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by Bob L. Cox (Author)
Forever A Hillbilly features the "Pictorial Old-Time Music Journey of Appalachian Fiddler, Charlie Bowman," a North American Fiddler's Hall of Fame fiddler inductee, who traveled in several vaudeville circuits from the early 1920s until about the late 1940s. The text is augmented with over 400 photos, newspaper clippings, personal letters, and other mementos. Many of these treasures have not seen the light of day since 1962 when Charlie passed away. Several collections were hidden in homes. His daughter's Jennie & Pauline, who at times accompanied him on tour, kept large diaries and scrapbooks of their journeys. Jennie's diary was safely stored in her collection years ago, but Pauline's diary vanished years ago. At her passing, while the house was being cleaned, the relic appeared in an upstairs dresser. Between the 1920s and 1950s, Charlie traveled with Al Hopkins and His Buckle Busters (aka The Hill Billies) on the Keith-Albee Vaudeville Circuit, Hank Barnes and his Blue Ridge Ramblers, on both the Lowe's Metropolitan Theatre Vaudeville Circuit and the Smalley Vaudeville Circuit. Charlie's two oldest daughters joined their dad on the last two circuits. Charlie also toured and performed with The Variety Five, The Blue Ridge Music Makers, The Southern Mountaineers, The Dwight Butcher Gang, The Buckle Busters, and The Rice Brothers Gang.
