THE COWBOY FIDDLE OF BUS BOYK BIOGRAPHY Back to Top
"I consider
him a treasure and feel he must be numbered among the finest
living exponents of the violin styles called western swing,
western, oldtime and country."--Joe Wilson, Executive
Director, National Council for the Traditional Arts, USA.
As a young violinist, Bus Boyk embraced improvisation. "Anybody who reads can play lots of notes. If you want something special, it has to come from inside," he told me.
Born in Everett, Washington on October 14, 1917 as Norval Boyk, "Bus" began studying classical violin at age seven. He played in his school orchestra and began sitting in with his father's neighborhood band, The Sheet Iron Band. After leaving school, music was his sole means of support. He auditioned for and was accepted by the local musicians' union in 1937. His seventy-plus year career reads like several chapters of American popular culture. Bus passed on in Redmond, Oregon on April 26, 2010.
In the 1930s he performed with the Cascade Hillbillies and the Rancho Serenaders. During World War II he played a yearlong USO tour of Labrador, Greenland, Iceland, and England. After the war, he played the major vaudeville theaters, including Los Angeles, New York, Washington, DC, and Miami, with the Yeary Brothers, and Cal Shrum and the Rhythm Rangers. Next came three years of a daily half-hour live radio show with Roy Jackson and the Northwesterners.
Bus honed his tasteful, crowd-pleasing (but not crowd-pandering) style during his decade-long (1953-1962) association with the Sons of the Golden West. This quartet toured its cowboy-comedy act throughout the United States, including the Nevada circuit (at Las Vegas' Golden Nugget downtown and The Riviera Hotel on the strip) and summers in Jackson Hole, Wyoming at the renowned Wort Hotel.
The Sons rubbed shoulders with many of the famous acts of their day, including the Sons of the Pioneers, Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys, and even a teen-aged Wayne Newton, who in 1955 Bus taught to fiddle the show tunes "Orange Blossom Special" and "Ragtime Annie." Later, cowboy singer Jimmy Wakeley produced one LP and about ten 45s for the Sons of the Golden West at his Hollywood studio. The original group was together from 1953-1960; the second formation held forth from 1960 until 1962.
After the Sons split up, and as America's musical tastes changed in the '60s and '70s, Bus was determined to do whatever it took to continue in his chosen field. He often had to go back on the road, leaving his family behind in Portland, Oregon.
Sometimes touring meant several months at a lonely roadhouse. Other times the road led him to coliseums and dance halls. He performed in California with Glen Campbell and crisscrossed the country on tour with Ray Price (including Churchill Downs, Kentucky; the Huntsville Prison Rodeo, and Governor Connolly's Ranch for President Johnson). As a member of Ray Price's band, Bus recorded at Columbia Records in New York City. Jazz pianist Hank Jones was also on that session and made a lasting impression on Bus. "In Ray's band, all the guys liked to play swing jazz on their off hours," remembers Bus. He was no exception—Portlanders remember his swing work with Everything's Jake, styled after Django Reinhardt's Hot Club of France group.
Back home in Portland in the '80s, he found himself retirement age but not retirement material. He kept busy in a variety of bands and styles, including country, swing, western swing, old time, and bluegrass. He even maintained the ability to fit into his closetful of finely-tailored Nudie cowboy suits, made in North Hollywood for the special needs of entertainers.
In 1985 he recorded in Lake Tahoe, Nevada with Buddy Spicher and Zen Crook. He won the 1992 Grand Champion title at the annual Old-Time Fiddle Contest in Lincoln City, Oregon, First Place in the Senior Senior Division at the 1999 Oregon Old Time Fiddler's Contest, and Fifth Place in the 1999 National Old Time Fiddler's Contest in Weiser, Idaho.
In 1995 he was inducted into the Western Swing Society's Pioneers of Western Swing Hall of Fame. In 1997 the Regional Arts and Culture Council sponsored six Western Swing Fiddle Workshops focusing on Bus. Still an active and sought-after performer with subsequent generations of musicians, Bus was as a featured artist with the Oregon Folklore Program along with guitarist John Stewart. He was a valued addition to numerous swing, western swing, and bluegrass bands, including Everything’s Jake, Ranch Dressing, Fiddle Summit, the Hollis Taylor Band, and The Pudding River Band, who write:
“Bus began playing with the Pudding River Band 24 years ago. From day one, we were in awe of Bus. He truly was a world-class musician who seemed to feel comfortable playing with four guys who played together more for the enjoyment of each other’s company than to perfect their music. The smile, the stories, the friendship, and the beautiful music Bus produced, elevated us to a standard that could of never been possible with others. We are truly privileged and honored to have had Bus in our lives.”
