Meeting a Legend: My Journey to Play Tunes with Dwight Lamb

For the years I have been playing old-time music I have heard Dwight Lamb’s name mentioned more times than I could possibly count. I could write a substantial paper on all his accomplishments, accolades, and his effect on Missouri Valley fiddling. Perhaps someday I will. But this collection of words will be about the time I got to meet him in the summer of 2023. Meeting him in person and playing tunes with him has left a lasting impression on me that I cherish.

I began playing old-time in small house jams courtesy of Amber Gaddy and David Cavins in Columbia, MO. They were long-time students and close friends of Dwight and referred to him frequently in discussions on old-time and where they had picked up tunes. I heard of his trip to Denmark, his affiliation with Bob Walters, the characters that he would play tunes with, and in general what a great human he was. I greatly admired Dwight, and it amazed me that the people I played tunes with had played so much and developed such a bond with him. He developed the status of a legend in my mind and that is not lost today. With each story told, I knew that I had to meet him someday.

I moved to the Ozarks in 2022 to pursue higher education. Moving regions exposed me to new players and even more tunes. I was playing square dances and contras with the finest fiddlers in the region, and I was more than eager to share the stories of Dwight that I had heard for years prior. To my amazement, there were even more Dwight stories to be heard there! Many of the people I interacted with were affiliated with Dwight, either through meeting him in person or through learning tunes from his recordings. Or, like me they knew people who loved to play tunes with him. The tradition and the name attached traveled further than I had ever thought.

After my first year of college, I traveled back up North to learn and play tunes at Bethel Fiddle Camp. I was informed there that Dwight would be playing in Elkhorn, Iowa the following week. I quickly called off work and prepared to make the drive all the way to Iowa to meet one of my heroes. At that time, I was driving an old Chevy station wagon I had pulled out of my grandparent’s warehouse in Thayer, MO. I had driven it to Springfield, then up to Bethel in less than two weeks. It was untested and certainly did not pass an inspection, so I was risking more than missed hours at work if something went wrong. Still, I considered it more than worth it to play tunes with one of the greats. I drove back down to Springfield, loaded up my instruments along with as many tools as I could and hoped for the best.

I made it halfway across Missouri before a failing gas tank seal reduced my fuel capacity to a little over eight gallons. Still, even though I was adding about a quart and a half of oil every 150 miles and stopping for gas about every 70, I was determined to make it. In nothing short of a miracle, I rolled into Elkhorn, Iowa with no major issues and with time enough to buy a sandwich at the local pub. Dave, Amber, and Asher Ferguson, who plays fiddle, banjo, and accordion, arrived a little while later and fiddler Liz Amos arrived just after them. I soon got the chance to meet my hero when he arrived for a performance at the Museum of Danish America. We played a few tunes prior to the performance, and I was impressed at his ability to remember and play tunes so well at such an advanced age. He bowed with strong power and accent, and I was fortunate to play along. I got to enjoy his performance and even danced a bit in a small set comprised of onlookers like me.

After the performance, we sojourned near to the Nebraska border to camp for the evening and in the morning made the trip to Onawa, IA to play more tunes with Dwight. I had the best time playing tunes all through the morning and early afternoon. It was truly incredible. Tunes that I had heard on cassette and CD were brought to life as Dwight played them again right in front of me. The interaction between Dwight and his students was remarkable. I noticed how smooth all the music was, since Dave, Amber, and Liz had played with Dwight so many times over the years and I saw how friendly and eager everyone was to play as many tunes as possible. It felt strange to be part of that tradition which had stretched for so many years and now included myself and Asher as a kind of third “generation” in that moment. It is a unique moment that was graciously extended to us in music and friendship. I recorded only ten minutes of the session at Dwight’s house that morning, and today I don’t recall all the tunes and all the talk, but in that moment I felt the effect of tradition and the bond of musicians engaging in a craft they love and I did not want to let it go at all.

It was a somber drive home. Aside from ingesting large quantities of exhaust fumes and having a consistent misfire, I knew that it would be a while before I could play with Dwight again. I could write for days on how meaningful those few days of travel and tunes were to me, and I consider myself to be one of the luckiest people around to be able to experience what I had. Looking back, it has made me realize that every time I interact with this tradition of playing old-time, it reaches further than just playing tunes. It unites us under the common goal of making the music we love with the people we wish could play tunes with us forever. Dwight was a hero that I will never forget, nor regret meeting.

About the Author -

Mason Herbold has been active in the Old-Time music scene as a guitarist and accordionist since his late high-school days and has played all over Missouri with a large variety of folk. Born and raised in Hallsville, MO, Mason spends the majority of his year in college at Missouri State University in Springfield.

Mason includes David Cavins, Kenny Applebee, Alvie Dooms, Kim Lansford, Robert Mackey, and Amber Gaddy as his primary backup influences. In 2024, Mason had the honor of being selected to participate in Missouri’s Traditional Arts Apprenticeship Program with Charlie Walden.

Besides playing backup for square dances and jams, Mason has a passion for preserving old recordings and documenting the history of the tradition.