Red Wing
by Frankie McWhorter
Go to Frankie McWhorter articles
Go to Frankie McWhorter videos
Go to Frankie McWhorter photos
Go to Frankie McWhorter music
Frankie McWhorter
“The following is the Introduction by Lanny Fiel to ‘Cowboy Fiddler in Bob Wills’ Band’ – By Frankie McWhorter – As told by John R. Erickson – University of North Texas Press. “Frankie’s personal story as told by John is the ultimate way to know a legend and it highly recommend the reader find a copy of the book. For now though, comments below will do for a short biographical sketch.”
“Frankie McWhorter’s fiddling first came to my attention one afternoon around 1990 on a stretch of West Texas highway between Levelland and Lubbock. I had the car stereo cranked Up while I listened to a cassette titled simply “Fiddle Tunes Bob Wills Taught Me with Frankie McWhorter on Fiddle.” It had been recorded and passed on to me by folks with the country music program at South Plains College.
“Wait till you hear this guy,” they had bragged.
“And rightly so. As an aspiring fiddle player, I had never heard anything quite like Frankie’s playing. Although the numbers were just basic tunes with minimal accompaniment, his performance captured the essence of a full-blown Western Swing band. More than that, his feel for the music echoed the frontier fiddle sound that had spawned the Wills phenomenon.
“Normally, with a strong tail wind and a semi to run interference, my trip would have lasted most of one side of a cassette. Although favorable conditions prevailed, Frankie’s music that day slowed down this modernized Texan. By the time I reached my destination, both sides of the cassette had played, and side one had started over again. Frankie McWhorter’s fiddle clearly spoke from simpler times when enjoying the journey itself meant more than getting there quickly.(Read more)
“Inspired, I tried my hand on a couple of the tunes. From this perspective, it quickly became apparent that Frankie possessed a more than common knowledge of fiddle music. His emphasis of a single note or simple twist of phrase completely transformed even the most ordinary tunes. Wanting to know more than the tape revealed, I took a notion to seek out the master himself. By word of mouth, I found John Erickson way up yonder in the northern Texas Panhandle. Not only had he instigated the recording at South Plains College that I’d been listening to, but he had also been diligently writing down Frankie’s memoirs as a horse trainer and cowboy fiddler. John’s willingness to put me in touch with Frankie went beyond polite hospitality. My mention of a desire to learn tunes from the source soon resulted in John personally escorting me through the rolling hills of the Panhandle to the ranch where Frankie worked as foreman.
“I had never witnessed anyone play fiddle and move in four directions simultaneously until that afternoon in Frankie’s living room. He moved in marionette fashion with sudden and sometimes jerky motions, as though directed by an outside force. In this instance, though, there were no strings attached. Frankie’s movements came from a genuine reaction to the music. No pretense.
“By late evening, he had been telling stories and playing fiddle continuously since our afternoon arrival and showed no signs of letting up. Not that I would have had it any other way, but by two and then three and then four A.M., Frankie had just gotten around to tunes in B-flat and had several more keys to go. John Erickson had not only introduced me to an honest-to- goodness cowboy fiddle player, he had also led me to a natural reservoir of Texas music history. Embarrassed, overwhelmed, and unable to keep up, I drifted off one too many times before crawling to the guest room with Frankie still sawing away.
“When am I gonna learn?” I muttered, somewhat put out with myself as I drove home early the next morning. Anxious over the long drive ahead with having had little sleep the night before, I questioned the value of enduring such an ordeal just to learn a few simple fiddle tunes. Such misgivings, though, served only to cover up a greater apprehension and the true source of my discomfort. Underneath, I realized where my interest had led. Having met Frankie, I now knew much more would be required of me to learn these tunes than the loss of one night’s sleep. This music represented a life’s work. Frankie McWhorter served as caretaker to a great tradition. Coming to know Frankie and this legacy would indeed slow this city boy down to a pace more suited to days when folks learned directly from one another rather than from the TV, a time-consuming process rather scary to the uninitiated.
“Since then, I have pulled my share of all-nighters listening to Frankie and learning tunes in local motel room jam sessions or on his front porch. I have even developed the stamina to hang in there on occasion until sunrise, though I have a ways to go before I can play fiddle all night and then go to work first thing the next morning. More importantly, I have come to truly appreciate John Erickson’s taking time to preserve the lore of this cowboy fiddler and encourage me to learn from Frankie. For me, the experience in some ways has been a detour from the fast pace of modern life back to the true heritage of my homeland. A journey well worth taking, no matter how late the hour.
