George Cutchins. (Submitted Picture)
When George Cutchins was rising up close to the Stokes-Patrick County line, his household discovered solace within the music round them. “Once I was actual small, we have been took round to numerous the festivals and fiddlers conventions,” says Cutchins. “My mom danced with the Patrick Henry Vacationers. We have been uncovered to music just about our entire life.” Initially from Patrick County, Virginia, Cutchins acquired began in music at a younger age and located inspiration from the outdated timers that performed within the space. Music rapidly grew to become greater than only a mere leisure to cross the time whereas rising up on the household farm – it grew to become a lifestyle.
Born in 1973, Cutchins’ father handed when he was solely 5 years outdated. “We form of had it fairly tough, and that’s what acquired us into music. There wasn’t an excessive amount of to do again then,” says Cutchins. “My mother and my grandmother kindly took up dancing.” His mom’s love of dancing to the standard music uncovered Cutchins early on and shortly motivated him to choose up an instrument himself.
“Our household has all the time been into agriculture; beef cattle, greens, and within the early years, tobacco,” remembered Cutchins. “I first began fooling with a guitar, I reckon I used to be seven or eight years outdated.” Quickly Cutchins’ music curiosity shifted from the guitar to the bass, which might turn out to be his main instrument as a result of when he was developing he realized there have been hardly ever ever bass gamers on the native jam classes. “I acquired numerous affect to choose the bass up and begin with it.”
Taking part in music got here pure to Cutchins who honed his abilities below the steerage of Dempsey Younger, the mandolin participant for the bluegrass group, Misplaced and Discovered, in addition to Bobby Atkins from Bobby Atkins and the Countrymen. “One in every of my idols rising up was Ed Ferris. He was one in all my idols to review so far as music; bass timing and the technique by which he performed. I used to be lucky sufficient to return up being round numerous The Nation Gents.”
On the age of 19, Cutchins met bluegrass and nation musician, Jim Eanes, and performed with him for a yr, earlier than he began taking part in with Bobby Atkins and the Countrymen. “I performed with Bobby on and off for seven or eight years. I had a friendship with him for nicely over 25 years. An actual shut friendship.”
Over the previous 30 years, Cutchins has performed with a number of native teams together with Don Smith and the Foggy River Boys. Smith, from neighboring Rockingham County, has had an energetic band since 1954, and now, on the age of 84, continues to make music. Cutchins has additionally performed with the New Excessive Nation Boys, and is at the moment with a bunch referred to as Excessive Strung.
That includes award-winning songwriter, Josh Hudson on lead guitar and vocals, Cutchins on upright bass, in addition to Stewart Werner on banjo and his son, Stewie, on mandolin, Excessive Strung was fashioned slightly over a yr in the past and the group has plans to document an album sooner or later. “We do numerous the standard bluegrass and we do some originals.”
“Music has been an enormous curiosity in my life. I’ve carried out all my life, and I’m an avid collector of antiques. I do numerous family tree research.” Cutchins acquired a love for accumulating a lot in the identical vein as his love for music. “Rising up on this space, issues have been form of tough after I was younger. In fact, everyone farmed and everyone used issues – numerous the outdated timers have been nonetheless fairly primitive on this space. I had the accessibility to be taught and to see numerous the stuff that was used, which sparked my curiosity as a baby to begin accumulating.
Cutchins has collected numerous gadgets through the years, starting from instruments, artifacts, and classic farming gear. Among the many treasures that Cutchins has accrued, he’s significantly happy with his in depth arrowhead assortment, primitive hand instruments, classic milk bottles, and outdated Ford vans.
The music that George Cutchins performs and the gadgets that he collects bridges the hole between the previous and the current – a priceless keeper of native historical past and a preservationist of regional music traditions. As an upright bass participant, Cutchins has gained quite a few awards and positioned in competitions at fiddlers’ conventions together with the Ashe County Fiddlers’ Conference and Mount Ethereal Fiddlers’ Conference. He can be performing with Excessive Strung on the Sandy Ridge Music Affiliation on the Neighborhood Heart in Sandy Ridge on November 12 from 6:00 p.m. to eight:30 p.m.
