Leslie Keith was born in Pulaski County in southwestern Virginia in the first decade of the 20th Century, became fascinated to old-time fiddling at an early age. In 1923 he moved with his mother to Birmingham, Alabama, where his professional career began.
Following a subsequent move to Tennessee, he continued working over the radio and in public appearances, perfecting his skills as a fiddler and a showman. Joining the Army in 1942, he spent fourteen months entertaining the troops in North Africa. By war’s end, he was a well-known fiddler with an established reputation.
He later became the first fiddler for the famous Stanley Brothers, appearing on several of their legendary early recordings. He also played with the Blue Sky Boys, a well-known brother duet out of North Carolina. Then, in the early 1950s he left the music business, eventually moving to California in 1959.
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By the early 1970s he had retired to Tucson, where he died in 1977. While here, he met some young bluegrass fans, myself included, and played at such venues as Tucson Meet Yourself and The Cup Coffeehouse near the University. He also appeared at major Bluegrass festivals in the Southeast.
Les Keith’s best-known tune was “The Black Mountain Blues,” (now often called “The Black Mountain Rag”) which he wrote before the War, and which rapidly became popular. It is a version of an older tune called “Lost Child,” to which he gave several of his own touches. Much of his fiddling was strongly influenced by the Blues, and this blues-y touch was one of his important contributions to modern Bluegrass fiddling.
More than a fine fiddler, Les was a fine showman. He put a lot into each tune he played. Moreover he dated from the days when a band had to present a full show — Gospel songs, comedy, and all, and had even served as the clown for the Stanley Brothers, cracking jokes and participating in little skits to keep the show light.
“Who are you waving at?”
“Annie. Hello Annie!”
“Annie who?”
“Anybody who’ll wave back!” was one I learned from him. This aspect of Bluegrass showmanship has just about disappeared from the stage. The jokes and routines were ancient and corny, of course, but they could get an audience in the right frame of mind.
So that’s Leslie Keith, a man who still lives almost forty years after his death in the hearts and memories of those who saw him.
