George Cutchins. (Submitted Photograph)
When George Cutchins was rising up close to the Stokes-Patrick County line, his household discovered solace within the music round them. “After I was actual small, we had been took round to a number of the festivals and fiddlers conventions,” says Cutchins. “My mom danced with the Patrick Henry Vacationers. We had been uncovered to music just about our complete life.” Initially from Patrick County, Virginia, Cutchins obtained began in music at a younger age and located inspiration from the previous 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 previous. “We sort of had it fairly tough, and that’s what obtained 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 select 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 previous.” Quickly Cutchins’ music curiosity shifted from the guitar to the bass, which might change into 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 obtained a number of affect to select the bass up and begin with it.”
Enjoying music got here pure to Cutchins who honed his abilities beneath 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 among my idols rising up was Ed Ferris. He was considered one of my idols to review so far as music; bass timing and the technique wherein he performed. I used to be lucky sufficient to come back up being round a number of The Nation Gents.”
On the age of 19, Cutchins met bluegrass and nation musician, Jim Eanes, and performed with him for a 12 months, 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 lively 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 present with a bunch known 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 a bit of over a 12 months in the past and the group has plans to report an album sooner or later. “We do a number of 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 a number of family tree research.” Cutchins acquired a love for gathering a lot in the identical vein as his love for music. “Rising up on this space, issues had been sort of tough once I was younger. After all, all people farmed and all people used issues – a number of the previous timers had been nonetheless fairly primitive on this space. I had the accessibility to be taught and to see a number of the stuff that was used, which sparked my curiosity as a toddler to begin gathering.
Cutchins has collected a number of objects through the years, starting from instruments, artifacts, and classic farming tools. Among the many treasures that Cutchins has accrued, he’s significantly happy with his intensive arrowhead assortment, primitive hand instruments, classic milk bottles, and previous Ford vans.
The music that George Cutchins performs and the objects that he collects bridges the hole between the previous and the current – a worthwhile keeper of native historical past and a preservationist of regional music traditions. As an upright bass participant, Cutchins has received quite a few awards and positioned in competitions at fiddlers’ conventions together with the Ashe County Fiddlers’ Conference and Mount Ethereal Fiddlers’ Conference. He shall be performing with Excessive Strung on the Sandy Ridge Music Affiliation on the Group Middle in Sandy Ridge on November 12 from 6:00 p.m. to eight:30 p.m.
