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Curly Fox | |
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| Background information | |
| Born | Arnim LeRoy Fox (1910-11-09)November 9, 1910 |
| Died | November 10, 1995(1995-11-10) (aged 85) Nashville, Tennessee, United States |
| Genres | Country,Old-time music |
| Occupation(s) | Singer, musician |
| Instrument | Fiddle |
| Years active | 1935–1963 |
| Labels | Decca Records |
| Formerly of | Curly and Ruby, Grand Ole Opry |
Arnim LeRoy Fox (November 9, 1910 – November 10, 1995),[1] better known asCurly (orCurley)Fox, was an American old-time and country fiddler, singer andcountry musician.
Fox was born inGraysville, Tennessee, United States,[2] as the son of abarber. He learned to play thefiddle with some help from his father and from James McCarroll, a member of the Roane County Ramblers.[2] Fox first played professionally on the traveling Indian Medicine Show with Chief White Owl; later, he played with Claude Davis and the Carolina Tar Heels inAtlanta, Georgia.[2] Fox founded the Tennessee Firecrackers in the 1930s, performing onWSB-AM in Atlanta.[2] For a time, he worked for promoter Larry Sunbrock on his "fiddling contest" show. Sunbrock would travel around the country with his fiddlers and arrange "world championship fiddling contests" in towns along the way. Fox played with theShelton Brothers on recordings they made forDecca Records between 1934 and 1936, in addition to recording a few of his own singles.[2]
In 1937, Fox met singerTexas Ruby (Ruby Agnes Owens), sister ofTex Owens, while playing inFort Worth, Texas.[3] They married shortly thereafter in 1939, and began playing together professionally on theGrand Ole Opry,[2] where they performed from 1937–1939 and 1944-1948. From 1940-1944, they became a regular feature onBoone County Jamboree overWLW-AM inCincinnati, Ohio. The couple was invited to be members of The Opry in the late 1930s.[4] They occasionally recorded together, including a session forKing Records in 1947.[2] In 1948, Curly and Ruby moved toHouston,Texas, where they remained for over adecade, working in radio and television.
In 1960, the pair returned to work on theGrand Ole Opry, but Ruby often fell ill and Fox frequently performed solo. An album was recorded together forStarday Records in 1963, but 72 hours after the recording sessions, Ruby died in a mobile home fire.[2] After her death, Fox played solo for several years, but eventually moved toChicago to live with family. Though he ailed in his old age, he sporadically performed live; he returned to Graysville in the mid-1970s, performing with a localbluegrass outfit before retiring.
Curly Fox died in November 1995, at the age of 85.[1]
