Cliff Bruner

Clifton Lafayette Bruner (April 25, 1915 – August 25, 2000) was a fiddler and bandleader of the Western Swing era of the 1930s and 1940s. Bruner's music combined elements of traditional string band music, improvisation, blues, folk, and popular melodies of the times.

Biography

Bruner was born in Texas City, Texas, and spent most of his childhood near Houston. He learned to play fiddle, and traveled with medicine shows to begin his musical career. Milton Brown's Musical Brownies drafted Bruner in 1935. Bruner played with the ensemble's classically trained fiddler Cecil Brower to create the memorable double fiddle sound of Milton Brown's group. Bruner recorded with Brown's group on the Decca music label, until Brown was killed in an automobile accident in 1936. This ended Bruner's involvement in the group.

That same year (1936), Bruner moved to Houston and formed The Texas Wanderers, a band that included Lee Bell (de) on electric guitar, Bob Dunn on electric steel guitar, Leo Raley on mandolin, J. R. Chatwell on fiddle, Dickie McBride on guitar and vocals, and Moon Mullican on vocals and piano.

Death Bruner died of cancer on August 25, 2000, aged 85.

Selected discography "Milk Cow Blues" (Decca, 1937) "Can't Nobody Truck Like Me" (Decca, 1937) "Corrine Corrina" (Decca, 1937) "Sunbonnet Sue" (Decca, 1938) "Oh How I Miss You Tonight" (Decca, 1938) "River Stay 'Way From My Door" (Decca, 1938) "I Wish I Could Shimmy Like My Sister Kate" (Decca, 1938) "When You're Smiling" (Decca, 1939) "Truck Driver's Blues" (Decca, 1939) "San Antonio Rose" (Decca, 1939) "Because" (Decca, 1940) "Draft Board Blues" (Decca, 1941) "That's What I Like About The South" (Decca, 1946) "Unfaithful One" (AYO, 1949) "I'll Try Not To Cry" (Coral, 1950)