Friends, Family Pay Tribute To Beloved Fiddler, Shop Owner

Family, friends and fans are mourning the loss of Oklahoma fiddle legend Byron Berline.

He died over the weekend at 77 years old.

In a post on social media, Berline's family thanked the community for kind messages, memories and the flowers dropped off at Double Stop Fiddle Shop.

Berline's family said the famed musician began having breathing problems while he was recovering from a stroke.

They said he died Saturday night just as his band took the stage at the Music Hall.

Berline was inducted into the Fiddler's Hall of Fame in 2013.

He was a celebrated artist in the Bluegrass community, a three-time champion at the National Oldtime Fiddlers' Contest & Festival, and throughout his career, recorded with many well-known artists including the Rolling Stones.

Owner of Double Stop Fiddle Shop in Guthrie, Berline lost his original business to a devastating fire in 2019. However, he was able to relocate to another location right down the street.

Berline's family is asking for any donations to be made to the Oklahoma's International Bluegrass Festival scholarship fund.