Bus taught and performed at The Festival of American Fiddle Tunes in 2005 with fellow fiddler Kevin Healey and guitarist Rich Levine. He was featured in both Strings and Fiddler Magazines. www.jonroseweb.com/c_articles_cowboy_fiddle.html
In performance, Bus was a fountain of musical ideas, but he did not develop his "bag of tricks" merely by logging hours on the bandstand. Recordings lined his studio walls, and he was an avid listener. "I feel it is just as important to listen a lot as it is to practice and play a lot. I immerse myself to the point that I almost think I am actually playing. I've been listening all day today," he told me.
Western swing, western, old-time, country, cowboy, swing—Bus Boyk brought his imagination to these musical styles and in so doing has contributed to the evolution of decades of popular music. He is an American hero, and he is my hero.
BUS STOPS (anecdotes told by Bus Boyk to Hollis Taylor) Back to Top
A FIDDLE STORY, 1940.
I was playing with a cowboy band, the Rancho Serenaders. We were living up on Capitol Hill in Seattle. Our agent booked us to play a casual date at the Elks Club in Grants Pass, Oregon. In the rush of packing, my fiddle was put on the top of our 1941 Plymouth station wagon. We took off thinking we had everything. When we got to Grants Pass and started to unload, we couldn't find my fiddle. Then it dawned on us that it hadn't been removed from the top of the car.
We called the folks where we were living in Seattle. They said some neighbors a few blocks down found a fiddle in the road. Well, that was great, but I didn't have a fiddle to play that night's performance. Finally, one was found for me.
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ANOTHER FIDDLE STORY, 1940.
The Rancho Serenaders were playing Sheridan, Wyoming at the Maverick Club. It was winter and bitter cold. I stored my fiddle in a closet at the motel. The temperature was about 55 degrees below zero. We left for the gig, and when I got the club and opened the case, I saw the damage the cold had done to my instrument. The top was cracked and the fiddle was unplayable. Someone at the club knew somebody that had a fiddle, and the job was saved.
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FIDDLE STORY, JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA 1943.
I have always made it a rule to bring my fiddle home with me after a job. One night in 1943 I goofed and left it in the music room at the theater. When I got to the theater the next morning they told me the place had been robbed. My heart sank! I ran upstairs to check it out, and the fiddle was there. There was a line of chorus girls on the show, and all their costumes were located on the lower floor. The robbers took all the costumes but didn't come upstairs to the musicians’ room. I lucked out that time!
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SOUTH PHILADELPHIA, THE CARMAN THEATER, 1943.
Vaudeville at that time consisted of live acts that would put on a show between a double-bill movie. It was a variety show. It usually consisted of five acts and a headliner, like a movie star. The other acts could be musical, like a cowboy band, or a ballroom dance team, acrobats, magicians, contortionists, banjo players, comedians, singers, jugglers, etc.
My partner Glen sang cowboy songs, told jokes, and played guitar. We were billed as "Glenn and Bus, The Prairie Hepcats." We would open the act with a real lively cowboy number, then I would do a fiddle solo, followed by another number and then we closed with a Swedish rendition of "You shall be nobody's darlin' but mine." On this number we'd be playing and leaving the stage. We were smiling and mugging for the audience as we exited. Glen was ahead of me.
Unknown to us, there was a wooden wall instead of a curtain. Glen ran into it, the force of which knocked him out. The audience couldn't see him. He was flat on his back on the floor in the wings. His guitar was on the floor to one side and his cowboy hat to the other. The people were applauding like crazy. They saw two people perform, but now there was only one that was conscious. I went out and took a bow and exited. They were still applauding, so I took a second bow, hoping that was it. I went out the third time without Glen and then got off. Finally, the stagehands took pity on me and drew the curtains. Then it was the house lights down and time for the movie.
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CAL SHRUM FISH STORY, 1946.
The band was on a tour of the western states. We were in Yreka, California probably in July. It was a beautiful day and we decided to go fishing. We roamed around the hills and tried fishing in some of the streams. Finally Cal caught a tiny fish, about three inches long, and he was happy with it. Then someone happened to think about the time, and it was getting late. Shrum said, "We are supposed to do an appearance on one of the radio stations at five o'clock." Panic struck.
We finally made it to the radio station at about two minutes to five. We breathlessly told the guy at the station we were scheduled to go "on the air" at five. We didn't even have time to tune our instruments. At 5 pm the announcer gave us the signal and we were "on the air." Shrum gave his spiel about playing at a dance that night with all the details. After it was all over, Shrum talked to somebody at the station, and we found out that we were at the wrong radio station!
