Done Gone – Fiddle Tune a Day – Day 207

I first learned Done Gone from Heather Humphries when I was about 12 or 13 years old. I remember he telling me that it also went by the name Kentucky Mandolins, which I have never heard of since. The version I learned from Heather was a little different than the version I play now, but the 3rd part that is straight G minor was pretty much the same melody.

The version I play now is largely guided by a transcription of Jimmie Don Bates that I think I got from Tony Ludiker back years and years ago. I’m sure that the notes I play today aren’t all that close to how I originally read it off that sheet music, but that version did influence my version of it quite a bit. Of course over time, I’ve added a little here and there from other versions I have heard and liked. I hope you enjoy it!

Done Gone according to Fiddler’s Companion

DONE GONE [1]. AKA ‑ “All I’ve Got’s Done Gone.” Old‑Time, Bluegrass. USA, Widely known, especially among Texas-style fiddlers. B Flat Major (‘A’ part) & G Aeolian (‘B’ part). Standard tuning. AABBAA (Brody, Songer): AA’BB’CC’ (Reiner & Anick): ABCDD (Christeson, 1973): AABBCCDD (Christeson, 1984). “Done Gone” (played in a flat key that is generally unusual for Southern fiddlers) has been credited to an old fiddler from the Texas Panhandle named Matt Brown, who was a regionally well‑known musician but who did not record. The story of the origins of the tune has it that Brown was trying to hitch a ride after being stranded some twenty‑eight miles outside of Amarillo; he attempted to flag down one car which passed him, and while waiting for another he composed “Done Gone.” If the story is true it must have been in the early days of the automobile, for Brown died in 1915 (see also “Kelly’s Waltz”). The tune was Texas fiddler Eck Robertson’s signature piece and was recorded by him for Victor records in 1923 (backed with “Sallie Johnson/Billie in the Lowground”). Georgia fiddler Clayton McMichen recorded the tune with guitarist Riley Puckett, in the key of C major. Sources for notated versions: Kenny Baker [Brody]; Bob Walters (Burt County, Nebraska) [Christeson, 1973]; Cecil Hammack (Waynesville, Missouri) [Christeson, 1984]; Eck Robertson (Texas) [Phillips]; J.T. Perkins [Phillips]. Brody (Fiddler’s Fakebook), 1983; pg. 88. R.P. Christeson (Old Time Fiddlers Repertory, vol. 1), 1973; pg. 177 (#1). R.P. Christeson (Old Time Fiddlers Repertory, vol. 2), 1984; pg. 22, No. 2. Phillips (Traditional American Fiddle Tunes, vol. 1), 1994; pg. 73 (two versions). Reiner & Anick (Old Time Fiddling Across America), 1989; pg. 135. Songer (Portland Collection), 1997; pg. 64. In the repertoire of Texas fiddler Bob Wills. Brunswick 396 (78 RPM), Clark Kessinger (Kessinger’s 1929 version was copied directly from the Eck Robertson Victor disc, notes Mark Wilson and Guthrie Meade). County 202, “Eck Robertson: Famous Cowboy Fiddler.” County 412, “Fiddling Doc Roberts” {Ky.} (appears as “All I’ve Got’s Done Gone” {learned from black musician Owen Walker [Madison Cty., Ky.]}). County 507, Clayton McMichen {Ga.} ‑ “Old‑Time Fiddle Classics.” County 747, Clark Kessinger {W.Va.}‑ “Sweet Bunch of Roses.” County 714, Kenny Baker‑ “High Country.” Flying Fish FF 90468, Critton Hollow ‑ “Great Dreams” (1988). Flying Fish FF 70572, Frank Ferrel – “Yankee Dreams: Wicked Good Fiddling from New England” (1991). Rounder 1010, Ed Haley‑ “Parkersburg Landing” (1976. Hayley perhaps learned his version from Clark Kessinger). MCA‑162, Tommy Jackson‑ “Square Dances Without Calls.” Missouri State Old Time Fiddlers’ Association, Uncle Bob Walters – “Old Time Fiddlers’ Repertory” (1976). Prize 498‑02, Carl Jackson‑ “Bluegrass Festival.” Sonyatone STR‑201, Eck Robertson {Texas}‑ “Master Fiddler.” Victor 19372 (78 RPM), Eck Robertson (1923). Terry Morris – “For the Record.”