This award presented each year since 1979 at the Annual Old Time Fiddle Contest
The 2019 Award goes to Gaye Harrison!
Gaye Harrison, old time fiddler, Motherlode band leader and collector of old Illinois fiddle tunes is certainly deserving of this award. For the last two years she has been an aggressive member of the Fiddle Contest Committee and has used her talent and experience as a Graphic Designer to greatly enhance our publicity efforts via flyers, radio interviews and newspaper ads. Her winning personality resulted in many contributions via Contest Program ads from area businesses. All such contributions to our non-profit IOTFA organization are used to support the Fiddle Fest that includes the Saturday band performances and Sunday Annual Fiddle Contest. Thanks to Gaye for her support and time consuming work!
Gaye Harrison
The 2020 IOTFA Fiddle Fest and State Fiddle Contest will be held at the Effingham Performance Center on Oct. 24 and 25.
The List of Awardees of the IOTFA Perpetuating Old Time Music Award
1979 Ernest & Deloris Ringo—————- Shelbyville, IL
1980 Archie & Virginia Smothers———- Pana
1981 Professor Halbert Thornberry ——-Urbana
1982 Floyd Staff Family————————-Vandalia
1983 Don & Lorene Hagy———————–Vandalia
1984 Cecil Polley———————————Irving
1985 Chlores & Erma Worlow—————-Mr. Carmel
1986 Raymond & Beverly Easter————Mattoon
1987 Tom & Betty McElroy——————–Lakewood
1988 Tim Stokes———————————Buncombe
1989 Ed Fravell———————————–Orient
1990 Harold McDowell————————-Lakewood
1991 Gilbert & Lillian Wright—————-Beecher City
1992 Barbara Haenny & Family————-Argenta
1993 Louella Wolfe—————————–Pana
1994 Adrien & Eileen Ernst——————Decatur
1995 Junior & Daisy Hobson Family——-Stewardson
and Burl & Maurine Hobson——- –(Posthumously )
1996 Avo McMillen—————————–Tower Hill
1997 Glenn & Dorthea Abbott————–Mattoon
1998 James E. Parsley————————-Allenville
1999 Rod Crawford—————————- St. Elmo
2000 Gene & Pat Sorrell———————–Findley
2001 J. L. Phillips and Connie & Jim Russell-Oblong
2002 Bill & June Morris————————Windsor
2003 Louie Popejoy—————————–Terre Haute, IN
2004 John Coleman “Old Time Disc Jockey”Champaign
2005 Mrs. Bonny Koester———————-Stewardson
2006 Wyatt, Melissa & Everett Frye———Findlay
2007 Steve Reynolds—————————Strasburg
2008 Tom & Theresa Foreman————– Stewardson
2009 Lonnie & Nancy Antrim————— -Stewardson
2010 Ralph & Martha White——————Neoga
and Ann White—————————–Effingham
2011 Jerry W. Ellis——————————-Charleston
2012 Chester & Betty Burgess—————-Stewardson
2013 Jim Carder———————————-Stewardson
and Doug Hadfield, (Posthumously)-Charleston
2014 Don (Butch) & Joan Baker————- Neoga
2015 Jeff Derrickson—————————-Mattoon
2016 John Smith———————————-Newton
2017 R. C. Smith———————————-Decatur
2018 Tom Rezinas——————————-Shelbyville
2019 Gaye Harrison—————————-Charleston
Note: the 1982 Staff Family award included the very young daughter, Melody Staff, now Melody Staff Freeman, who is still an active fiddler and keyboardist playing in church and in several bands including the Dennis Stroughmatt Band that will be performing at the 2020 Fiddle Fest on Saturday evening at the Effingham Performance Center. Melody as served the IOTFA as a contest judge several times including the 2019 contest.