie Bowman ; Fran Trappe Violin and accordion duet instrumentalist, violin  
Columbia W149259 10-in. 10/23/1929 Carolina moonshine Charlie Bowman ; Fran Trappe Violin and accordion duet instrumentalist, violin  
Brunswick E2938-E2939 10-in. 4/30/1926 Mountaineer’s love song Hill Billies ; Al Hopkins String band, with male vocal duet instrumentalist, banjo  
Brunswick E2942-E2943 10-in. 4/30/1926 Old Joe Clark Hill Billies ; Al Hopkins String band, with male vocal solo instrumentalist, banjo  
Brunswick E2944-E2945 10-in. 4/30/1926 Silly Bill Hill Billies ; Al Hopkins String band, with male vocal solo instrumentalist, banjo  
Brunswick E2946-E2947 10-in. 4/30/1926 Goin’ to the wedding, Sally Ann Hill Billies String band, with male vocal solo instrumentalist, violin  
Brunswick E2948-E2949 10-in. 4/30/1926 Long-eared mule Hill Billies String band, with male vocal solo instrumentalist, violin  
Brunswick E2950-E2951 10-in. 4/30/1926 Cripple Creek Hill Billies ; Al Hopkins String band, with male vocal solo instrumentalist, banjo  
Brunswick E2952-E2953 10-in. 4/30/1926 Mississippi sawyer Hill Billies String band, with male vocal solo instrumentalist, violin  
Brunswick E2966-E2967 10-in. 5/1/1926 The Hickman rag Charlie Bowman Fiddle (violin) solo, with guitar, ukulele, and piano instrumentalist, violin  
Brunswick E2968-E2969 10-in. 5/1/1926 Possum up a gum-stump, cooney in the hollow Charlie Bowman ; Al Hopkins Fiddle (violin) solo, with guitar and male vocal solo instrumentalist, violin  
Brunswick E3972-E3973 10-in. 10/21/1926 Fisher’s hornpipe Elvis Alderman ; Hill Billies Fiddle (violin) solo, with string band instrumentalist, violin  
Brunswick E3974-E3975 10-in. 10/21/1926 Cackling hen Charlie Bowman ; Hill Billies ; Al Hopkins String band, with fiddle (violin) solo and vocal effects instrumentalist, violin  
Brunswick E3976-E3977 10-in. 10/21/1926 East Tennessee blues Charlie Bowman ; Hill Billies ; Al Hopkins String band, with fiddle (violin) solo and vocal effects instrumentalist, violin  
Brunswick E3978-E3979 10-in. 10/21/1926 Governor Alf Taylor’s fox chase Charlie Bowman ; Hill Billies ; Al Hopkins String band, with fiddle (violin) solo and vocal effects instrumentalist, violin  
Brunswick E4008-E4009 10-in. 10/23/1926 Kitty waltz Charlie Bowman ; Hill Billies String band, with fiddle (violin) solo instrumentalist, violin  
Brunswick E4010-E4011 10-in. 10/23/1926 Donkey on the railroad track Charlie Bowman ; Hill Billies Monologue, with fiddle (violin) sound effects instrumentalist, violin  
(Results 1-25 of 50 records)

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Bowman, Charlie," accessed November 6, 2024, https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/111759.

Bowman, Charlie. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved November 6, 2024, from https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/111759.

"Bowman, Charlie." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 6 November 2024.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

URI: https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/111759

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