Biography
Born on 3 September 1918 in Dyersburg, Tennessee, James Riddle passed away on 10 December 1982 in Nashville. His childhood unfolded in Memphis, where a harmonica received from his grandfather on his fourth birthday sparked an early interest in music. Over time he expanded his abilities to include piano, piano accordion, guitar and bass. Street-corner performances preceded his mid-1930s affiliation with Uncle Rube Turnipseed And The Pea Ridge Ramblers. He next entered the western swing outfit Swift Jewel Cowboys as a utility player, handling any instrument required; harmonica was featured on the 1939 sides he cut with the group. After moving to Houston he performed first with the Crustene Roundup Gang and subsequently with the Jolly Texans across Mississippi. Wartime shipyard labor in Houston occupied him briefly until 1943, when he entered Roy Acuff’s Smoky Mountain Boys on harmonica and piano. Military duty lasted from June 1944 until July 1946; upon discharge he returned to Acuff and remained in that circle for the rest of his career aside from a brief interval near 1973. Worldwide tours and film appearances with Acuff followed, alongside occasional solo recordings and later session work. Riddle became recognized for “eephing,” a vocal technique acquired from an elderly uncle, executing pieces such as the “William Tell” overture through throat-slapping, producing tap-dance rhythms on his teeth, and offering imitations that included a helicopter. These sounds appeared on the Decca single “Yakety Eeph”/“Wildwood Eeph.” Mike Seeger captured his performances during the 1970s, and in 1979 historian Charles K. Wolfe documented him for the PSB-TVSouthbound series. Riddle’s son Steven has also been recorded continuing the family practice, with existing duets between father and son. Declining health prompted retirement early in 1982, leading to his death that December.
Albums
Singles
