Interview with Jimmy Cox, October 11, 2007

Partial Transcript: This, uh, video is brought to you by the International Bluegrass Music Museum in Owensboro, Kentucky.

Segment Synopsis: Jimmy Cox is introduced. He talks about his childhood near Williamsburg, Kentucky. He talks about taking music lessons from a church deacon and learning harmony and shape notes.

Keywords: Audio recording; Church deacons; Fairchild, Raymond (Artist); Fathers; Fiddle players; Fiddlers; Fiddles; Harmony singing; Hollers (Hollows); Learning to play; Mandolin players; Mandolins; Music lessons; Music students; Raymond Fairchild (Artist); Schools; Shape note; Window shades; Wolf Creek (Ky.)

Subjects: Banjo music (Bluegrass); Banjoists; Bluegrass music.; Bluegrass musicians; Childhood; Families.; Jellico (Tenn.); Music--Instruction and study.; Music--Performance.; Musical ability in children.; Musical performance; Musicians; Williamsburg (Ky.)

Partial Transcript: Anyway, I started playing on the radio when I was probably, uh, oh, I was probably eight years old.

Segment Synopsis: Cox talks about playing on the local radio station as a child.

Keywords: 1940s; Bailey's furniture store; Hitchhiking; WCTT (Radio station)

Subjects: Bluegrass music.; Bluegrass musicians; Childhood; Music--Performance.; Musical ability in children.; Musical performance; Musicians; Radio programs.; Radio stations.; Williamsburg (Ky.)

Partial Transcript: Can I interrupt for just a moment, uh, Jim, to go back to your parents?

Segment Synopsis: Cox talks about his mother and father and his 11 siblings. He talks about his father's work as a coal miner and his own work on the family farm.

Keywords: Banjo music (Bluegrass); Banjoists; Brothers; Churches; Company stores; Elbert Cox; Family; Farmers; Fathers; Georgia Cox; Guitar players; Guitars; Jobs; Logging; Music lessons; Organ; Parents; Scrip; Siblings; Sisters; Tennessee; Timber

Subjects: Careers.; Childhood; Coal miners; Coal mines and mining; Families.; Musical ability in children.; Occupations.; Professions.; Subsistence farming; Vocation.; Williamsburg (Ky.); Work.

Partial Transcript: With the, uh, family and friends, did they get together with music?

Segment Synopsis: Cox talks about picking parties during his childhood. He talks about some of his early musical influences.

Keywords: Brewster Brothers (Artist); Carl Story (Artist); Flatt, Lester (Artist); Get-togethers; Hank Williams (Artist); Influences; Lester Flatt (Artist); Lovesick Blues (Song); Mid-Day Merry-Go-Round (Radio program); Music teachers; Picking parties; Radio stations; Renfro Valley (Tenn.); Runs; Story, Carl (Artist); Williams, Hank (Artist)

Subjects: Bluegrass music.; Bluegrass musicians; Childhood; Music--Instruction and study.; Music--Performance.; Musical ability in children.; Musical performance; Musicians

Partial Transcript: Has banjo always been your instrument?

Segment Synopsis: Cox talks about starting with banjo but then playing mandolin during his military service. He talks about creating an electric banjo around 1967.

Keywords: 1967; Air Force; Bailey Brothers (Artist); Banjos; Charlie Gillam (Artist); Dances; Electric banjos; Electric mandolins; Gillam, Charlie (Artist); Mandolin players; Mandolins; Military service; Pedals; Television; Wichita Falls (Tex.)

Subjects: Banjo music (Bluegrass); Banjoists; Bluegrass music.; Bluegrass musicians; Music--Performance.; Musical instrument makers.; Musical instruments.; Musical inventions and patents.; Musical performance; Musicians

Partial Transcript: I'm gonna talk about that a little later and about your mechanical ability.

Segment Synopsis: Cox talks about some of the local radio stations during his childhood. He talks about seeing Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs play and changing to the three-finger playing style.

