Sen. Robert. C. Byrd plays Bluegrass @ The White House 1980

[jimmbo13]

Not a great fiddler in terms of sound (clearness, purity, quality) but still interesting to see.

[Rabadamtimtimti]

President Carter seems to enjoy this. As he should, of course. Senator Byrd was a fine fiddler.

[SamuelBrownMD]

He was a great American and proud West Virginian! As a republican, I always admired him. He always got the job (any job) completed! Sam

[leedrfam]

Say.... wasnt this joker a Klan member ?

[MrJimc2]

@leedrfam yep, sorry to say he was! and a proud card carrying democrat too! HIPOCRISY comes to mind. it's my understanding that he was quite high up in the KKK of WVa. Of course, he's still good enough that Pres. Barry gave his eulogy at the funeral. I'm thinking about that word again..... HYPOc....

[bobloser123321]

I don't know if I've mentioned the before...but the Harvest band is my grandparents band. Red dress and stand up bass :) They are great people and so was senator byrd

[JoeHamelin]

What a great American!

[glwilsonus]

I don't think that's the White House. I think that's Ford's Theatre.

[Angryrnmedic]

Great country and bluegrass performer. I'm at the opposite end of most of his politics, but I did appreciate the professionalism of his decorum. RN

[TruegrassBoy]

Gosh ! He was far better than I ever imagined... wonderful !

[drgilz04]

How about that great back up band and the aweome bass fiddle player, Spider Gilliam? (my daddy of course) And that super female vocalist singing harmony? (Oh yeah... that's my Mom! Go Bonnie!) :-)

[fotoflex]

@bobloser123321

I'm sorry, this is all I have.

Maybe somebody else has clips of the Harvest Band?

[fotoflex]

@bobloser123321

And did you see this footage before?

[bobloser123321]

@fotoflex

1: hmmm I'll have to search around for it

2: no I haven't! I just found this video a week ago while i was at my grandparents house actually

I looked up Sen Byrd and they were like "oh yeah that's us right there!"

so I'm just getting to know all about the stuff they've done in the past

[grizzlybad56]

THIS IS OK WOW

[emncaity]

Tellin' ya, that is actually some first-class fiddling.

In a hundred years, if we still have a country by then despite the attempt to hand it all over to corporations (by both the varsity and junior varsity versions of the U.S. Corporate Party), students will be listening to Byrd's speech against the Iraq use-of-force resolution as one of the greatest minority opposition speeches in the nation's history. Still gives me chills just thinking about it--all the thousands who've died since then.

[wheezdumb]

@emncaity I had the honor of seeing him give that speech while vacationing in D.C. I will treasure the memory, but would like it better if we could follow his advice!

[Alcoy1]

Truly a great man and statesman.W. Virginia you were the envy of the rest of us to have had such a senator.