Remembered for his key role in the development of the "Bakersfield sound" (a country music sub-genre that originated in California during the 1960s), this fiddle player and guitarist frequently performed with country singer Buck Owens as a member of Owens' backing band, the Buckaroos. He began playing the violin when he was just three years old. In his teens, he was the opening act for Elvis Presley at a tour stop in Tacoma, Washington.
