Henry Ford's Fiddler

LUDINGTON, MICHIGAN, 10 Aug 1935 – "Old Jep" Bisbee, the small-town storekeeper who fiddled his way into the hearts of Henry Ford and Thomas A. Edison, died here yesterday. His name was Joseph E. Bisbee, but to the townspeople of Paris, Michigan, where he lived most of his ninety-three years, and to Mr. Ford, Mr. Edison, Harvey Firestone and many other eminent persons he was "Old Jep." He had played seldom since his wife died four years ago, but his last act was to play a concert of the toe-stirring tunes for which he was famous. He had just completed his concert yesterday afternoon, as part of a three-day program commemorating the death of Father Jacques Marquette, when he was stricken by a heart attack. He never recovered consciousness and died in Paulina Stearns Hospital.

"Old Jep" was the foremost fiddler of the once thriving little Mecosta County community, where he was the village storekeeper, banker and registered pharmacist, when Mr. Ford, Mr. Firestone and Mr. Edison happened through one summer on one of their rambling vacations. They prevailed upon him – and upon "Ma" Bisbee, who played chords on the organ while "Old Jep" scraped the fiddle – to play for them. The listeners were entranced. Mr. Ford said he preferred "Old Jep's" rendition of "The Arkansas Traveler" and "Turkey in the Straw" to all other music.

In 1920, Mr. Bisbee won the Michigan fiddling championship at a contest sponsored by Mr. Ford, who gave him $100 for his fiddle and presented an automobile to him.

In 1923, Mr. Ford took "Old Jep" and "Ma" Bisbee to West Orange, NJ, in his private railroad car to visit Mr. Edison. There the aged fiddler made phonograph records of many tunes from his extensive repertoire. Mr. Edison said "Jep" made more records in one day than any other person in the inventor's experience.