The Skillet Lickers

The original members were Gid Tanner, Riley Puckett, Clayton McMichen and Fate Norris. The members had been performing in various combinations around Atlanta before 1924, but it was in that year that Tanner (a fiddle-playing chicken farmer) and the blind guitarist Puckett recorded to become Columbia Records' first hillbilly talent. In 1926 with McMichen and Norris, they recorded for the first time as Gid Tanner And The Skillet Lickers. Over the years there were line-up variations and other important members included Lowe Stokes, Bert Layne (both outstanding fiddlers), Hoke Rice (guitar), Gid's brother Arthur (banjo, guitar) and teenage son Gordon (fiddle). By 1931, in some combination or other, they had cut 88 sides for Columbia - all but six being released. Their material included fiddle tunes, traditional ballads and pop songs, plus little comedy skits such as their noted "A Corn Licker Still In Georgia". In 1934, Gid Tanner And The Skillet Lickers were credited with a million-selling record for their recording of "Down Yonder". Quite possibly the greatest stringband of all time.