Kenny

The Grandfather of California Old Time Music and a National Treasure of Domestic and International tunes and songs. Also one of the most distinctive mandolin and guitar players in the world, using a unique "one fingernail" picking technique. Kenny also plays old time fiddle using only the standard tuning, giving his fiddle sound a clear, melodic quality. "I'm a single note fiddler, and I HATE vibrato!"--- Kenny was born blind on October 14th, 1923 in San Jose, California, and always thought it had something to do with his mom riding the roller coaster while she was pregnant. He says of her "She wasn't musical, but she sure could play a stove!" Here are some major events in his life, taken mostly from "Kenny Hall's Music Book" by Vykki Mende Gray and Kenny Hall.-------------------------------------- 1928: exposed to radio programs with Haywire Mac McClintock. Heard the Happy Hayseeds for the first time.---Sept-Oct. 1929 enrolled in the California school for the blind in Berkeley, CA and started piano lessons.----------1935-1938: Met W.D. Sanford in hometown of Cambell, CA. and was introduced to the mandolin, started learning tunes from W.D. Sanford, and also his fiddle teacher at school, Miss Natalie Bigelow (Old Lady Bigelow), other kids at school, and from the Happy Hayseeds, which he listened to every morning on a live radio broadcast out of Stockton. Also started buying 78 rpm records from sears and Roebuck.---------------------------------------------------- -------1941: Kicked out of school for holding a girl's hand. She was an accordion player in their school band. Went to work in a broom factory in Oakland.------------------------ 1941-1946: Bought a chest high stack of 78 rom records, hung out with musicians he met through the broom factory, learned music from jukeboxes and the radio.---------------- 1946-1952: Played with the Desmond Family in Hayward, CA.----------Other than that, he started selling brooms door to door, and moved to Fresno with the Raley's and didn't play much music again until------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------1963: Met Big John and Larraine Halcomb, Pete Everwine, Frank Hicks, Larry Hanks, Will Spires and other musicians who would help convince him to play music again.----------------1968: Started to play with the Sweet's Mill String Band, and recorded two albums with that band in 1972.------------------------------------ 1973: Met Marta Hall at the san Diego Folk Festival-------------1974: Recorded solo album on Philo Recods, Married Marta Hall, and played at the World's Fair in Spokane, Washington.-------- 1977: formed Long Haul String Band with Marta Hall, Terry Barrett, and John Greene ---------- 1980: recorded with the Long Haul String Band on Voyager records----- 1988: Recorded "Raise the Roof" with the Long Haul String Band and "Happy Neighbor Club" with Terry Barrett and Jody Stecher.