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As a self-described “old-time nerd,” Bond stands out as one of the most talented and important people carrying on his musical tradition.
The Blue Ridge region has produced more old-time musicians per capita than anywhere else. It’s considered the heart of America’s traditional music scene.
So it was no surprise when the National Endowment for the Arts announced its newest recipient of the NEA National Heritage Fellowship for Appalachian old-time fiddling as one of the region’s own: Virginia fiddler Eddie Bond. In September he traveled to Washington, D.C., to receive the highest honor bestowed upon an old-time musician and a $25,000 award.
Virginia State Folklorist Jon Lohman nominated Bond. He’s heard many impressive fiddlers, but the Grayson County native stands out as one of the greatest old-time fiddlers alive.
“Eddie is special in that while he is relatively young, he has spent his entire life at the feet of the masters learning the traditional songs and then making them completely his own. He’s also extremely generous, taking the time to jam with anyone of any age at any skill level. He is one of the important people in the region carrying on this heritage,” says Lohman, Virginia Folklife Program director at Virginia Humanities.
‘Eddie has spent his entire life at the feet of the masters learning the traditional songs and then making them completely his own.’
Bond is fiddler and lead singer for the New Ballards Branch Bogtrotters, one of Virginia’s best-known old-time string bands. He has performed at the Smithsonian Folklife Festival, the Kennedy Center, the Library of Congress, and on stages from Australia to Ireland. He has been named “Best All-around Performer” twice at Galax Old Fiddlers’ Convention, the nation’s largest fiddlers’ convention.
Yet Bond remains a familiar presence at local music festivals and picking parties in parking lots, country stores and other informal settings where musicians gather. He seldom misses the weekly Thursday night jams in his hometown of Fries (pronounced “Freeze”).
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