Keywords: Atkins, Chet (Artist); Chet Atkins (Artist); Comedians; Concerts; Earl Scruggs (Artist); Flatt, Lester (Artist); Gigs; Grand Ole Opry; KNOX (Radio station); Lester Flatt (Artist); Military service; Musical styles; Playing styles; Radio studios; Scruggs, Earl (Artist); Shows; Studios; Three-­finger banjo style; Three­finger banjo style; WCKY (Radio station); WJJD (Radio station); WWVA (Radio station)

Subjects: Bluegrass music.; Bluegrass musicians; Childhood; Music--Instruction and study.; Music--Performance.; Musical ability in children.; Musical performance; Musicians; Radio programs.; Radio stations.; Williamsburg (Ky.)

Partial Transcript: When you went in the service how old were you?

Segment Synopsis: Cox talks about joining the Air Force and working on jet engines.

Keywords: Amarillo (Tex.); B-29s; Boeing B-29 Superfortress; Engineering; Farmers; Farming; Jet engines; Jets; Joining; Learning; Mechanical; Repairs; San Antonio (Tex.); Training; United States Air Force (USAF); Wichita Falls (Tex.)

Subjects: Military education.; Military life.; Military service, Voluntary.; United States. Air Force.

Partial Transcript: When you came to Maine, uh, you came to--was it Presque Isle?

Segment Synopsis: Cox talks about the band he formed during his military service. He says they mostly played dances.

Keywords: Charlie And Jimmy The Blue Mountain Boys (Artist); Charlie Gillam (Artist); Dance music; Dances; Elvis Presley (Artist); Flying Tigers; Gene Hooper (Artist); Gillam, Charlie (Artist); Hooper, Gene (Artist); Maine; Presley, Elvis (Artist); Presque Isle (Me.); Servicemen; Sponsors; United States Air Force (USAF)

Subjects: Bands (Music); Bluegrass music.; Bluegrass musicians; Military life.; Military service, Voluntary.; Music--Performance.; Musical groups.; Musical performance; Musicians; United States. Air Force.

Partial Transcript: I understand that a, uh, very nice young lady captured you.

Segment Synopsis: Cox talks about where he met his wife and mentions their son, James Cox, Jr.

Keywords: Bass players; Bassists; Children; F. W. Woolworth Company; French; Guitar players; James Cox, Jr.; Jimmy Cox, Jr.; Lunch counters; Meeting; Sons; Wife; Woolworth's; Yvette LeBlanc Cox

Subjects: Families.

Partial Transcript: Um, the mechanical ability that you had and you used in the Air Force, uh, that certainly has tied you into manufacturing banjos here--

Segment Synopsis: Cox talks about how he began customizing and building his own banjos. He talks about building his first banjo and the materials he used. He talks about how he has grown into a full manufacturing operation, making almost all of the components of the banjos himself. He talks more about building an electric banjo.

Keywords: Assembly lines; Banjo players; Banjos; Bob Marshall (Artist); Bolts; Building banjos; Charlie Gillam (Artist); Children; Customization; Customized; Electric banjos; First banjo; Five-string banjos; Gillam, Charlie (Artist); Haggard, Merle (Artist); Kits; Lessons; Machinery; Manufacturing; Marshall, Bob (Artist); Mechanical ability; Mechanisms; Merle Haggard (Artist); Modifications; Musical styles; Nuts; Pedals; Playing styles; Professional musicians; Quality; Redesigned; Rock maple; Sound; Southern Maine Vocational Technical Institute (SMVTI); Tone ring; Trees; Washers; Well-known; Wood; Workshops

Subjects: Banjo music (Bluegrass); Banjoists; Bluegrass music.; Bluegrass musicians; Music--Performance.; Musical instrument makers.; Musical instruments.; Musical inventions and patents.; Musical performance; Musicians

Partial Transcript: How long did you play dances, Jimmy?

Segment Synopsis: Cox talks more about playing dances with the Blue Mountain Boys. He talks about opening for acts like Ralph Stanley and Don Reno & Red Smiley. He talks about playing at some of the first bluegrass festivals in Maine. He talks about playing on two television shows.

