Gene Goforth

An old-timey/traditional fiddler from Shannon County, Missouri, Gene Goforth (1921-2002) worked as a heavy machinery operator in Saint Louis while also playing down-home music at the highest level. He toured with fellow Ozarkers such as Dub Crouch and Norman Ford, as well as nationally famous bluegrass auteur John Hartford, with whom he recorded an album in the 1990s. The Goforth family, including his father Josh and brother Cecil, was deeply enmeshed in the musical culture of the regions and had connections to bluegrass stars such as fiddler Kenny Baker and fellow Missourians, The Dillards.