Best Of Johnny Gimble Vol. 1
Johnny Gimble was one of the most important fiddlers in Western Swing from his early days as a member of BOB WILLS & HIS TEXAS PLAYBOYS to his work with the greats of country music. On this collection, he performs with BOB WILLS, GEORGE JONES, MERLE HAGGARD, CHET ATKINS, WILLIE NELSON, & RAY BENSON & ASLEEP AT THE WHEEL.
He was born in Tyler Texas, and played on his first recording in Corpus Christi in 1948. A year later, he joined BOB WILLS & HIS TEXAS PLAYBOYS, & toured with them for the next decade. He & his wife settled in Dallas & Johnny began doing television shows including THE BIG D JAMBOREE--a competitor of Nashville’s The Grand Ol’ Opry & California’s Town Hall Party. Gimble rejoined Bob Wills in 1953 & played with him until the early ‘60s. He hosted his own TV Show in Waco Texas JOHNNY GIMBLE & THE HOMEFOLKS which featured a young bass player named WILLIE NELSON.
After moving to Nashville in 1968, he backed the cream of country music, including Conway Twitty, Loretta Lynn, Lefty Frizzell, Ray Price, Marty Robbins, & Chet Atkins. He toured with Willie Nelson from 1979-1981 & appeared in Willie’s movie Honeysuckle Rose. He also played his old boss Bob Wills in Clint Eastwood’s Honky Tonk Man. Merle Haggard featured Gimble's instrumental wizardry on his 1970 album, A Tribute To The Best Damn Fiddle Player In The World (Or, My Salute to Bob Wills).
Of course he appeared on HEE HAW, but the show he appeared on the most (holding the record for most appearances at one point) was AUSTIN CITY LIMITS. He was also a frequent guest on Garrison Keillor’s PRARIE HOME COMPANION radio show.
He’s a member of both the ROCK HALL OF FAME, and THE COUNTRY MUSIC HALL OF FAME, and was nominated 15 times for Instrumentalist Of The Year by The Country Music Association. An interesting bit of trivia; Gimble & his wife Barbara were divorced twice and remarried twice!
