American Country and Bluegrass Musician. He was a master fiddler who played and recorded with legends ranging from Ray Charles to Earl Scruggs and was a member of the Grand Ole Opry staff band for more than a dozen years. Hester, who came from a musical family and began playing the fiddle as a child, began his career as a professional musician during the early 1970s with Bluegrass Alliance and The Whites. Upon relocating to Nashville in 1973, he found work backing Donna Fargo, Mel Tillis, Jerry Reed, Randy Travis, Conway Twitty, Bill Monroe and Hank Williams Jr., becoming a popular session player during the 1980s and 90s. He also appeared on several television shows, including 'Nashville Alive', 'Pop Goes the Country' and 'Nashville Now'. In the mid-1990s, he spent time in Steve Wariner's band and was one of the founding members of the western swing band The Time Jumpers. In 2000, he was hired as a member of the Opry staff band, where listeners heard his fiddle over the radio every weekend, before leaving in 2014. In recent years, he primarily played with his daughter Rachael Hester and her band The Tennessee Walkers.
American Country and Bluegrass Musician. He was a master fiddler who played and recorded with legends ranging from Ray Charles to Earl Scruggs and was a member of the Grand Ole Opry staff band for more than a dozen years. Hester, who came from a musical family and began playing the fiddle as a child, began his career as a professional musician during the early 1970s with Bluegrass Alliance and The Whites. Upon relocating to Nashville in 1973, he found work backing Donna Fargo, Mel Tillis, Jerry Reed, Randy Travis, Conway Twitty, Bill Monroe and Hank Williams Jr., becoming a popular session player during the 1980s and 90s. He also appeared on several television shows, including 'Nashville Alive', 'Pop Goes the Country' and 'Nashville Now'. In the mid-1990s, he spent time in Steve Wariner's band and was one of the founding members of the western swing band The Time Jumpers. In 2000, he was hired as a member of the Opry staff band, where listeners heard his fiddle over the radio every weekend, before leaving in 2014. In recent years, he primarily played with his daughter Rachael Hester and her band The Tennessee Walkers.
Bio by: Louis du Mort
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