Art Stamper was born in Knott County, Kentucky, and started playing fiddle when he was nine years old. In 1950, he went to Cincinnati and played the bars there off and on for two years. After that, he worked for the Stanley Brothers and fiddled on some of their Rich-R-Tone recordings. In 1956, he moved to Dayton and began playing with the Osborne Brothers and Red Allen. Stamper played fiddle on their first MGM recording session, which included some twin fiddling with Tommy Jackson. In the 1980s, Art was a member of the Goins Brothers Band. After retirement from a hairdressing career in Louisville, Stamper played with Larry Sparks and recorded several popular fiddle albums featuring bluegrass and old-time styles. The IBMA gave him a Distinguished Achievement Award in 2004.
STAMPER, ARTHUR “ART” (1933-2005)