Hardway Nominated for the WV Bluegrass Hall of Fame Deceased Inductees

By Shari (Hardway) Johnson, Publisher

Funny thing about Bluegrass Music, It didn’t mean a thing to me, until I learned to play it. As a matter of fact, I used to tell my soft hearted parents that it made me carsick when they’d play it in the car and they’d turn it off. But now, what I wouldn’t give to be back in that blue land yacht that my Dad would drive from Duck, WV with all of us kids bouncing around the back in the days before anyone thought seatbelts were necessary. We’d drive to the homes of aunts, uncles and cousins and there we grew up with the sounds of bluegrass music filling the air.

The Brothers, Brooks, Gene, and Carroll Hardway, all musicians

Many of those Hardway memories came back into my mind when cousin Philip “Duke” Hardway sent a message to let me know that his dad James “Carroll” Hardway had been nominated for the WV Music Hall of Fame’s 2023 Deceased Inductees. I then contacted, Michael Lipton, who is Director of the WV Music Hall of Fame and was a resident of Calhoun County for 17 years. Although Uncle Carroll did not win the nomination, Mr. Lipton provided me with the the brief bio from the Master List of Inductees. It stated simply, “Jim “Carroll” Hardway (1927-2002) (Braxton County). Hardway played banjo at Vandalia, the WV Folk Festival and Augusta. He was a champion for old-time music.

It’s that “champion” remark that put me in tears, because there are not so many “champions” left in the current generations. We’re all so very busy, aren’t we?

Uncle Brooks Hardway on the Banjo, Uncle Casto “Doc” Hardway on the harp and Uncle Carroll Hardway on the Guitar, Hardway Reunions Circa 70’s or 80’s.

I don’t believe the champions that I grew up with would be too pleased with our generation. The talent lives on, but not the passion. Not the drive or discipline it takes to be the best. At least that’s the case as far as I’m concerned. But we truthfully are doing a disservice to the next generation who may or may not know that a “harp” isn’t necessarily what angels play; and a dance floor does not require anything but a piece of plywood that a shoe sole will crack on.

Uncle Brooks Hardway, dancing to the sounds of bluegrass playing at the Hardway Reunion. Circa (1980’s)

The origin of bluegrass music can be traced to the people who came to America in the 1600s from Ireland, Scotland, and England and brought with them basic styles of music that are generally considered to be the roots of modern bluegrass music. My Grandmother, Florence Santy Hardway’s family was from Ireland, it is from the Santy’s that we are told comes our musical heritage and abilities.

Circa 1970’s, left to right: Leonard Hardway, Billy Kerby, Casto “Doc” Hardway, Phillip “Duke” Hardway, Benji Kerby, Dexter Starcher.

The younger generation of Hardway’s continue keeping the tradition of music alive but we too are aging fast, and are far nearer the “harp” playing angels than the “harp” playing bluegrass musicians.