Art Stamper, 71; Fiddler Who Helped Define Bluegrass

Art Stamper, 71, a leading fiddle player who performed with the Stanley Brothers and Bill Monroe's Blue Grass Boys, died Sunday in Louisville, Ky., after a four-year battle with throat cancer.

A member of the Bluegrass Hall of Fame, Stamper was a native of Hindman in eastern Kentucky and a longtime resident of Shepherdsville, near Louisville. His father, Hiram, was an accomplished old-time musician, and Stamper followed suit at age 9. He was a professional by 16 and joined Ralph and Carter Stanley's band in 1952, just in time to help define a new genre of music eventually called bluegrass.

Stamper retired from a full-time music career in 1956 to raise a family. He returned to music full-time in 1978, sitting in with a variety of bands, including Monroe's, and recording two highly regarded albums: "The Lost Fiddler" and "Goodbye Girls, I'm Going to Boston."

Last year, Stamper received the distinguished achievement award from the International Bluegrass Music Assn., joining the likes of Earl Scruggs, Lester Flatt, Kenny Baker and Monroe.