“Frankie McWhorter possesses a knowledge and a wisdom that are rare links to the past. With mentors like Boyd Rogers (b. 1895), Eck Robertson (b. 1897), and Bob Wills (b. 1905), he is a storehouse of tunes and tales spanning two centuries. This legacy came into Frankie’s possession through a reverence and dedication to the music, the tradition, and the way of life it represents. My good fortune has been to catch a glimpse of this living heritage in fleeting draws of the bow and recollections of how it was. On such occasions, I have felt purposeful and grounded to the land.
“John Erickson has ensured this privilege for others. Obviously, his work with Frankie is historically significant. Of even greater import, though, is the pioneer spirit this work represents as an essential landmark to those entering the twenty-first century. To have these fading memories brought to life so vividly is good fortune indeed. In today’s world, not many have the inclination to pursue a life’s work so completely from the heart as Frankie McWhorter has done. It is best to stop and take notice when someone like Frankie comes along.
Lanny Fiel
Lubbock, Texas
1997”
Frankie McWhorter: Cowboy and Ranch Dance Fiddler
Lanny Fiel
1998-06-01
The name of Frankie McWhorter is likely to come up early when the topic of conversation turns to Texas fiddlers. Having worked with western swing legends such as the Miller Brothers (1957-1959) and Bob Wills (1960-1962), he has earned a place among the top players from the Lone Star State. Nowadays, he often appears with former members of the Texas Playboys and fronts his own band for dances around the Texas Panhandle. None of these activities are unusual for a professional musician of this caliber, unless you take into account that this wiry, silver-haired gentleman primarily makes his living as a working cowboy. From that standpoint, the name of Frankie McWhorter takes on a whole new dimension.
(Read more)
Having grown up with music as a part of everyday life, Frankie continued the tradition wherever he went. Still in his teens, he began breaking horses after school for legendary horse trainer Boyd Rogers. Rogers also played fiddle and took note of the young ranch hand’s natural inclination for music while on a trip to New York. The two had set out in a 1923 Dodge truck to deliver a load of polo ponies they had trained. With no passenger seat, Frankie rode atop a five-gallon bucket using a saddle blanket for a cushion while whistling, singing, and playing harmonica. The elder Rogers supplied requests and encouragement. “You ought to be playing fiddle,” Rogers suggested. “You can already whistle anything you want.” Frankie took the advice to heart, learning tunes from Rogers whenever he could. Often his new mentor encouraged fiddling to cool tempers whenever an ornery horse proved difficult.
During these times, the Wills standard “Faded Love” had reached the top of the charts, and Frankie poured dimes into a café jukebox until he knew it by heart. Upon demonstrating his accomplishment to Rogers, the elder fiddler commented, “You’re playing that tune too slow, son. Where did you hear that?” Rogers knew the melody as “Forsaken Lover,” an earlier, more up-tempo version as it had been played at an old “Trapper Rendezvous.”
Frankie continued to broaden his repertoire as he drifted more in the direction of cowboy and ranch work. Protesting an overzealous inclination to “give one too many whippings,” he left school and signed on as a cowhand for the JA Ranch founded by Texas legend, Charlie Goodnight. There, in addition to working cattle, Frankie began learning breakdowns from wagon boss Bud Long, who whistled tunes around the chuck wagon while Frankie tried his hand on the fiddle.
Eventually, Rogers arranged to have renowned Texas fiddler Eck Robertson travel on weekends from Amarillo to ranch country to teach the young fiddler. Frankie learned tunes and techniques such as keeping time with the bow in case a guitarist failed to show for a dance. Robertson’s style represented an era when cowfolk held dances in country homes cleared of furniture to make way for dancing. At such times, a lone fiddler often stood in a doorway, playing for dancers in adjoining rooms.
Of his childhood, Frankie recalls one of these ranch dances when Bob Wills was the lone fiddler. Unfortunately, Frankie as a boy only caught a fleeting glimpse of Wills before a matronly attendant shooed him to a back bedroom with the other small children. Little did he know at the time that he would eventually tour and perform with this Texas legend. Frankie now holds the distinction of being the 463rd member of Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys.
