Grandpa Otto would take Dad, when he was just a toddler, to see his Uncle Ben. He would set Dad down on the porch and go inside to help whoever was there carry Uncle Ben out to a chair on the porch where he would set and play his fiddle for them. Dad said Uncle Ben was a big ole boy and back when he was in the military... he was so big(over 300lbs) that he couldn't run very fast... so to work the weight off of him they made him wear two overcoats and run the others would prod him to make him go faster until the veins in his legs busted. This had destroyed the nerves and muscles in his legs so badly that he could no longer walk, but was happy as a lark to still be able to play his fiddle. That's where Dad got his first taste of bluegrass and was hooked. He would always change the words to the song Uncle Penn to Uncle Ben when he'd sing it. Uncle Ben played the fiddle lordy how it would ring you could hear it talk you could hear it sing...