| Folk Arts - Master Artist - Harry O. JohnsonHarry Johnson grew up in the North Dakotan agricultural area of Abercrombie. In the close-knit community of 225 mostly Swedish and Norwegian immigrants, entertainment was usually found in social dances with music provided by "dance fiddlers." It was there that young Johnson learned to play the old time tunes he loves, first on the guitar and then on the fiddle, by listening to the playing of his father and cousin, Helmer. Inspiration also came from listening to the famous Oscar Stensgard Band from Fargo, ND. He is active at community events, contests and concerts, twice winning a National Seniors Division championship. He moved to Washington State in 1947, where he quit playing for a while, and then was drawn back to the old waltzes, hambos and schottisches that his family played. He also represented Washington at the Smithsonian Institute's Bicentennial Festival in 1976, and was included in the "Washington Traditional Fiddlers Project" recently supported by WSAC and the NEA. At 87, Johnson is deeply concerned that this Scandinavian immigrant music tradition is not being passed on to younger generations.
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