A Tribute to Byron Berline

The passing of Byron Berline, renowned fiddle player and friend to many, brought great sadness to the Guthrie community this week.

Berline conceived of, and founded, Oklahoma’s International Bluegrass Festival 26 years ago. He passed away July 10 at age 77.

“It is with almost unimaginable sadness that we report the passing of (our) dear friend ... Everyone involved in the festival, from board members to volunteers, to fans and friends from around the world, will feel his loss profoundly for a long time,” stated the official Oklahoma International Blue Grass Festival Facebook page.

The Oklahoma International Bluegrass Festival will go on as scheduled Sept. 30 through Oct. 2. This year, Berline and his legacy will be honored as well as banjo legend John Hickman, and co-founder and good friend Jim Paul Blair. For more information on the festival, see www.oibf.com.

Not only was Berline a legendary fiddle player, he was so much more to those who knew him.

“Byron was a very dear friend to everyone,” said Sandy Beesley, secretary and board member of the OIBF. “This year’s festival will be very special.”

There is no question about the level of talent Berline showed. Born in Caldwell, Kansas, he started playing the fiddle at age 5 and quickly developed his talent. He won the National Oldtime Fiddler’s Championship contest in Weiser, Idaho, in 1965, 1967 and 1970, according to fiddlecontest.org.

He recorded with bands and performers such as the Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, Elton John, Vince Gill, Willie Nelson, The Eagles and more. Berline’s music also appeared in television and film soundtracks, including Star Trek, Basic Instinct, Back to the Future III and Northern Exposure.

Berline joined The Flying Burrito Brothers in 1971, recording two albums. After the band’s breakup, he worked with Stephen Stills’ band, Manassas, and in 1972 formed the band Country Gazette, which also included Alan Munde, Kenny Wertz and Roger Bush.

Berline joined guitarist Dan Crary, banjoist John Hickman and others to form Byron Berline and Sundance.

He also played small roles as a country musician in the film “The Rose” and played the violin in 1987 in an episode of Where No One Has Gone Before of Star Trek: The Next Generation.

In 1995, Berline and his wife, Bette, moved to Guthrie and opened his famous music store, the Double Stop Fiddle Shop and Music Hall. It was then that the “Byron Berline Band” was formed. The band currently includes Thomas Trapp, Richard Sharb, Greg Burgess and Bill Perry.

“ ‘Never pass on a Jam. You never know when it could be your last’ was Byron’s favorite quote,” shared Trapp, the guitar player.

Unfortunately, the Double Stop Fiddle Shop and Music Hall was destroyed in a devastating fire on Feb. 22, 2019. The loss hit Berline hard, as well as the community.

According to Gary Good: “On Feb. 24, 2019, I stood next to Byron, looking at the charred shell of his Double Stop Fiddle Shop and could almost feel the pain and disappointment his face reflected. At that moment he didn’t know what he would do, but as the days went on and he felt all of the love and support pouring in, literally from all over the world, his spirits seem to lift and you could tell he wasn’t ready to give up.

“About 90 days later, watching him on stage during the Fiddle Shop Fundraising concert at The Masonic Temple is a moment I will always cherish. Flanked by Vince Gill and Larry Gatlin, the love surrounding that entire theater was undeniable. He looked out and witnessed a jam-packed house of cheering fans once again … not only cheering because the music was great, but because they just loved this man.

“I believe now that this was his living tribute. He got to see and feel how much people loved him. Few will have that moment of joyous recognition while still on this earth and we’ve got to give that to Byron. I will miss him. This town will never be quite the same, but his legacy will live on — because as he said, The Music Never Dies.”

“Byron wanted music to be handed down,” Beesley added. “To him, the instruments he had (in the Double Stop Fiddle Shop and Music Hall) had souls. There were instruments 100 years or older whose music had been silenced due to the fire.”

Though many instruments were lost, Berline did find one of his most cherished possessions had survived. In an article published March 9, 2019 in the Guthrie News Leader, it was reported:

Byron could hardly bring himself to look as the Guthrie Fire Department worked to get the safes open. Inside one of them was arguably his most prized possession — a Gibson Loar Mandolin. There were only a handful of them made from 1922- 24. Byron’s was from 1923. He had owned it since the 1980’s. Thankfully, when he bought it, it came in one of the best cases ever made.

