Garrett Arwood Family recordings

Garrett Arwood (1 October 1904 - 21 September 1993) was a fiddler and luthier from Pigeonroost, Mitchell County, North Carolina. Arwood specialized in the making of fiddles, producing 59 instruments in his lifetime. He married Nora Jane Hughes (16 March 1913 - 9 June 2009) of Buladean, Mitchell County, North Carolina, on 23 December 1926. Nora Arwood was a singer and was also known as a maker of quilts. The Arwoods lived most of their lives in the Pigeonroost community until moving to join family in Pontiac, Illinois in the spring of 1990. Garrett and Nora’s son, Norman Arwood (14 October 1927 - 29 July 1973), was an accomplished musician who played banjo, guitar, mandolin, and fiddle. Norman performed with bands at taverns and bars in the vicinity of Ottawa, La Salle County, Illinois. Garrett’s sister, Dessie Arwood (27 August 1914 - 5 July 2005), married Charles Marshall “Marsh” Miller (9 May 1912 - 31 October 1988), of Erwin, Unicoi County, Tennessee. Marsh was also a musician and the Millers often hosted jam sessions at their home. Garrett’s fiddle making is featured in the Fourth volume in the Foxfire book series and in Mountain People, Places and Ways by Michael and Ruth Joslin. Garrett and Nora also appear on the following albums: Appalachia- The Old Traditions- Volume 2 (Home-Made Music- HMM LP 002, 1983) Far in the Mountains- Volume 4 (Musical Traditions Records- MTCD 323-4, 2002)