By: Mike Mueller

Jim Snow (1942-2008) was the eighth and last child of John Kilby and Lily Blanche Snow. Kilby Snow was the first grandmaster of the autoharp, creating music and sounds from the autoharp that was, and still is, completely unique. As Jim was growing up, the guitar became his first love of music. Jim became an accomplished guitarist and while still a teenager, began to perform with his father in churches, schools, and music gatherings.

Kilby insisted that Jim learn the same style of autoharp as he had developed. Kilby, being left-handed, would play the strings on the bottom of the autoharp while holding it upside-down. It was his own creation. It is believed that Kilby was the first autoharpist of any note that played the instrument in a position other than flat on the table or lap.

One story has Kilby visiting the Carter Family in Hiltons, Virginia to play music and share their styles together. Maybelle Carter was in attendance with Kilby's visit, and it is entirely possible that Maybelle saw Kilby's use of holding the autoharp close to the body. At some point, Maybelle introduced the autoharp to the audience at the Grand Ole Opry and held the autoharp upright and towards the microphone so the audience could see and hear it. In addition, Maybelle introduced "melody notes" on the autoharp to her audiences. Although the truth of who created this style of autoharp play may never be resolved, it is now the primary position of nearly all autoharpists in the world today.

Kilby did in fact teach his son Jim to play the autoharp in the same style. Since Jim was right-handed he had to learn to use his right thumb instead of his left forefinger to strum the autoharp. Despite the technical difference, Jim eventually mastered his father's style. Currently, only a few autoharpists, namely Joe Riggs of North Carolina and Evo Bluestein of California are "Snow-style" autoharp performers.

My twin daughters took music lessons from Evo during their grade school years. Sometime in 2001 while I was waiting at his house for my daughter's lesson Evo said to me, "Have you ever heard of Kilby Snow?"

"No," I said. "I haven't."

"Well, you've got to listen to this!"

So Evo got an old '33 rpm album, titled "Kilby Snow – Country Songs and Tunes" and played it on a record player. And the sounds and music from that album! It was unlike anything I had ever heard. I loved the style and sound that Kilby produced. It was like a lightening bolt.

Later, Evo told me that Kilby had passed, but his son Jim was still someplace around. He said that Jim had made a "comeback" at the Mt. Laurel Autoharp Gathering in 1994, coming out of musical retirement to win the National Autoharp Championship. Evo was a staff member at that Gathering. Later, Jim told me that after his father's death in 1980, he placed all his music in a closet and kept it there for 14 years until he was coaxed by Joe Riggs to come to Mt. Laurel. After having not played music for 14 years, Jim entered this highly competitive contest – and won.

An Internet search revealed only two Kilby Snow albums – the forementioned "Country Songs and Tunes" and another one, "Mountain Music on the Autoharp". Smithsonian Folkways offered CD copies of those two albums and I bought them immediately. I was hooked.

In 2002, the California Autoharp Gathering was founded with plans for its maiden festival in May, 2003. It was very well received by the autoharp community and the CAG became a premiere autoharp event. In 2004, I decided that at some point in the future, I'd like to arrange a CAG with a tribute to Kilby Snow. With some more research, I found Jim at his home in Oxford, Pennsylvania.

With my first phone call to Jim, he was reluctant to share anything in any detail about his father or his own musicianship. He was very shy with me. He did tell me that he had made a cassette of some of his music after his success at Mt. Laurel and I sent him $20 and he mailed it to me. The music was fabulous!

I began to phone Jim with regularity about the possibility of his father's tribute at CAG. After awhile, I began to notice that Jim would engage in conversation with me on a much deeper level. Sometimes, our call would take an hour or more. I loved talking with him. He had so many great stories to share. He did some concerns about coming to CAG. He had never been to California. He had never been on a commercial airplane. His health was a concern. I knew that airport travel would be an overwhelming experience. However, with the essential assistance of Joe Riggs, we had an agreement. Jim and Joe would both come to California together.
On one phone call, Jim mentioned that he had some old tapes of him and his father performing. I learned that those tapes were produced by Mike Seeger – original firsthand recordings of Kilby and Jim from 1957 until about 1968. The tapes were on reel-to-reel. In addition, Jim said that he had Kilby's autoharp – the last known one in existence. Jim agreed to send me the tapes and the autoharp. Considering that we hadn't met person to person, and I was "some guy out in California", I was deeply touched that Jim trusted his personal belongings to me.

Kilby's autoharp was built into a museum quality display along with other Kilby memorabilia. The tapes, having survived 40 years in a closet, were given to a Fresno based engineer who transcribed them onto CDs. The original songs and tunes that were made into Kilby's two albums were on those tapes. It was a gold mine. With Mike Seeger's blessing, a selection of songs and tunes were developed into a new CD – "Father and Son". The CD was debuted at CAG 2006 and sold a record 60 copies. Jim received all the proceeds.

Jim's visit to CAG 2006 was very, very special. He participated in workshops describing the "Snow-style" and performed a concert with his close friend Joe Riggs. A workshop panel of Jim, Joe, Evo, and Mike Seeger with stories and songs about Kilby was the highlight of the festival. Jim enjoyed himself immensely. I will never forget that experience.

I stayed in touch with Jim from time-to-time after the festival. His health was rapidly going downhill. He had several hospital stays. In our last conversation, he said that his cancer was overtaking him. He thanked me for bringing him to California for the CAG experience. Soon afterwards, I learned of Jim's passing. I felt as if I lost a family member of my own. Jim was a soulful, beautiful musician – as unique and tender as his father, but with his own style and grace. I'm at peace knowing that Jim has been reunited with his father and is jamming away, entertaining the "great beyond". God Bless You, Jim Snow.