“Luckily, the guy I bought it from put it in this case called a Mark Leaf,” Berline recounted. “They are waterproof. If you wanted to stand on it and jump up and down on it, it wouldn’t hurt it at all. That’s how tough the case was. I ended up just leaving it in the case all these years. That saved it.”

Double Stop would be reborn and serves at its current location at 211 E. Oklahoma in Guthrie. Jam sessions and concerts with Berline’s current band still take place.

Tom Webb, coordinator of the OIBF for 20 years, said, “For many, Byron Berline was a legendary world-class fiddler, song writer, band leader and a leading citizen of his adopted hometown of Guthrie, Oklahoma. For me, Byron was a dear personal friend and confidante, the inspiration and Founder of Oklahoma’s International Bluegrass Festival, whose congenial wit, sense of humor, honesty and generous spirit have made him an ideal role model for the young people he sought to motivate in keeping Bluegrass music alive and well.”

Many others from the community shared their heartfelt thoughts and condolences as well.

Tourism coordinator Verla Raines remembers Berline well.

“Byron and his music came into my life nine years ago when I moved to Guthrie,” Raines said. “The 2012 Bluegrass Festival featured Vince Gill and cold, freezing rain, both of which made for an incredible adventure of camping, jamming and marveling at the fiddler who founded the festival and made such joyful music! He welcomed me to sit in on jam circles at the fiddle shop, and he said, “Yeah, sure, we could do that,” when I asked him to play for a special ‘89er Sunday concert I was organizing in 2013, and again in 2015.

“His stories and easygoing atmosphere in the shop were delightful, and I popped in often. He would say ‘Verla, how about a song?’ since I can’t play guitar all that well, but I know songs to sing. He put up with my choice of John Denver songs and hymns, and made them sound good with his fiddle renditions. He was my friend, he was a friend to many. He is missed.”

Flora Knight also had fond memories.

“Byron Berline’s contribution to the world transcends his once-in-a-lifetime unique skill and prowess as a fiddler,” she said. “He was a humanitarian. When I first decided to come to Guthrie from New Zealand to learn to make cowboy boots from Lisa Sorrell, also being an old-time fiddle player, I was delighted to learn that Byron had just reopened his world famous fiddle shop two doors down from Lisa. I am from the opposite side of the world and had listened and learned from his music since I was a teenager. Byron was a rock star and my hero. He is still these things; but he redefined what that meant for me. We all know of the endless accolades and achievements Byron enjoyed in his life. Enough to put you so far out ahead of everyone else, but that wasn’t the way he did things and the work that Byron was doing in his life when I met him was subtle and limitless in its effectiveness. He was a link to a musical era that is rapidly slipping away from us, and had the generosity and kindness to share his unique part in it with everyone around him.

“He embodied the importance of being inclusive and patient with his time and energy. He immediately was welcoming and would invite me to play on stage, (get me) free tickets to the show or bluegrass festival to get me involved and introduce me to all the musicians and community around Guthrie. I joke that I bribed him into hanging out with me by offering to make him a pair of boots in exchange for some lessons. He would say, ‘I think I’m getting the better deal here.’ He appreciated that I loved his original tunes and would take the time to learn them with care, especially the lovely waltz, such as ‘Sweet Memory Waltz’ or the expressions of love for his family in numerous compositions of sentimental tributes to his wife, Bette, daughter, Becca, and grandchildren. I told him that learning ‘Sweet Memory Waltz’ alone was worth the pair of boots,” Knight continued.

“Finishing, he had ways of lifting up all of the musicians around him and I know I am not unique in this, but he had a way of making you feel like your contribution was important. In the time that I spent in his shop with him, I observed just how far reaching his influence was. Anyone who walked through the door had a seat in the jam circle, or was worthy of hearing his legendary stories straight from the horse’s mouth. I met the whole community as they came in and out of the hub that is the fiddle shop. One of the last times I spent with him I was trying out fiddles to upgrade from the one I had. I’d narrowed it down to one fiddle that I loved and asked him how much he had on it. He says, ‘You like that one?’ I said, ‘I love it.’ To which he replied, ‘Well, Happy Birthday, it’s yours.’

