Thirty Years of Country Fiddle Leads to Full Class: Joanne Long's Class at John A. Logan College

Joanne Long grew up in a house where all the children played an instrument, but, she said, they weren't very good.

"My sisters and I all learned to play the strings, cello, viola, violin," she said. "But are parents weren't very demanding and we felt like we were doing well if we all played the same song and ended at the same time."

For years, her fiddle was little more than a decoration on the wall and a fond memory. Then, in 1975 while she lived in Springfield, a friend asked if she could still play. To her own amazement, she took down the display and found that she still knew the basics.

"I learned to play country fiddle from an old-style fiddle player, a man named Floras Lucas in Springfield," she said. "He wouldn't let me pay him, just wanted to pass on the appreciation of the music."

While in Springfield, she became part of Lucas' band, "Sangamon Valley Hoedowners". The band was created specifically to play at the centennial celebrations in 1976 and played live square-dancing events, events at the Illinois State Fairgrounds and a number of other events. When the centennial celebrations were over, "we just kept playing," Joanne said.

Lucas' style was typical of old-style fiddler players, often adding a little something personal to the music. "Floras always added a beat when he played 'Mississippi Sawyer', so we got used to it and were ready for it. At one event, we were set up at the Illinois State Fairgrounds next to some jugglers. Every time he played that extra note, the jugglers would drop their balls," she said.

In 1978, Joanne followed her husband and his job to Southern California, but this time took the love of the country fiddle with her. There she added bluegrass to the types of fiddle music she enjoyed and even competed a little. "I won a few events," Joanne said.

She also got to meet one of her heroes, fiddle players Kenny Baker who played with Bill Munroe's band for years, and a few nobody's who would go on to be famous, like Vince Gill.