Keywords: Bangor (Me.); Bluegrass festivals; Charlie And Jimmy The Blue Mountain Boys (Artist); Charlie Gillam (Artist); Comedy; Comedy in bluegrass music; Concerts; Dances; Don Reno (Artist); Foot pedals; Gigs; Gillam, Charlie (Artist); Harris, Homer (Artist); Homer Harris (Artist); Ken MacKenzie (Artist); Little Round Jug (Song); Live performances; Live shows; MacKenzie, Ken (Artist); Mid-Day Merry-Go-Round (Radio program); Music festivals; Ralph Stanley (Artist); Red Smiley (Artist); Reno & Smiley (Artist); Reno and Smiley (Artist); Reno, Don (Artist); Shows; Smiley, Red (Artist); Stanley, Ralph (Artist); Steel guitars; Taping shows; Television shows

Subjects: Bands (Music); Bluegrass music.; Bluegrass musicians; Music--Performance.; Musical groups.; Musical performance; Musicians

Partial Transcript: When, uh--w--you had a day job when you was in, in the, uh, Air Force--when you came out of the Air Force.

Segment Synopsis: Cox talks about working at Woolworth's after leaving the Air Force.

Keywords: Assistant managers; Day jobs; F. W. Woolworth Company; Maine; Married; Moving; United States Air Force (USAF); Wife; Woolworth's; Yvette LeBlanc Cox

Subjects: Careers.; Families.; Occupations.; Professions.; Vocation.; Work.

Partial Transcript: Well, could you tell us about Charlie?

Segment Synopsis: Cox talks more about playing with Charlie Gillam and the Blue Mountain Boys. He talks about Gillam's career after their separation.

Keywords: Bailey Island (Me.); Charlie And Jimmy The Blue Mountain Boys (Artist); Charlie Gillam (Artist); Dance bands; Dance music; Dances; Don Reno (Artist); Gillam, Charlie (Artist); Harmony singing; Jim and Jesse and the Virginia Boys (Artist); Maine; Osborne Brothers (Artist); Red Smiley (Artist); Reno & Smiley (Artist); Reno and Smiley (Artist); Reno, Don (Artist)

Subjects: Bands (Music); Bluegrass music.; Bluegrass musicians; Music--Performance.; Musical groups.; Musical performance; Musicians

Partial Transcript: Do you have some favorite musicians and--or bands or artists that, uh--as you were going along?

Segment Synopsis: Cox talks about some of his favorite musicians and people he has collaborated with.

Keywords: Collaborations; Don Reno (Artist); Fairchild, Raymond (Artist); Flatt & Scruggs (Artist); Flatt and Scruggs (Artist); Johnnie & Jack (Artist); Johnnie and Jack (Artist); Louvin Brothers (Artist); Musical styles; North Carolina; Playing styles; Raymond Fairchild (Artist); Recording studios; Recordings; Red Smiley (Artist); Reno & Smiley (Artist); Reno and Smiley (Artist); Reno, Don (Artist)

Subjects: Bands (Music); Bluegrass music.; Bluegrass musicians; Music--Performance.; Musical groups.; Musical performance; Musicians; Sound recordings.; Sound--Recording and reproducing

Partial Transcript: Did you have some experiences that were humorous?

Segment Synopsis: Cox tells a humorous story about creating an electric mandolin pick.

Keywords: Caribou (Me.); Dance bands; Dance music; Dances; Electric mandolin picks; Electric picks; Fires; Funny stories; Humorous stories; Mandolin players; Mandolins

Subjects: Bluegrass music.; Bluegrass musicians; Music--Performance.; Musical instrument makers.; Musical instruments.; Musical inventions and patents.; Musical performance; Musicians

Partial Transcript: With the, um, national acts--let's call them national acts--coming out of Wheeling, West Virginia or whatever up here, can you name some of those that might have influenced you or you might have gone to see them?

Segment Synopsis: Cox talks about more of his musical influences.

Keywords: Andrew John Smik, Jr. (Artist); Doc Williams (Artist); Gene Hooper (Artist); Homestead; Hooper, Gene (Artist); Influences; Smik, Jr., Andrew John (Artist); WWVA (Radio station); Wheeling (W. Va.); Williams, Doc (Artist)

Subjects: Bluegrass music.; Bluegrass musicians; Music--Performance.; Musical performance; Musicians; Radio programs.; Radio stations.

Partial Transcript: I'm gonna stop just for a second.--[Cut]--in, in other words, uh, how you feel that bluegrass grew in the state of Maine.

