Fiddler's Curse: The Untold Story of Ervin T. Rouse, Chubby Wise, Johnny Cash, and The Orange Blossom Special

by Randy Noles, John Hartford and Marty Stuart (Foreword)

One of the most bizarre stories in all of popular music is the history of  Orange Blossom Special,  arguably the century's best-known fiddle tune. The man credited with its ownership, Ervin T. Rouse, endured tragedy, alcoholism and mental illness. He spent his last years fiddling for tips in isolated taverns at the edge of the Everglades, and died all but unknown. The man who claimed co-ownership, Chubby Wise, achieved fame as the seminal fiddler of the bluegrass genre, but struggled to overcome personal demons and to heal the scars of childhood abandonment and abuse. Johnny Cash, the tortured superstar who made the song a mainstream hit, quietly championed Rouse and earned the enmity of Wise. This trio's disparate legacies are here told and forever linked with the legendary diesel steamliner.

226 pages, Paperback

First published July 1, 2002

Reviews

[Patrick Walters]

Once Hollywood decides to stop remaking the same movies about the same few folks this book will assuredly be a movie. It's hard to believe how hard some people had it in their lives and still took it on the chin each day.

[Ken Pelham]

Great telling of a little-known story in American music.

[Eric]

Awesome book of musical history. As a fiddler, I found this particularly fascinating. This is a great book for a music buff.