Ervin Solomon                  (Sally Johnson)        Inducted 1981    Previous | Home | Next

Born January 14, 1902 in Comanche County, Texas to Pleasant Riley and Lucy Smith Solomon, being next to the youngest of 9 children. Ervin grew up in Kaufman County as a farm boy where he learned from his Pap to play fiddle at an early age. He met and married Beulah Faye Arbuckle, August 4, 1922. To this union 3 sons were born: Vernon, Norman and DeWayne.

Ervin and Beulah met at a very small east Texas town named Quinlan. After a short romance, she married a fiddler. Through a natural talent and much hard practice, sometimes in a corn crib (according to his Dad,) for they could not stand the constant sound of strings for a long period of time. He recorded his first record in 1929 for Columbia. He started playing in competition in 1927 and never lost a contest as long as he was in competition. Always winning his division as well as Grand Champion. This was most important income for a nickel a pound cotton farmer. His last fiddle session with friends, was on October 31st, 1947, all night long and then on November 1st all day long, in a jam session with Joe Hughes, Major Franklin and Omega Burden. Ervin passed away suddenly on November 3rd from an apparent heart attack. To this family and it's many friends, it's been a great loss, but a lot of happy memories hearing some of his innovations still being played today.