Joe was raised mostly in the southern Appalachians, in North Carolina,
and absorbed the music almost from the time he could walk.
Joe is unusual for this day and age, perhaps because he has devoted
himself to the music in which he was raised: the music of the Southern
Appalachian and Ozark Mountains of America. In this, he follows the tradition
established by such sterling performers as Grandpa Jones, Uncle Dave Macon,
and others of the "Old Timey" Country Music era.
His blending of the music of his roots with his love of Arizona and the Old West makes for an interesting and amazing combination.
He doesn't stop at this however! He is equally at home in popular
Country music, writes songs about space exploration, and plays Irish, Scots,
Bluegrass and Medieval/Renaissance music with equal facility.
He began learning banjo at age 9, after he heard his maternal
grandfather, C. H. Burnett, playing fiddle. His first banjo was given him by
his grandfather, and was "an old S.S. Stewart." This banjo is now in the able hands
of his nephew, Tom Purtill.
When his family moved home to Phoenix for the final time, in 1961, Joe
began seriously learning guitar, hanging around cofeehouses, mariachi bands, bluegrass
groups, and a place called "J.D.'s," where he would sneak in to listen to a
local guy called Waylon Jennings. With the "folk boom" of the '60's just
hitting it's stride, he found that all that music he had learned as a child
stood in good stead.
His first "real pro" gig came at age 18. The Phoenix acoustic scene was
active and thriving and Joe hung out with
people (then unknowns) like John Denver, the Irish Rovers, and Jim Connor
("Grandma's Feather Bed") and with some of the best in Dixieland, Ragtime,
and traditional Mexican musicians.
He spent a stint with a local bluegrass band, "Ma Tucker's String
Band," playing with Jeff Gylkinson ("The Dillards") and Doug Haywood (keyboard
player/songwriter for Jackson Browne).
He also worked with noted entertainer Dan "Igor" Glenn in several
bands. Joe credits "Igor" with teaching him much about the entertainer's art.
In 1968-1969, Joe worked in L.A. as a studio musician, where he made
his first record, "The Joe Bethancourt String Concert Album." It was very
favourably reviewed by BILLBOARD magazine ( 28 Feb. 1970 ), and given a four star rating. He
has some fascinating stories about the "name" musicians he met while he was
there.
Joe came back to Phoenix, where he became influential in the original
KDKB underground radio "scene," hosting his own radio show on KDKB, "Folk Music
Occasional," with (the late and much lamented) Bill Compton.
He was also a regular on the Emmy award-winning "Wallace and Ladmo
Show" on KPHO-TV (Ch.5) in the 1980's, and worked with children in the Arizona
Commission for the Arts' "Artists in Education" program for about 6 years. He still
does occasional independent Artist Residencies at local elementary schools.
For almost 17 years, he was the "house band" at a little restaurant at
19th Ave. and Bethany Home Rd, in Phoenix, called "Funny Fellows," playing
instruments from his enormous collection of traditional ( and not so
traditional ) instruments.
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