Keith Coleman

 

 

 

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Keith Coleman

Keith Coleman is probably best known for his many years as a western swing fiddler with Bob Wills and the Texas Playboys. Coleman also played with other great artists as well, including Country Music Hall Of Fame members Hank Thompson and Ray Price. Among other musicians, Coleman was also known for his ability to read music and play a variety of other instruments including the saxophone. But it was his greatness as a fiddler for which he is best known and most respected. Legendary fiddle player and National Fiddler Hall Of Fame inductee, Johnny Gimble, once said that Keith Coleman was the "Fiddler's Fiddler". As with many great western swing artists, Keith Coleman also had one foot in the world of jazz. The result was a unique style that helped give Bob Wills that distinctive sound that made the Texas Playboys one of the most popular bands of all time.

References: Shelby Eicher (personal communication, 2012) Boyd, Jean Ann. The Jazz of the Southwest: An Oral History of Western Swing. Austin: University of Texas, 1998. Print.

Keith Coleman was inducted into the National Fiddler Hall of Fame 2012.