J. E. Mainer

J. E. Mainer (born July 20, 1898 near Weaversville, North Carolina - died June 12, 1971) was an American old time fiddler who followed in the wake of Gid Tanner and his Skillet Lickers.

Biography

Joseph Emmett Mainer grew up on a farm in the mountains and learned to play the banjo and fiddle from an early age. Since Wade, his brother, also was interested in learning to play the banjo, he left that to Wade and concentrated on the fiddle. Soon, Mainer began performing at local country barn dances. He found work at a textile mill in Knoxville, Tennessee but moved to Concord, North Carolina in 1922 for another work in a mill. Mainer's fame as a fiddler rose and sponsored by the Crazy Water Crystals, he and his newly formed band made their radio debut on WBT in Charlotte, North Carolina calling themselves "J.E.Mainer and his Crazy Mountaineers." The band appeared on several radio stations in the following years until 1935, when they received a recording contract. In August the same year, the Mountaineers, consisting of J. E., Wade Mainer, Zeke Morris, and "Daddy" John Love, recorded for Bluebird Records. Wade Mainer and Zeke Morris decided to leave the band in 1936 to form a duo. The next year, the "Sons of the Mountaineers" was formed. Shortly, Leonard Stokes and George Morris replaced Wade and Zeke. The band continued to perform on radio stations in both North and South Carolina. The Mountaineers disbanded at the outbreak of World War II, but Mainer continued to record in the late 1940s, together with his sons, Glenn and Curly, for King Records. In the 1970s, after his death, literally hundreds of post-war recordings were released on Rural Rhythm Records.

Original Discography

J. E. Mainer's Mountaineers

References

*"J.E.Mainer's Mountaineers", Liner notes, Old Timey LP-106
* [http://settlet.fateback.com The Online Discographical Project] Retrieved on April 8, 2008.