Art Form: Old-time fiddling

Location(s): Flushing (Genesee County)

Lois Bettesworth

Portrait of Lois Bettesworth

Lois Bettesworth playing the fiddle

Lois Bettesworth (1925-2019) was introduced to fiddling by her father, Burt Hutchinson, who used to play for house parties in Michigan. Born in Minnesota, Lois and her family moved to Michigan soon after. Lois attended her first house party at age one, began playing fiddle at age nine, and played twin fiddles together with her father for many years thereafter. Her formal music instruction with other teachers lasted for ten years. Steeped in the music tradition of her father and grandfather, however, her dedication to and perpetuation of the old-time Missouri fiddling style never waned.

Accolades for Lois call attention to her musical ability, her generosity and encouragement to others, and her commitment to fiddling. Stephen Williams, fellow fiddler and director of the Port Huron Museum of Art and History, credits her with inspiring him to become a musician in the 1970s. "She showed me the rudiments of bowing and fingering and she gave me her own recordings of tunes played the way her father had played them. When she felt confident that I was serious about this venerable tradition, she handed me her father's instrument and charged me with the awesome responsibility of keeping both the tradition and the fiddle alive." (1)

Lois played for dances through the years with a number of bands. In 1951 she organized her first dance band that played for square dances. She played at various statewide fiddlers' jamborees, including the one she established in Flushing. In 1978 she organized an old-time band, Shades of Blue, for which she is the lead singer and fiddler. The band played without a fee at senior centers, schools, churches, care homes, class reunions, round and square dances, community events, festivals, and jamborees in the region. In addition to her dedication to old-time music, Lois played a key role in the Flushing Area Historical Society and was active in many ways in her community. She continues to have a profound influence on many individuals who all agree, "she was one of a kind."

(1) Williams, Stephen. Letter of support to panelists. 10 May 2001.