“I will always be grateful for the connection I had with this incredible man. As well as the huge body of music that he left with us, he lifted us all to be better human beings, to share the goodness in us, to reach inside and connect with the love of the music, and know that we will have a place in the world as long as we have that. As long as we carry that spirit with us, we will continue to honor his legacy.”

Jim Garling remembers Berline fondly by sharing this quote: “Byron Berline: A man that changed lives daily. He totally blessed me and my little music world. Forever indebted. Love ya, friend.”

“If the music scene in Guthrie were its own country, then Byron Berline would be the benevolent king,” said Lucy Swanson, founder and executive director of The Arts in Guthrie. “Having had an extraordinary professional career in music all over the world, when he and Bette decided to settle down, they chose her hometown to plant themselves in. He then actually did what you would hope all people with his level of prestige would do with their influence, he encouraged and built up those that were coming along behind him.

“From establishing scholarships to mentoring directly, Byron’s generosity and accessibility with his time and talents seemed to be endless. Many of us will never be the same because of his impact in our lives. … And this is a very good thing.”

Mayor Steve Gentling was also saddened.

“This week, we lost a good, good man!” he said. “Byron Berline was a tremendous ambassador for our community and a wonderful advocate for the music world. As you watched and listened to him play any of his instruments, you could see and hear his love and passion for music and a passion for instilling that love of music in the future generations. They say that music connects people of all ages, cultures and experiences. It speaks to the heart and soul and sometimes expresses what words cannot. Byron’s music did just that. Byron was the maestro AND the messenger!

“What a kind and caring man who always saw the positive of a situation and embraced the challenge of making life better. Music, optimism, caring and kindness — no wonder he always seemed to have a smile on his face. And to think we in Guthrie got a chance to see that almost daily. What a blessing. He will be missed but leaves a legacy that will be carried on for generations — just like his music! Thank you, Byron!”

Justin Fortney, director of tourism and community development, said: “Something that truly set Byron Berline apart from many of his musical genius peers was how he encouraged, mentored and inspired other musicians. His legacy didn’t stop with the brilliant sounds his fingers made on a fiddle — it’s gonna live on for generations in everyone who took a lesson, everyone who bought an instrument, everyone who stopped into his shop for a conversation.

“If you want to count the number of people who are making art because of Byron Berline, you’re gonna have to pull out a fancy calculator and get to work, because the layers of the man’s intelligence can fill an encyclopedia. Whether you were just someone looking to learn an instrument, or an accomplished musician, Byron Berline had time for you and wanted to help you succeed. He was a true servant of the arts, and I hope we can all learn from how he invested in others.”

Stacy Frazier, OIBF committee member, also reminisced.

“I think some of my favorite Byron moments have been when he was on stage at the festival and a train would come through — it did not matter what they were playing, he would immediately call out ‘SPECIAL!’ And they would start playing ‘Orange Blossom Special.’ Sometimes he would get so tickled about it he could barely play for laughing. His laughter was a gift. He didn’t let go and full-on belly laugh very often, but when he did, it was like he was a little kid with pure joy. He will be missed.”

The one that will remember him the most, however, is Berline’s wife, Bette.

“Everyone knows he was a world-class musician,” she shared. “He was a friend to all. He mentored, encouraged, befriended, advised and donated his time and his resources to anyone who approached.”

Bette also thanked the community.

“We have been touched by the outpouring of love and inquiries about the service on Tuesday, July 20. Seating will be limited due to size of sanctuary at our home church, Presbyterian Church. A live feed will be set up in the fellowship hall to provide additional seating. You may also stream the service through the church’s Facebook page using this link: facebook. com/FUPGuthrie. There will also be an opportunity to honor Byron’s life and legacy at the Blue Grass Festival in October.”

We will miss you Byron and will always remember: “The Music Never Dies.”