Biography
The Skillet Lickers ranked among the foremost and most impactful string ensembles of the 1920s and 1930s. Fiddler Gid Tanner directed the outfit, which fused traditional country sounds with eccentric comedy and stage flair that propelled the act to national prominence. Its founding roster showcased the agile and striking interplay among Tanner, guitarist Riley Puckett, fiddler Clayton McMichen, and banjoist Fate Norris. Between 1926 and 1931 the Skillet Lickers enjoyed unmatched popularity as America’s leading country band. After the original configuration dissolved, Puckett and subsequent fiddler Bert Layne fronted assorted ensembles still bearing the name, yet Tanner revived the group in 1934 with an entirely new lineup that cut one final session and delivered the band’s biggest success, “Down Yonder.”
Tanner alone held legitimate claim to the Skillet Lickers moniker because he had prompted Columbia Records A&R representative Frank Walker to assemble the full band in 1925. Before that formation Tanner had climbed the usual circuit of festivals and traveling shows frequented by fiddlers. His earliest major breakthrough came during the mid-1910s when he began regularly claiming victory at Atlanta fiddling conventions. An accomplished comedian as well, Tanner functioned as a complete entertainer who readily captivated audiences. Columbia eventually invited him to record, and in early 1924 he journeyed to New York alongside longtime friend and accompanist Puckett to cut several singles.
The next year Walker arrived in Atlanta intent on creating a string supergroup. Recalling Tanner’s earlier releases, he recruited the fiddler and Puckett as the ensemble’s foundation, then added McMichen and Norris. The musicians adopted the name the Skillet Lickers, an homage to the earlier Lickskillet Band that had performed at fiddlers’ contests, and issued their debut singles in 1926. Immediate success followed when the double A-sided release “Bully of the Town”/“Pass Around the Bottle and We’ll All Take a Drink” climbed the charts. The follow-up “Watermelon Hanging on the Vine”/“You” quickly reinforced their status as hillbilly stars.
On their third single the Skillet Lickers introduced comedy material with “A Corn Licker Still in Georgia,” which interspersed music with humorous dialogue depicting backwoods moonshiners. That disc outsold prior efforts and was matched by the second comedy hit “A Fiddler’s Convention in Georgia.” Comedy sides consistently outsold straight instrumental recordings, while any release featuring Puckett on vocals also achieved major sales.
Commercial achievement nevertheless bred internal friction. Every disc carried the credit “Gid Tanner and His Skillet Lickers,” a point of resentment for Puckett and McMichen, who believed their contributions defined the group’s sound more than Tanner’s. A temporary resolution produced the cumbersome billing “Gid Tanner and His Skillet Lickers With Clayton McMichen and Riley Puckett,” yet tensions persisted after newer, younger players including fiddlers Lowe Stokes and Bert Layne joined. These additions sought to steer the Skillet Lickers toward Western swing, an approach McMichen supported, while the remaining core preferred to retain folk traditions. By 1930 the members had begun drifting apart and ceased regular touring. In addition to his work with the Skillet Lickers, McMichen served as a Columbia studio musician and accompanied Jimmie Rodgers before forming his own string band, the Georgia Wildcats. He nonetheless took part in every Skillet Lickers studio date until those sessions ended in 1931.
After the 1931 disbandment Puckett and Layne both toured and recorded under the Skillet Lickers name, but Tanner officially reclaimed it in 1934 upon signing with Victor’s Bluebird label. He assembled a fresh roster that included Puckett, mandolinist Ted Hawkins, guitarist Mike Whitten, guitarist Hoke Rice, guitarist Hugh Cross, and sons Arthur and Gordon on banjo and fiddle respectively, then recorded more than thirty songs in San Antonio. These dates marked Tanner’s final studio appearance and yielded “Down Yonder,” which became the group’s last major hit.
Following the 1934 session the Skillet Lickers name was retired, and Tanner soon withdrew from performing as well. Puckett, McMichen, and Layne each pursued independent careers. After Tanner’s death in 1960 his son Gordon continued to play fiddle, thereby sustaining the musical legacy of his father and the Skillet Lickers.
Tanner alone held legitimate claim to the Skillet Lickers moniker because he had prompted Columbia Records A&R representative Frank Walker to assemble the full band in 1925. Before that formation Tanner had climbed the usual circuit of festivals and traveling shows frequented by fiddlers. His earliest major breakthrough came during the mid-1910s when he began regularly claiming victory at Atlanta fiddling conventions. An accomplished comedian as well, Tanner functioned as a complete entertainer who readily captivated audiences. Columbia eventually invited him to record, and in early 1924 he journeyed to New York alongside longtime friend and accompanist Puckett to cut several singles.
The next year Walker arrived in Atlanta intent on creating a string supergroup. Recalling Tanner’s earlier releases, he recruited the fiddler and Puckett as the ensemble’s foundation, then added McMichen and Norris. The musicians adopted the name the Skillet Lickers, an homage to the earlier Lickskillet Band that had performed at fiddlers’ contests, and issued their debut singles in 1926. Immediate success followed when the double A-sided release “Bully of the Town”/“Pass Around the Bottle and We’ll All Take a Drink” climbed the charts. The follow-up “Watermelon Hanging on the Vine”/“You” quickly reinforced their status as hillbilly stars.
On their third single the Skillet Lickers introduced comedy material with “A Corn Licker Still in Georgia,” which interspersed music with humorous dialogue depicting backwoods moonshiners. That disc outsold prior efforts and was matched by the second comedy hit “A Fiddler’s Convention in Georgia.” Comedy sides consistently outsold straight instrumental recordings, while any release featuring Puckett on vocals also achieved major sales.
Commercial achievement nevertheless bred internal friction. Every disc carried the credit “Gid Tanner and His Skillet Lickers,” a point of resentment for Puckett and McMichen, who believed their contributions defined the group’s sound more than Tanner’s. A temporary resolution produced the cumbersome billing “Gid Tanner and His Skillet Lickers With Clayton McMichen and Riley Puckett,” yet tensions persisted after newer, younger players including fiddlers Lowe Stokes and Bert Layne joined. These additions sought to steer the Skillet Lickers toward Western swing, an approach McMichen supported, while the remaining core preferred to retain folk traditions. By 1930 the members had begun drifting apart and ceased regular touring. In addition to his work with the Skillet Lickers, McMichen served as a Columbia studio musician and accompanied Jimmie Rodgers before forming his own string band, the Georgia Wildcats. He nonetheless took part in every Skillet Lickers studio date until those sessions ended in 1931.
After the 1931 disbandment Puckett and Layne both toured and recorded under the Skillet Lickers name, but Tanner officially reclaimed it in 1934 upon signing with Victor’s Bluebird label. He assembled a fresh roster that included Puckett, mandolinist Ted Hawkins, guitarist Mike Whitten, guitarist Hoke Rice, guitarist Hugh Cross, and sons Arthur and Gordon on banjo and fiddle respectively, then recorded more than thirty songs in San Antonio. These dates marked Tanner’s final studio appearance and yielded “Down Yonder,” which became the group’s last major hit.
Following the 1934 session the Skillet Lickers name was retired, and Tanner soon withdrew from performing as well. Puckett, McMichen, and Layne each pursued independent careers. After Tanner’s death in 1960 his son Gordon continued to play fiddle, thereby sustaining the musical legacy of his father and the Skillet Lickers.
Albums
Singles
