Chubby Wise

(fiddle, guitar - 3/1943-4/1945, 3/1946-1/1948, 9/1949-1/1950)
Publicity photo circa 1944. Click for full version.

Born: 10/2/1915    Died: 1/6/1996

As a Blue Grass Boy: Chubby Wise was the only musician to appear on all of the Blue Grass Boys' Columbia recordings. As a member of the "classic" band, he helped set the standard for bluegrass fiddlers to come. In the recording studio, he also played guitar on several gospel quartets.

Recording Sessions: 2/13/1945, 9/16/1946, 9/17/1946, 10/27/1947, 10/28/1947, 10/22/1949

Before and After: Wise worked briefly with Flatt and Scruggs in 1951 and recorded several tracks with them. In 1954 he joined Hank Snow's Rainbow Ranch Boys and spent nearly 15 years with Snow. He began performing as a solo artist in 1970, and continued to do so until shortly before his death. He frequently featured the "Orange Blossom Special" as his showpiece.

Honors: SPBGMA Preservation Hall of Greats (1991); IBMA Hall of Honor (1998)

Further Reading: Orange Blossom Boys, by Randy Noles, is a biography of both Chubby Wise and Ervin T. Rouse, and the story of the famous fiddle tune that linked them. It can be ordered from amazon.com or other retailers.