U.S. Senator Robert Byrd

The Profile

Robert C. Byrd (1917–2010) was a long-serving Democratic U.S. Senator from West Virginia (1959–2010), previously a U.S. Representative (1953–1959); he released the bluegrass album Mountain Fiddler (1978).

Long-serving U.S. Senator from West Virginia; early in his career he was a member of the Ku Klux Klan and opposed Civil Rights legislation but later expressed regret; noted for securing federal funds for his state (pork-barrel spending); recorded a bluegrass album, Mountain Fiddler, and was noted in reviews for his fiddling and singing.

The available review highlights Robert C. Byrd's bluegrass album Mountain Fiddler and praises his fiddling and singing while also recounting his controversial political past. It notes his long tenure representing West Virginia and points to both his pork-barrel reputation and his early Ku Klux Klan membership, which he later regretted. The review presents the album as an enjoyable, authentic piece of Appalachian music.