ROOTS of Country Music

The Professional Work of Tommy Jackson

(Mar. 31, 1926 ~ Dec. 9, 1979)

Born: Birmingham, Alabama, USA

Death: Nashville, Tennessee, USA

Profession: Musician (fiddler)

Tommy Lee "Tommy" Jackson Jr. was considered by many in the country music industry to be the first great Nashville session fiddler.

Pictured right Tommy Jackson 3rd from left

In his time, from the end of the 1940s until the beginning of the 1960s, he was the first important session fiddle player in Nashville, Tennessee and the best and busiest violinist in country music, working on records by Hank Williams, Bill Monroe, Ray Price, Patsy Cline (Waklin' After Midnight) and George Jones, among countless others.

One of the sad ironies of his career was that his influence led to Jackson's own forced retirement. So many younger players followed in his footsteps that he found precious little work during the final decade of his life and died in relative obscurity.

Touring with Johnny Wright and Kitty Wells at age twelve and making regular appearances on the Grand Ole Opry by seventeen made him one of the youngest country musicians at the time.

Tired of the grind of the road Jackson formed the first Nashville studio “A-team” with Zeke Turner, Jerry Byrd and Louis Innis. Recording with Hank Williams in 1947 he can be credited with the famous fiddle intro for I Saw The Light and later the backing for Lovesick Blues.

During the 1960s, Jackson was one of the busiest fiddle players in country music, appearing on hundreds of recordings apart from his own solo sides. The end of the square dance boom saw a slackening off of his own records sales and production, but he continued to be one of the Nashville session musicians most heavily in demand.

His death in 1979 was largely overlooked by the industry that he helped define. He was a veteran of WWII and awarded four Bronze Stars and a Air Medal serving as a tail gunner on a B-29

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Ray Price Recording Session 

February 6, 1964 

Columbia Studios, 804 16th Ave. South, Nashville, Tennessee 

Produced by Don Law & Frank Jones 

Session Personnel: Ray Price (vocal, lead guitar) Harold Bradley (electric bass), Charlie Harris, Grady Martin (guitar), Jimmy Day (steel guitar), Joseph Zinkan (acoustic bass guitar) Johnny Bush (drums), Tommy Jackson (fiddle), Jerry Smith (piano) 

• A Way to Free Myself (Writer: Joe Hayes)
• How Long Is Forever (Writer: Willie Nelson)
• This Cold War With You (Writer: Floyd Tillman)

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March 9, 1965

Columbia CS-9182 (Sep. 1965)

Columbia Studios, 804 16th Ave. South, Nashville, Tennessee

Produced by Don Law & Frank Jones

This session took place at Columbia Studio, Nashville, Tennessee USA.

Session Personnel: Grady Martin (guitar, rhythm guitar), Harold Bradley, Joe Zinkan (bass guitar), Buddy Emmons (steel), Buddy Harman (drums), Tommy Jackson (fiddle), Floyd Cramer (piano).

• Other Woman
• Don't You Ever Get Tired of Hurting Me

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August 11, 1966

Columbia Studios, 804 16th Ave. South, Nashville, Tennessee

Produced by Don Law & Frank Jones

Session Personnel: Ray Price (vocal) Harold Bradley, Ray Edenton  (rhythm guitar), Grady Martin (lead guitar), Wayne Moss (guitar), Buddy Emmons (steel guitar), Joseph Zinkan (bass guitar) Len Miller (drums), Tommy Jackson (fiddle), Bill Pursell (piano)

• Each Time (Writer: Ray Price)
• Touch MZy Heart (Writers: Donny Young, Aubrey Mayhew) 

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Researched and written by Richard Bell, Roots of Country Music, Dec. 7, 2011.

Listen to Tommy Jackson on

Cold, Cold Heart