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LENZI'S SUPPERCLUB, EUREKA, CALIFORNIA, 1957.
The dry climate in Nevada and the air conditioning in the casinos began to dry out my fiddle, although at the time I wasn't aware it was happening. One night we were booked at Lenzi's. I picked up my fiddle and we were reedy to start when I noticed the fingerboard was completely loose from the fiddle, rendering it unplayable. Fortunately, we had a friend who owned a music store who brought me a fiddle to play. Call me Lucky!
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JACKSON, WYOMING, 1958.
It was late summer and a friend of mine, Ralph Lintz, had a contract to play The Golden Nugget in Vegas. He asked me to play with him. We were in Jackson at the time, and I was loading my little Fiat for the trip to Vegas. We had two cars parked side by side. My wife Juanita decided to run an errand with the Chrysler. She hadn't noticed my fiddle on the ground behind the Fiat. She put the Chrysler in reverse and before I realized what was happening, the left front wheel of the Chrysler backed over my fiddle, doing major damage to it--cracking the top, breaking the bridge, collapsing the sound post. Juanita cried. Fortunately, my violin repairman did a great job restoring it.
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JACK BENNY AT THE SYMPHONY BALL, PORTLAND, OREGON, NOVEMBER 7, 1964.
I was playing gypsy tunes with a friend of mine who played accordion. We had just played a few tunes when Jack Benny walked in with a crowd of people and a photographer. Of course, they asked him to play the violin, so I handed my fiddle to Jack when the photographer took a picture. George cornered the photographer to get a couple pictures, and he gave me one. I have it on the wall in my music room and am proud of it. By the way, Jack could really play the violin. He played the Hungarian Dance #5.
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BILLINGS, MONTANA, DECEMBER 1967.
I was playing at the Bar 17, a large honky-tonk. The band was from Great Falls and our boss was a fellow named Al Gaub. Al knew the owner, who was renowned for booking bands and then coming in the club to listen. If he didn't like one of the musicians in the band, he would go to the leader and tell him to fire the player. As the leader of the band needed the gig, sometimes it worked.
Al knew this about the Billings club man and had warned him before that if he tried this on our band, Al would pull the band. Well, it happened around Christmas time, and I happened to be the guy he picked on to be fired. Our band was close to each other, like a family, and we stuck together. Al pulled the band, and we never worked there again.
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ON THE ROAD WITH RAY PRICE, 1968.
In 1968 I was honored to go from Nashville to New York to record with Ray Price at Columbia Records. We had Tom Baron from the Sacramento Symphony, Bob White (fiddler for Bob Wills), Hank Thompson and myself as violinists, plus Blondie Calderon on keyboards and vibes and Lynn Frasier, steel guitar. The rest of the musicians were from New York. The great pianist Hank Jones was on the session.
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Joe Venuti, 1943, Miami, Florida. We were working at the Olympia Theater doing a vaudeville cowboy act. We shared the bill with Ramona, a gal singer/pianist. She had worked with Venuti in Paul Whiteman's Band, as had Joe and the guitarist Eddie Lang.
Ramona said to me, "Bus, Joe is coming to Miami with his band to play at Flagler Gardens." We caught a cab and headed to the ballroom. Venuti greeted us at the door. Ramona introduced Glen and I to Joe, and he invited us to his table. His ten-piece band was on a break.
Ramona told Joe I was a fiddler so he asked me to get his fiddle off the piano, which I did. I had some anxious moments carrying his expensive violin across the slick dance floor, but I made it to the table. Then he asked me if I could play a hoedown. I played "The Arkansas Traveler." He seemed to enjoy my rendition. Then he took the fiddle and played a real knocked-out version of his own idea of a hoedown. Needless to say, it was great, but I never knew what it was and still don't.
Kay Starr was his girl vocalist, and when the band went back to play, Kay said to me, "Bus, get a chair and sit next to me on the bandstand." What a thrill! Sitting next to Kay Starr and hearing my idol Joe Venuti and his band play. It's a night I'll never forget.
Steve Bernard, 1943, Allentown, Pennsylvania. Steve had a group in the late 40s called The Cats and the Fiddles. I first heard them on the radio, on the Mutual Network from Columbus, Ohio. They had a fifteen-minute spot five days a week. Joining Steve in the band were Ervin Rivell, guitar; Bob Newman, bass; and Tommy Marbella, accordion. They played all the good old standards in a jazz or swing style. Steve played a kind of Stephane Grappelli style. I loved his playing and learned a few of his licks from listening.
