Fate Norris

Fate Norris (August 23, 1878—November 11, 1944) was an American old-time musician, banjoist, and multi-instrumentalist. Norris was a member of The Skillet Lickers—the most famous string band of the 1920s. Although remembered for playing banjo, he played guitars, bells, bass fiddle, fiddle, and mouth harp as well.

Fate Norris was born Singleton LaFayette Norris in Dirt Town, Chattooga County, Georgia, on August 23, 1878, to Lewis Castle Simpkins (1848—1929) and Sarah L. Kelley Simpkins (1855—1927). He had at least three siblings—James Henry Norris (1873–1943), Ira Zebulon Norris (1880–1942), and Walter Norris (1884–1938).

Norris made his living as a farm worker, but sometime around 1900, he began working as a professional musician. Around 1909, he played with fiddler Bud Landress and banjoist Bill Chitwood, who later founded Georgia Yellow Hammerswith guitarist Charles E. Moody and Phil Reeve.

His first official mention as a musician came in 1912 when he competed in a fiddlers contest in Lawrenceville, Georgia, on July 4th, 1912. He was listed as "Norcross".

After that, Norris worked with fellow Georgia musician Gid Tanner in a street-performing comic duo. In October 1925, they recorded "Old Time Tunes" (Columbia Records - W141087) and "Just Give Me The Leavings" (Columbia Records - W141088). In April of the following year, they recorded six tracks on Columbia:

• Where did you get that hat?
• S-a-v-e-d
• Frankie was a good woman
• Goodbye booze
• I'm tired of living on pork and beans
• Three nights' experience

Norris, a multi-instrumentalist, also had a one-man band, though no recordings are available. A newspaper article from 1927 stated:

Fate Norris, of Dalton, Georgia, the one-man wonder, who plays six individual instruments in an individual band, will also furnish entertainment. Mr Norris has in his band two guitars, bells, bass fiddle, fiddle, and mouth harp. He devoted seventeen years to mastery of his art.

In the mid-1920s, Norris made a few records under his own name for Columbia Records. His background group, Fate Norris & His Playboys, consisted of Gid Tanner, Arthur Tanner, Clayton McMichen and Riley Puckett. He also had another band, Fate Norris and The Tanner Boys.

In 1925/26, Gid Tanner formed a string band The Skillet Lickers, with Riley Puckett(guitar) and Clayton McMichen (fiddle). Norris joined the band as a banjoist; he was the oldest member of the band. With The Skillet Lickers, he recorded at least 80 pieces over the next four years until 1930, on Columbia Records.

In 1929, Norris also recorded with The Georgia Organ Grinders with members—Bert Layne and Clayton McMichen (fiddle); Melvin Dupree (guitar); Lowe Stokes (organ); and Dan Hornsby (vocals).

Norris left The Skillet Lickers in 1930. According to reports, he didn't get along well with fiddler Clayton McMichen. McMichen had a penchant for jazz and experimented with a fusion of old-time music and urban swing and jazz elements, while Norris, in contrast, stuck to the traditional old-time music.

Norris was married to Elizabeth (Lizzie), with whom he had one daughter, Mable (1914—1970).

Norris died on stage on November 11, 1944, after playing for the March of Dimes benefit in Subligna, Georgia. He was 66. 

According to historian Agnew Myers in the Spring 1997 issue of the Chattooga County Historic Society Quarterly,  Fate said, "I am not afraid" and fell to the floor.