Charles Jean Horner, of Rockwood, has distinguished himself as an extraordinary craftsman and one of Tennessee’s most revered instrument makers. For over 75 years, he has made fiddles and mandolins full-time in a shop near the cabin where he was raised in the Westel community on the Cumberland Plateau. He’s perfected his self-taught skills through trial-and-error, resourcefulness, and learning from the community around him. Beloved by traditional musicians statewide, his hundreds of instruments have proven their quality in the hands of serious and demanding players, such as John Hartford and Jim Buchanan. After returning from the Navy in 1955, Jean worked as a cabinetmaker for many years but slowly began building fiddles as demand rose. Jean states, “I got back from the Navy, I found a book on violin making. I was hooked on the fiddle from age fourteen, and it never let me go.”
Jean is widely celebrated and has been filmed and interviewed for copious news stories and documentaries. Notably, he demonstrated his craft in the Tennessee program at the 1986 Smithsonian Festival of American Folklife and was awarded the Tennessee Governor’s Arts Award in Folklife Heritage in 2009. One of his fiddles is part of the Tennessee State Museum’s permanent collection. Jean has mentored many well-known musicians in this region including Kenny Sears, Mike Whitehead, and Jimmy Bilbrey. In 2017 he participated in the Traditional Arts Apprenticeship program for the first time and taught Austin Derryberry. He explains, “I plan to teach fiddle making, especially the importance of making a good quality instrument that is appealing to the eye…The quality of a good handmade instrument speaks for itself. Mass produced instruments are perfect in appearance, but their tone is lacking when compared to the handmade instruments. Handmade are more personal.”
As part of the Traditional Arts Apprenticeship Program this year, Teddy Sherrill will work with Jean to deepen and solidify his skills. Teddy hails from the same area as Jean and has been surrounded by the traditional music of the Cumberland Plateau his entire life. Bolstered by his background in woodworking and construction work, Teddy has been working with Jean weekly for the past year and a half, proving his metal and commitment to the craft. Jean’s shop has become a pilgrimage destination for many wanting to learn but most don’t stick around for long because, in Jean’s words, “they don’t understand that it takes a lifetime to learn this skill.” Teddy is a serious student and understands the importance of traditional building techniques, saying, “There is nothing that compares to the quality of a good handmade instrument. It shows determination and perseverance, and also makes a beautiful sound in the right hands.” Teddy explains, “I want to learn all that I possibly can of the art of fiddle making from this teacher and very, very dear friend. His knowledge of the history of fiddles is amazing. This is more than just a talent for this teacher; it is his life, and he wants to keep it alive. I feel so blessed to be a part of that.”
