New Faces in Old Places

#469 / Flood Time Capsule: 1980

By the time Flood folks were setting up for the April 1980 edition of the Bowen Bash 45 years ago this week, everyone knew that the winds of change in their circle of friends were rising to the level of at least a Category 3 hurricane.

Transitions — divorces, new marriages, changing jobs — all were beginning to split up the group of people who had been central to the Bash since its beginnings eight years earlier.

But while there were departures, there also were wonderful new arrivals. For instance, a remarkable young guitarist named Margaret Ray and legendary West Virginia fiddler Buddy Griffin each would make a Bash debut that lovely spring weekend. Both in their own way would have a lasting impact on the lives of Floodsters over the next four decades.

Fret ‘n Fiddle, The Trio

Earlier that year, Margaret teamed up with Joe Dobbs and his fellow Floodster Bill Hoke to form an exciting new trio called “Fret ‘n Fiddle,” the moniker taken, of course, from the name of Joe’s celebrated local music store.

FnF had played a little at earlier gatherings, but the 1980 Bash was its true debut as a band. The ensemble gave Joe opportunities to expand his considerable skills by regularly switching from fiddle to mandolin for some tunes. Click the button below to hear from the ‘80 Bash a particularly tasty rendition of “June Apple” and just listen the room’s raucous appreciation of Joe and Margaret’s duet (starting at at 01:39):

Joe even could be heard singing a bit on the group's sweet three-part harmonies, arranged by Bill Hoke for Margaret’s lead, Joe’s bass and Bill’s own tenor voice. Want a sample? Click the button below for the three of them doing the Mitch Jayne/Dean Webb composition, “Old Home Place” (first recorded by The Dillards in 1963):

The Buddy Griffin Debut

Beloved West Virginia musician Buddy Griffin finally made his first Bash appearance that spring, creating some serious memories with his fiery fiddling behind his friends Mack, Rog and Ted in The Samples Brothers band.

Click the button below to hear Buddy leading the way on Bill Monroe’s signature tune, “Uncle Pen”:

Nowadays the late Bubby Griffin is best known as an award-winning fiddler, but actually Buddy was a band unto himself, an expert on all the instruments in a string band.

In fact, a few years after this Bash, he would release an album called “The Buddy Griffin Band,” in which he did indeed play all the instruments on its dozen tunes!

At the April 1980 Bash, Buddy brought his banjo along with his fiddle. Click the button below to hear him rocking it on “Home Sweet Home.”:

Rest in Peace, Old Friends

The past five years or so have seen the passing of many old friends, including both Margaret and Buddy.

Margaret Ray died in September 2019 at the age of 64 at her home in Greenbottom, WV. She had come back into Floodsters’ lives just a few years earlier when she and Joe renewed their close friendship.

Joe even got her playing music again, and he and Margaret took long, memorable road trips, from Florida to Alaska and other points along the way. Those good times made the last years of Joe’s life and Margaret’s a sweet thing for the Family Flood to watch from the sidelines. Below is the band’s tribute to Margaret, released just days after her passing:

Meanwhile, Buddy Griffin died earlier this year at age 76 at his home in Jane Lew following a long illness. Here’s The Flood’s memorial to this dear old friend: