Chubby Wise

Robert Russell "Chubby" Wise (October 2, 1915 – January 6, 1996) was an American bluegrass fiddler.^[1][2]

Originally starting out playing the banjo and guitar, Wise began playing fiddle at age 12, working locally in the Jacksonville area.^[3] He joined the Jubilee Hillbillies in 1938, then began playing with Bill Monroe's Blue Grass Boys in 1942, including dates at the Grand Ole Opry.^[3] He worked with Monroe through 1948, then played with Clyde Moody.^[3] He also played with the York Brothers, Flatt & Scruggs, and Connie B. Gay.

In 1954, Wise became a member of Hank Snow's Rainbow Ranch Boys, again appearing at the Grand Ole Opry; he remained with the group until March 1970.^[3] Alongside this he worked as a session musician with Mac Wiseman and Red Allen, among others.^[3] Wise returned to Florida in 1984 and went into semi-retirement, though he continued to tour and record occasionally, such as with the Bass Mountain Boys in 1992.^[3]

He joined producers Randall Franks and Alan Autry for the In the Heat of the Night cast's CD Christmas Time's a Comin' performing "Christmas Time's a Comin'" with the cast on the CD released on Sonlite and MGM/UA. Franks occasionally joined Wise performing twin fiddle with him on his shows.

• Chubby Wise and the Rainbow Ranch Boys (Starday Records, 1961)
• The Tennessee Fiddler (Starday, 1961)
• Chubby Plays Bluegrass (Stoneway Records, 1970)
• Chubby Plays Bob Wills (Stoneway, 1970)
• Grassy Fiddle (Stoneway, 1975)
• Chubby Plays Hank Williams (Stoneway, 1977)
• Chubby Wise in Nashville (Pinecastle Records, 1994)
• An American Original (Pinecastle, 1995)

• Sandra Brennan, Chubby Wise at Allmusic