Art Form: Fiddling

Location(s): Harbor Springs (Emmet County)

Danny Johnston

Danny Gillespie (left) playing with Danny Johnston (right)

Danny Johnston (1940-2020) was a lifelong resident of Emmet County and retired carpenter who grew up surrounded by the fiddling traditions of this northwestern Michigan region.

At age 20, Danny grew concerned that there would be no more fiddlers playing and continuing these musical traditions. For this reason, he picked up the fiddle and became a tradition-bearer. Pete Keller was one of Danny’s biggest influences and his fiddling style is representative of the northwestern Lower Peninsula and Beaver Island. Through his travels and participation in the larger fiddle community, he also gained a wealth of knowledge about early country and old time music, as well as stories about fiddlers who are no longer living.

In the late 1960s-early 1970s, Danny founded the Cedar Swamp Boys and still performed with the group until his passing. He was inducted into the Michigan Fiddlers Hall of Fame in 2012. Beyond his abilities as a player, Danny was an encourager and loves to share his knowledge with younger fiddlers around the state. He was a stalwart and dedicated member of the Beaver Island traditional music community.

- Micah Ling, 2014