The Moatsville String Ticklers

The Old Home Place

The Moatsville String Ticklers

Ida L. Reed

Down To The General Store

Hillbilly - English Dictionary

New American Economics Experiment

There's a group of musicians that could be considered Moatsville's "Claim to Fame": the Moatsville String Ticklers.  Among the 'boys in the band' were two of my uncles - Brooks and Harold Ritter.

The Moatsville String Ticklers made appearances (if you can't see them, are those still appearances?) on WMMN radio, in Fairmont, West Virginia.  From what I've heard, over the years, they had a pretty big following.

Back in the 1920's and 1930's, local radio stations brought a lot of artists - big and small - together.  According to my Mom, Grandpa Jones even made an appearance in Moatsville, as well as playing on WMMN.  The well-known Sons of the Pioneers were familiar with the Moatsville String Ticklers from those days.  And there was mutual respect among those musicians.

Well, throughout my childhood, I heard bits and pieces about this group - not much that had substance.  After my Uncle Brooks passed away in September of 2001, I saw a picture of the String Ticklers in his home.  Soon after, at an antique shop in Philippi, I found an 8 x 10 photo (like the one to the right), labeled "The Moatsville Band."

My curiosity peaked, and photo in hand, I searched the Internet.  Lo and behold - the Moatsville String Ticklers live on!

The old family legend about the String Ticklers recording a record is true.  On October 22, 1929, exactly one week before the "Black Tuesday" stock market crash, the Moatsville String Ticklers were at a make-shift Columbia Records studio in Johnson City, Tennessee.  They recorded a total of four songs for Columbia, that day, and it's said that Columbia's Frank Walker would have liked to record more of their music - but the Great Depression interfered.

Of the four songs recorded, I've found references to three:

• Moatsville Blues

• West Virginia Hills

• Goodbye, My Lover, Goodbye

Columbia released a 78 RPM record in February, 1930.  In Columbia's 15000D series, was 15491D: "West Virginia Hills" and "Moatsville Blues."  It was the only release of the Moatsville String Ticklers music.

Even now, however, this music lives on.  The original 78's are being collected.  Compilations of Old-Time Music feature the work of the Moatsville String Ticklers.

The Moatsville String Ticklers: (standing) Zel Frye, Doyle Shaffer, Brooks Ritter, Floyd Frye (seated) Marshall Summers, Harold Ritter, Cecil Frye, Gordon Frye.

WMMN, Fairmont, West Virginia