THE ENGINE ROOM

The unsung heroes who helped forge modern music

- Chris Wheatley

A key figure in both the early days of bluegrass and its evolution as a fusion genre, fiddle-player Vassar Carlton Clements' professional career spanned five decades, during which he lent his extraordinary talent to a wide variety of musical settings. Clements was born in April 1928 in rural southwest Florida but spent much of his adolescence some 300 miles away in the city of Kissimmee, near Orlando. He taught himself to play fiddle from the age of seven, forming a string band with his two cousins. Aged 14, Clements met bluegrass legend Bill Monroe through his stepfather, a friend of fiddler Chubby Wise, who was then playing with Monroe's band, the Blue Grass Boys. Seven years later, when Wise left Monroe's group, Clements successfully auditioned to take his place. He remained with Monroe from 1949 to 1956.

From 1957 to 1961, Clements performed with popular bluegrass duo Jim & Jesse McReynolds. He also featured alongside the highly influential Flatt and Scruggs on the theme to the hit sitcom, The Beverly Hillbillies. However, his struggles with alcohol addiction subsequently led to a lengthy absence from the scene, during which he turned to blue collar trades, working as, among other things, a plumber at the Kennedy Space Center.

In 1967, Clements turned his life around, setting up home in Nashville, Tennessee. There, he soon became a sought-after session musician, appearing on albums by Canadian country-folk duo Ian & Sylvia, Rual Yarbrough, singer-songwriter David Rea, and bluegrass guitarist Bobby Smith. 1970 saw the release of Clements debut solo album, Southern Country Waltzes, a collection of country tunes with a bluegrass slant, on Rural Rhythm Records.

In 1971, Clements featured on John Hartford's