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

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  
Brunswick E23110-E23111 10-in. 5/12/1927 Blue Ridge Mountain blues Buckle Busters ; Al Hopkins Male vocal solo, with instrumental quartet and vocal quartet instrumentalist, violin, vocalist  
Brunswick E23116-E23117 10-in. 5/13/1927 Sweet bunch of daisies Buckle Busters ; Al Hopkins Male vocal trio, with instrumental ensemble and yodeling vocalist  
Brunswick E23118-E23119 10-in. 5/13/1927 Daisies won’t tell Elbert Bowman ; Buckle Busters ; Al Hopkins Male vocal trio, with instrumental ensemble and yodeling vocalist  
Brunswick E23120-E23121 10-in. 5/13/1927 Down to the club (Drunken hiccoughs) Buckle Busters ; Al Hopkins Male vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble and vocal quartet instrumentalist, violin, vocalist  
Brunswick E23122-E23123 10-in. 5/13/1927 Sleep, baby, sleep Buckle Busters ; Al Hopkins Male vocal trio, with instrumental ensemble and yodeling vocalist, instrumentalist, guitar  
Brunswick E23124-E23125 10-in. 5/13/1927 Black eyed Susie Elvis Alderman ; Charlie Bowman ; Buckle Busters ; Al Hopkins Male vocal solo, with vocal and instrumental ensemble vocalist, instrumentalist, violin  
Brunswick E23126-E23127 10-in. 5/13/1927 Cluck old hen Elvis Alderman ; Buckle Busters ; Al Hopkins Male vocal solo and yodeling, with vocal and instrumental ensemble instrumentalist, violin  
Brunswick E23128-E23129 10-in. 5/13/1927 The nine pound hammer Buckle Busters ; Al Hopkins Male vocal solo, with vocal and instrumental ensemble instrumentalist, violin, vocalist  
Brunswick E23130-E23131 10-in. 5/13/1927 Whoa, mule Buckle Busters ; Al Hopkins Male vocal solo, with vocal and instrumental ensemble instrumentalist, violin, vocalist  
Brunswick E23145-E23147 10-in. 5/14/1927 Echoes of the chimes Buckle Busters ; Al Hopkins Male vocal solo, with vocal and instrumental quartet vocalist, instrumentalist, violin  
Brunswick E23148-E23149 10-in. 5/14/1927 Boatin’ up Sandy Buckle Busters ; Al Hopkins Male vocal solo, with vocal and instrumental quartet vocalist, instrumentalist, violin  
Brunswick E23150-E23151 10-in. 5/14/1927 Johnson Boys Buckle Busters ; Al Hopkins Male vocal solo, with vocal and instrumental quartet vocalist, instrumentalist, violin  
Brunswick E23169-E23170 10-in. 5/16/1927 Hear dem bells Buckle Busters ; Al Hopkins Male vocal solo, with male vocal trio and instrumental ensemble vocalist, instrumentalist, violin  
Brunswick E23171-E23172 10-in. 5/16/1927 Georgie Buck Buckle Busters ; Al Hopkins Male vocal solo, with male vocal trio and instrumental ensemble instrumentalist, banjo, violin, vocalist  
Brunswick E23173-E23174 10-in. 5/16/1927 The feller that looked like me Buckle Busters ; Al Hopkins Male vocal solo, with male vocal trio and instrumental ensemble instrumentalist, violin, vocalist  
Brunswick E23175-E23176 10-in. 5/16/1927 C.C.&O. No. 558 Buckle Busters ; Al Hopkins Male vocal solo, with male vocal trio and instrumental ensemble instrumentalist, violin, vocalist  
Brunswick E23177-E23178 10-in. 5/16/1927 Darling Nellie Gray Buckle Busters ; Al Hopkins Male vocal solo, with male vocal trio and instrumental ensemble vocalist, instrumentalist, violin  
Brunswick E23179-E23180 10-in. 5/16/1927 She’ll be comin’ ‘round the mountain Buckle Busters ; Al Hopkins Male vocal solo, with male vocal trio and instrumental ensemble instrumentalist, violin, vocalist  
Brunswick E23181-E23182 10-in. 5/16/1927 Ride that mule Buckle Busters ; Al Hopkins Male vocal solo, with vocal and instrumental ensemble instrumentalist, violin, vocalist  
Brunswick E23183-E23184 10-in. 5/16/1927 Bug in the 'taters Buckle Busters ; Al Hopkins Male vocal solo, with vocal and instrumental ensemble instrumentalist, violin, vocalist  
Brunswick E23185-E23186 10-in. 5/16/1927 Baby, your time ain’t long Buckle Busters ; Al Hopkins Male vocal solo, with vocal and instrumental ensemble vocalist, instrumentalist, violin  
Brunswick E23187-E23188 10-in. 5/16/1927 Oh! Where is my little dog gone? Buckle Busters ; Al Hopkins Male vocal solo, with male vocal trio and instrumental quintet vocalist, instrumentalist, violin  
Brunswick E23189-E23190 10-in. 5/16/1927 Wasn’t she a dandy? Buckle Busters ; Al Hopkins Male vocal solo, with male vocal trio and instrumental quintet vocalist, instrumentalist, violin  
Brunswick E23191-E23192 10-in. 5/16/1927 Roll on the ground Buckle Busters ; Al Hopkins Male vocal solo, with vocal and instrumental ensemble instrumentalist, violin, vocalist  
Brunswick E23193-E23194 10-in. 5/16/1927 Daisies won’t tell Buckle Busters ; Al Hopkins Male vocal solo, with vocal and instrumental ensemble instrumentalist, violin, vocalist  

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Bowman, Charlie," accessed April 18, 2024, https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/111759.

Bowman, Charlie. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved April 18, 2024, from https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/111759.

"Bowman, Charlie." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 18 April 2024.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

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

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