Segment Synopsis: Cox discusses the growth of the popularity of bluegrass in Maine and some of his contributions, including teaching lessons, starting the Pine Tree State Bluegrass Music Association, leading jam sessions, and playing at some of the first bluegrass festivals in Maine. He talks about the use of bluegrass instruments in other musical genres. He gives advice to young bluegrass musicians.

Keywords: 1960s; Advice; Attendance; Bluegrass clubs; Bluegrass instrumentation; Bowdoin College; Children; Comedy in bluegrass music; Contributions; Country music; Crowds; Earl Scruggs (Artist); First festival; Frank Wakefield (Artist); Fred Pike (Artist); Growth; Jam sessions; Kids; Learning; Listening; Maine; Mandolin players; Mandolins; Moving; Music lessons; Music students; Musical genres; Musical styles; Pike, Fred (Artist); Pine Tree State Bluegrass Music Association; Popularity; Population; Relocation; Scruggs, Earl (Artist); South; Teaching music; Wakefield, Frank (Artist); Young people

Subjects: Bluegrass festivals; Bluegrass music.; Bluegrass musicians; Music festivals.; Music--Performance.; Musical performance; Musicians

Partial Transcript: --[Cut]--more time on making than any of them.

Segment Synopsis: Cox displays a custom-made banjo he created featuring Confederate images. He talks about the process of designing and creating it. He plays the song "Old Spinning Wheel in the Parlor" to demonstrate the banjo.

Keywords: Banjos; Confederate Army; Confederate soldiers; Costs; Demonstrations; Field commanders; Maple; Old Spinning Wheel in the Parlor (Song); Playing; Prices; Silk screening; Songs; Wood

Subjects: Banjo music (Bluegrass); Banjoists; Bluegrass music.; Bluegrass musicians; Music--Performance.; Musical instrument makers.; Musical instruments.; Musical performance; Musicians; United States--History--Civil War, 1861-1865.

Partial Transcript: Now, the other banjo--I see another case here.

Segment Synopsis: Cox displays another custom banjo line he created for Raymond Fairchild. He talks about the differences between this banjo and the one he created for Ralph Stanley. He plays the song "Five on Five" to demonstrate the banjo. He describes the differences between the original Fairchild banjo and the one he re-designed for the 50th anniversary.

Keywords: Banjo players; Banjos; Brass; Building banjos; Capos; Demonstrations; Fairchild, Raymond (Artist); Five on Five (Song); Flathead banjos; Fretboards; Gold plated; Loud; Mahogany necks; Manufacturing; Maple; Models; Playing; Quilted backs; Raised head banjos; Ralph Stanley (Artist); Raymond Fairchild (Artist); Sold out; Songs; Stanley, Ralph (Artist); Tail pieces; The Cox-Fairchild Banjo; Tone quality; Tone rings; Wood

Subjects: Banjo music (Bluegrass); Banjoists; Bluegrass music.; Bluegrass musicians; Music--Performance.; Musical instrument makers.; Musical instruments.; Musical performance; Musicians

Partial Transcript: Now have you made any im--i--uh--modifications to a basic banjo that are sort of your, your trademark?

Segment Synopsis: Cox describes his process of designing, manufacturing, and selling banjos. He talks about creating his own parts and how costs have risen over time. He talks about repairing banjos.

Keywords: Backlogs; Banjo players; Banjos; Bob French (Artist); Brackets; Brass; Building banjos; Computers; Contracts; Costs; England; French, Bob (Artist); Gold plating; Manufacturing; Models; Modifications; Parts; Phalange; Prices; Quantity; Repairs; Selling; Signatures; Stores; Tone ring; Trademarks; Websites

Subjects: Banjo music (Bluegrass); Banjoists; Bluegrass music.; Bluegrass musicians; Careers.; Family-owned business enterprises.; Music--Performance.; Musical instrument makers.; Musical instruments.; Musical performance; Musicians; Occupations.; Professions.; Vocation.; Work.

Partial Transcript: Jimmy, how would you like to be remembered?

Segment Synopsis: Cox talks about how he would like to be remembered.

