Travis, Wiseman, Maphis, & Herron - The Clayton McMichen Story - CD & MP3

CMH is proud to present this star-studded and heartfelt tribute to one of the unsung greats of American roots music. Born in Cobb County, Georgia in the year 1900, Clayton McMichen was a true forefather of country, bluegrass and popular music. Grandson of a banjoist and son of a fiddler, McMichen took to the fiddle at a young age and began a life devoted to music. 

McMichen was a virtuoso and pioneer, performing in a variety of styles early in his career, from traditional fiddle tunes to pop songs of the day as well as jazz and dance numbers and country ballads. This album, recorded in 1981 after McMichen’s death, presents a selection of songs that were integral to McMichen’s musical life performed by an ensemble of country and bluegrass greats. 

Blues numbers like “House of the Rising Sun” sit alongside jazz standards like “Sweet Georgia Brown” and traditional fiddle tunes like “In the Pines,” representing McMichen’s decidedly eclectic repertoire. Special tribute is also paid through the selection of “Sweet Bunch of Daisies” and “Peach Pickin’ Time in Georgia,” two songs that served as major hits for the fiddler, as well as “Arkansas Traveler,” the song that won him second place at the 1922 Atlanta fiddlers convention for what was his first documented performanceThe ensemble here includes musicians who are bluegrass legends in their own right, with Merle Travis, Mac Wiseman and Joe Maphis performing alongside Jackson D. Kane and Fiddlin’ Red Herron playing the part of McMichen. Merle Travis is of special note here as the country icon got his start playing in McMichen’s band in 1937. In his liner notes for the album, Travis reflects on the immense musical and personal influence McMichen had on him, painting a picture of him as a mentor in every sense.

Clayton McMichen passed in 1970, over a decade before the release of this album. This collection stands as a small part of his musical legacy, showing his influence and undeniable presence in the history of American roots music. Now available digitally for the first time, you can revisit this 1981 CMH classic wherever you listen.