The words to a popular country song
say “If you want to play in Texas, you
got to have a fiddle in the band” and
for more than six decades one Jasper
resident has been living up to that
requirement.
Kenneth “Little Red” Hayes was
honored at the Texas Country Music
Hall of Fame in San Marcos for, as the
Charlie Daniels’ song would say, “sawin’
on a fiddle and playing it hot.”
Hayes has played his violin for a
number of country music acts that include Hank Thompson, Jim Reeves, Ray
Price, George Jones, and Mel Tillis.
“Starting in 1950 I was 15-years old and
went to work with Hank Thompson, who
at the time had the biggest band in the
nation,” Hayes said. “During 1952 I
worked with Jim Reeves and from 1954
until 1965 I worked with Ray Price.”
13 years old.
“My older brother, who is known as Joe “Big Red”
In 1975 Hayes bought land and built a house in Jasper Hayes, came home from one trip and he told me not
, Texas , where he stills lives with his wife of 59 years, to mess with his fiddle,” explains Hayes. “I was 13 and
Nina.
as soon as left the house, I opened up the fiddle case
and took out his fiddle. Within a couple hours, I taught
“During that time (when he built a home in Jasper), myself to play three tunes.”
I spent my time with George Jones and Mel Tillis
away from here,” Hayes said. “It was a very busy time. “When my brother came home, I showed him what I
I stopped playing with Mel Tillis in 1995 after I had a had learned. He was so impressed he left again and
heart attack. It is pretty stressful out there, you know.” came back a couple hours later and presented me
“You may travel 20 hours at times to play for four with my first fiddle,” he adds. “I’ve been fiddling ever
hours,” he pointed out . “ I have played in every state since.”
in the union, Canada several times, and one time in “I have played fiddle with some of the greatest names
New Foundland with George Jones.”
in the country music industry,” points out Hayes. “But,
my fondest memories are playing with Ray Price and
Hayes says he started playing the fiddle when he was
7