Keywords: Banjo building; Banjo players; Banjos; Identity; Legacies; Manufacturing; Musical styles; Playing styles; Sound; Unique

Subjects: Banjo music (Bluegrass); Banjoists; Bluegrass music.; Bluegrass musicians; Music--Performance.; Musical instrument makers.; Musical instruments.; Musical performance; Musicians

Partial Transcript: We're, uh, making the side walls to the resonators that go on the back of the banjo.

Segment Synopsis: Cox's grandson Adam Cox demonstrates his process of making a banjo. He talks about how he started working in the shop as a child. He talks about sending the necks to Russell Springs, Kentucky for finish work.

Keywords: Banjo players; Banjos; Building banjos; Family traditions; Finish work; Glue; Grandsons; Headstocks; Inlays; James Adam Cox; Jobs; Lathes; Learning; Machinery; Necks; Parts; Playing music; Radios; Resonators; Russell Springs (Ky.); Side walls; Summer jobs; Workshops

Subjects: Banjo music (Bluegrass); Banjoists; Bluegrass music.; Bluegrass musicians; Careers.; Childhood; Families.; Family-owned business enterprises.; Music--Performance.; Musical instrument makers.; Musical instruments.; Musical performance; Musicians; Occupations.; Professions.; Vocation.; Work.

Partial Transcript: Are people aware of his skills?

Segment Synopsis: Adam Cox talks about whether people are aware of Jimmy Cox's skills as a banjo maker.

Keywords: Awareness; Boston Globe; Bowdoin College; International; James Adam Cox; Recognition; Websites

Subjects: Banjo music (Bluegrass); Banjoists; Bluegrass music.; Bluegrass musicians; Careers.; Families.; Family-owned business enterprises.; Music--Performance.; Musical instrument makers.; Musical instruments.; Musicians; Occupations.; Professions.; Vocation.; Work.

Partial Transcript: My, uh, my, my two kids--the, the youngest one 2 and the oldest one 6--I, I bring them in on Fridays to, uh, see their grandfather--or their great-grandfather and--for a couple hours.

Segment Synopsis: Adam Cox talks about his children (Jimmy Cox's great-grandchildren) visiting Jimmy Cox in the shop.

Keywords: Children; Concerts; Gigs; Great-grandchildren; James Adam Cox; Kids; Shows

Subjects: Families.

Partial Transcript: [Loud machinery noise]

Segment Synopsis: Cox's grandson Adam Cox continues to demonstrate his process of making a banjo.

Keywords: Banjos; Building banjos; James Adam Cox; Lathes; Manufacturing; Sanding

Subjects: Banjo music (Bluegrass); Banjoists; Bluegrass music.; Bluegrass musicians; Careers.; Families.; Family-owned business enterprises.; Musical instrument makers.; Musical instruments.; Musicians; Occupations.; Professions.; Vocation.; Work.

Partial Transcript: [Silence]

Segment Synopsis: Several photographs, awards, and other pieces of memorabilia are shown. There is no audio during this segment.

Keywords: Articles; Awards; Jimmy Cox; Memorabilia; Photographs; Photos; Recognition

Subjects: Bands (Music); Bluegrass music.; Bluegrass musicians; Music--Performance.; Musical groups.; Musical performance; Musicians

Partial Transcript: Okay.

Segment Synopsis: Cox gives a tour of his storeroom and the materials they use to manufacture their instruments. He talks about the mistake the resulted in the Kentucky Redneck-5.

Keywords: Banjos; Building banjos; Cox Redneck Kentucky 5; Dolly Parton (Artist); Fathers; First banjo; Machinery; Machines; Mandolins; Manufacturing; Materials; Metal; Mistakes; Necks; Part; Parton, Dolly (Artist); Reproductions; Stockrooms; Storerooms; Supplies; The Cox Kentucky-5; The Five String Music Studio; The Kentucky Redneck-5; The Kentucky-5; Veneer; Workshops

Subjects: Banjo music (Bluegrass); Banjoists; Bluegrass music.; Bluegrass musicians; Careers.; Family-owned business enterprises.; Music--Performance.; Musical instrument makers.; Musical instruments.; Musical performance; Musicians; Occupations.; Professions.; Vocation.; Work.