In 1943 we were playing a theater in Allentown. One night a friend of mine and I went across the street to a place called the Circlon Club. As we arrived, I heard this great hot fiddle and said to my friend, "That fiddle sounds very familiar to me." Well, sure enough, it did. The band took a break, and we went up to meet the boys in the band. I asked the fiddler his name, and he said, "Steve Bernard." I really got excited and told him I was a fan of his and listened to his program in my hometown of Everett, Washington. He called his boys over to tell them the story. He asked me to bring my fiddle down to the club. He played it several nights and liked it so well he wanted to trade me his. I couldn't because we were heading to New York to get on the USO to go overseas. Many years later I ran into him in Los Angeles where he was operating a music store.
I always loved the Sons of the Pioneers. The harmony vocals were great, but I always waited for the wonderful instrumentals of the Farr Brothers, Hugh on fiddle and Karl on guitar. They didn't read music but had ears as big as an elephant's. They composed a lot of the instrumentals they performed. I grew up listening to them on their radio broadcasts.
Later I met the original members in Portland, Oregon when they played the Multnomah County Fair in the early 50s. I also heard them live in San Jose, California in 1946. In 1954 they played the Thunderbird on the Strip in Vegas. Our group, The Sons of the Golden West, was working at the Golden Nugget at the time. In 1957 we were playing the Riverside Hotel in Reno and The Pioneers were playing the lounge at Harrah's in Reno. They all came over to the Riverside to catch our group. We were thrilled!
About 1958 Hugh Farr brought a group to the Wort Hotel in Jackson, Wyoming. He had left the Sons of the Pioneers and formed his own group. That was the last time I saw him. He died in Casper, Wyoming a few years later. He was a hero to me.
Stuff Smith, 1958, Las Vegas. Stuff came to Vegas to play a gambling casino on the west side of town, the same place where Joe Louis was the maitre d' in the 50s. (I don't remember the name.) Stuff was playing a white amplified violin with a double bridge. He made it sound good. He played for girl dancers. I enjoyed the show and when it was over, I got to meet him briefly. He was very friendly and down-to-earth. I remembered Stuff's radio broadcasts from the Onyx Club in New York when I was a kid. I had never heard a fiddle played the way he played it, and it made a big impression on me.
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Bus Boyk in the solo spotlight, Vancouver, B.C. circa 1939.
The Rancho Serenaders above as a trio circa 1939, Everett, Washington: Ben Olsen, guitar/vocals; Bus Boyk, fiddle; and Tommy Jensen, banjo/vocals. Below as a quartet, with Glen Larson, bass/vocals, circa 1940, San Francisco, California.
Cal Shrum and the Rhythm Rangers, l. to r., Ben Olsen, guitar; Curly Ross, guitar/fiddle/vocals; Cal Shrum, vocals; Bus Boyk, fiddle; Dusty Taylor, guitar/vocals; at KEEN radio station, San Jose, California, circa 1946.
Bus in front of the Capitol Theatre, Portland (undated).
Cal Shrum and the Rhythm Rangers, downtown San Jose, California, 1946.
The Sons of the Golden West: Bus Boyk, fiddle; Dave Yeary, rhythm guitar/vocals; Paul Schilling, lead guitar/vocals; Sam White, bass/vocals (undated).
Bus soloing with the Sons of the Golden West (undated).
Bus with guitarist Paul Schilling.
Bus’s 70th birthday party on 14 October 1987, with fiddlers (l. to r.) Hollis Taylor, Stew Dodge, Bus Boyk, Rob Thomas, and James Mason.
Bus with two of his favorite guitarists, Rich Levine and John Stewart.
Fiddlers Bus Boyk and James Mason.
Bus in Portland, Oregon.
(l. to r.) Rich Levine, Hollis Taylor, and Juanita and Bus Boyk.
Ranch Dressing.
Ranch Dressing.
Bus and fiddler Paul Anastasio.
Bus and Rich Levine.
Miami Beach 1943.
(l. to r.) Kevin Healy, Bus Boyk, and Rich Levine.
Bus Boyk Memorial Concert at Cougar Springs Assisted Living in Redmond, Oregon; (l. to r.) Ginny Hollon, Amy Stinard, Mark Barringer, Becky Brown, Verda Hinkle, Leroy Newport, and Mike Hyman.
Bus with Riders in the Sky (l. to r.) Too Slim, Joey the Cowpolka King, Ranger Doug, and Woody Paul.
1940's SCRAPBOOK OF BUS BOYK
Thanks to Ginny Hollon, LeRoy Newport, George Mackey, Wes Bakken, James Mason, Rich Levine, Kevin Healey, Steve Reischman, the Pudding River Band, and Oregon folklorist Nancy Nusz for assisting in the compilation of photos, and to Bus Boyk, who kept amazingly detailed scrapbooks.
