Biography
Between 1928 and 1936 the Stripling Brothers—fiddler Charlie and guitarist Ira—committed 42 selections to disc, issuing the initial 18 on Brunswick and the balance on Decca. Those performances capture the otherwise undocumented fiddle customs of West Alabama while highlighting the singular skill of the region’s finest practitioner. Charlie Stripling entered the world in Pickens County, Alabama, in 1896; Ira followed in 1898. During his teenage years Charlie took up the fiddle and, with his brother supplying guitar, claimed first prize at his debut contest; thereafter he prevailed in every competition he entered. Buoyed by that record, the pair tried out for Brunswick at a Birmingham facility and cut two titles. Additional Brunswick dates took place in Chicago in 1929, while Decca sessions occurred in New York in 1934 and New Orleans in 1936. The resulting body of work comprises breakdowns, waltzes, and assorted dance tunes, many either composed by Charlie or drawn from traditional and popular repertory; only two numbers feature singing—“Weeping Willow” and “Railroad Bum.” Later sides reveal growing pop coloration that mirrors shifting dance fashions and listener preferences. Although their reach remained largely local, the sheer quantity of recordings made on either side of the Depression, together with the caliber of execution, confirms their standing as musicians of consequence. After the 1936 date economic pressures led Ira to devote himself to his store, ending his appearances at dances and contests. Charlie, employed as a sharecropper, persisted, frequently joined by sons Robert and Lee Edwin; of his nine children, each mastered at least one instrument. He never resumed commercial recording yet continued to perform professionally into the 1950s, when declining health compelled retirement. Charlie died in 1966; Ira followed the next year.