The information in this biography was published in 2015, based on interviews prior to that date. Later events and accomplishments may not be included.
Bud Stewart
Image
Name
Stewart, Bud
Dates
1936-
Where Raised
Residence
Occupation
worked for electronics company in Ontario
Style
Bud Stewart
Style: Messer / Maritime
[Photo of Bud Stewart: Not Yet Available]
Fiddler Facts:
Dates recorded: 26 Oct. 2006
Where recorded: Milltown Cross
Year of birth: 1936
Residence: Milltown Cross
Where raised: Caledonia
Occupation: worked for electronics company in Ontario
Accompanist at Recording Session: Urban Chaisson
Bud Stewart did not play violin as a youngster and there was no fiddle music in the house, but his mother played pump organ and he got some training on that instrument. He was a great fan of Don Messer's fiddling, which he heard on the family radio and wind-up phonograph. As a teenager he attended most of the dances in the surrounding area. Some of the fiddlers who played for those dances were John Dan MacPherson, Attwood O'Connor, Archie Stewart, and Jack Webster.
Bud left the Island in 1954 to seek his fortune in Ontario. When he was in his 40s, he took fiddle lessons from from Elizabeth Townsend, the wife of fiddler Graham Townsend. He continued learning tunes on his own from sheet music, and also participated in a number of Ontario fiddle clubs.
When he returned to live on PEI several years ago, he helped fill a void left by the near disappearance of older-generation traditional fiddlers from Central and Southern Kings County. A few accompanists coalesced around him - Urban Chaisson and John MacLeod on guitars and Ivan Nicholson on mandolin – and together they often played at local ceilidhs, benefit concerts, and seniors' homes.
Video Selection: [Not Yet Available]
Tunes
Country Waltz
Sheguiandah Bay Waltz
Images
Concert at Perrin's Landing, Oct. 2006; L-R: Urban Chaisson, gtr.; Bud Stewart, fiddle; Ivan Nicholson, mnd; John MacLeod, gtr:
Concert at Perrin's Landing; L-R: Urban Chaisson, gtr.; Bud Stewart, fiddle; Ivan Nicholson, mnd; John MacLeod, gtr
Tune Selections
| Country Waltz | Accompanied by: Urban Chaisson | Messer or Maritime | info |
| Sheguiandah Bay Waltz | Accompanied by: Urban Chaisson | Messer or Maritime | info |
Oral histories
| Hall dances in Montague & South Kings | the Beaver Club in Montegue and other Dance Halls of Southern Kings County in the 50s | info and transcript |
Videos
Accompanied by: L-R: Urban Chaisson, gtr; Ivan Nicholson, mnd; John MacLeod, gtr