Owensboro native Michael Walker accepted one of bluegrass music’s highest honors this week, when his great-uncle Arnold Shultz was posthumously inducted into the International Bluegrass Music Association Hall of Fame during the IBMA Awards in Chattanooga.
According to his bio on the IBMA World of Bluegrass website, Shultz, an African American musician from western Kentucky, is widely recognized for helping shape the sound that became bluegrass. Born in Ohio County in 1886, he gained regional renown along the Ohio and Mississippi rivers for his guitar and fiddle playing. He offered Bill Monroe, later known as the “Father of Bluegrass,” one of his first paying jobs and became a pivotal influence in Monroe’s blues-tinged style, according to the bio.
Shultz died in 1931 at the age of 45. Nearly a century later, his name has been permanently etched into the history of bluegrass. Walker, a retired Owensboro police officer who now lives in Louisville, said it was humbling to accept the award on behalf of his family.
“It was exciting when we got the call. It was a long time coming,” Walker said. “He’s been passed since 1931, but it was so inspiring that the association stayed with his story and ultimately recognized his influence in bluegrass music.”
Though Shultz never recorded, his impact lives on through those he mentored. According to the bio, musicians including Merle Travis, Ike Everly, Kennedy Jones, and Chet Atkins felt the ripple effects of Shultz’s thumb-picking style.
“His thumb-picking style was very unique,” Walker said. “A lot of artists tried to emulate that over the years. He wasn’t the developer of bluegrass, but many say he put the ‘blues’ in bluegrass. So he was one of the architects of the style of play, if you will.”
Walker admitted that he learned much of his great-uncle’s story later in life through his father’s recollections.
“My dad was a young boy at the time, and he would tell us stories about how Arnold influenced him as a guitarist, showing him how to play different chords,” Walker said. “… He was a very playful man who loved his family, loved his music, and loved trying to inspire other artists.”
During his lifetime, Shultz traveled frequently, playing square dances and shows throughout Ohio County and the Rosine area. He was also known for breaking racial barriers by collaborating with white musicians, including Forrest “Boots” Faught’s country and Dixieland band.
During the acceptance speech, Walker said he thought a lot about what Shultz would have said if he could have been on stage to receive the award.
“According to my dad, Arnold had a profound love for music, performing at various venues, and teaching his thumb-picking style to others,” Walker said. “So in my opinion, Arnold would respond with a humble, ‘Thank you, but I simply played music.’ On behalf of our uncle Arnold Schultz, I would like to express our family’s gratitude to the IBMA for recognizing a man whose contributions went beyond him just playing music. He had a crucial role in the development of this genre and educated others along the way. I proudly accept this recognition.”
