Charlie Stamper, 84 Year-Old Bluegrass Icon, Releases First Album 'Glory To The Meeting House'

Thousands of musical acts remain to be recorded but interestingly the oldest of genres tend to have the most untapped talent. Even when we realize it exists, we don't bother to get it on tape. Such was the case of Charlie Stamper, an 84 year-old fiddler and bluegrass icon from Cadiz, a small town down near the Western toe of Kentucky. The performer dropped his debut album during December, titled Glory To The Meeting House.

Stamper is part of bluegrass royalty, even if his music royalty dividends don't say so. Like nearly all big names in the bluegrass genre, his name ultimately ties back to the famous Stanley Brothers band. Stamper's brother, Art, was the fiddler for that legendary act when it gained traction during the '50s. Art died at the age of 71 during 2005 but his less appreciated brother has kept up his playing, performing at local events and otherwise keeping the spotlight off of himself.

That was, until he was discovered by J.D. Wilkes of the Legendary Shack Shakers, a punk band from Kentucky. Wikles had been working on a book detailing the history of Barn Dances and Jamborees Across Kentucky. He pushed Stamper to pursue a solo record.

"Charlie Stamper is the kind of treasure that was always hiding in plain sight," he told Rolling Stone. "Although his brother is in the Bluegrass Hall of Fame, Charlie has always been content to play at the local jamboree down the road and give lessons to the neighborhood kids."

The fiddler wasn't a tough sell. Apparently he had always meant to record an album as part of his "bucket list" while continuing the musical tradition of his brother and his father, Hiram Stamper.

If bluegrass fiddling just isn't enough to get you up in the morning, also check out his playing of the thrum-bow on Glory To The Meeting House: The instrument, made of a smile bow and wire, allows the performer to make odd vocal noises similar to that of Aerosmith's Joe Perry during "Sweet Emotion" (the comparison originally made by Rolling Stone, which is totally accurate).