Chubby Wise

Most closely associated with Western swing and early bluegrass, Chubby Wise was one of the greatest fiddlers in country music. Born Robert Russell Wise in Lake City, Florida, he didn't begin playing the fiddle until age 15, and got his start working night clubs in Jacksonville before becoming a full-time musician in 1938, when he joined the Jubilee Hillbillies. In 1942, he joined Bill Monroe's Blue Grass Boys and began playing at the Grand Old Opry. He performed and recorded with the band through 1948, and also worked with other performers such as Clyde Moody, with whom he co-...