Ed Haley

Musician · 1885–1951 · Logan, West Virginia
Best known for Songwriter

James Edward “Ed” Haley was a blind West Virginia old-time fiddler whose 1946–47 home recordings — never commercially released in his lifetime — document one of the deepest and most-imitated fiddle styles of the pre-bluegrass era. His tunes — “Parkersburg Landing,” “Cherokee Polka,” “Forked Deer” — are touchstones of contemporary old-time fiddling.

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  • Born James Edward Haley in 1885 near Logan, West Virginia.
  • Was blinded by measles as an infant.
  • Spent decades busking on courthouse-square fiddle contests across West Virginia, Kentucky, and Tennessee.
  • Recorded a series of home disc-recorder sessions in 1946–47 that became the basis for the influential Rounder Records albums released in 1997.
  • Died February 3, 1951.

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