Bismarck native John Lardinois, better known as Fiddlin' Johnny, has been fiddling since age four when his parents first coaxed him to pick up a fiddle, and he hasn't put one down since.
John's newest release, Cowboy Legacy, contains 16 fiddle tunes that explore the cowboy's rich fiddle tradition. These songs, with a 12 page booklet, chronicle the fiddler's role in the cattle drives of the late 1800's. Grammy nominee Randy Howard lends his talents to this album along with John's father, sister and brother.
John's debut recording, Aural History, was well-received by fiddle enthusiasts and those new to fiddling. In a review of the album, Bluegrass Unlimited referred to Fiddlin' Johnny as "an accomplished musician with more than just a little technique." Peter Ostroushko, of "A Prairie Home Companion," also appears on this recording.
John has received top honors in the following contests: the Peace Garden Fiddle Contest International Championship, the National Oldtime Fiddlers Contest, the Big Top Chautauqua Contest, the North Dakota and Minnesota State Fiddle Championships, the South Dakota Fiddle Invitational Open and the Wyoming Championship at Casper.
John plays many traditional tunes as well original music. He has been on the North Dakota Humanities Council speaker's list since 1994 and received a Traditional Arts Master-Apprenticeship Grant from the North Dakota Council on the Arts in 1996. John put the grant to use to study traditional fiddling with master fiddlers Dick and Lisa Barrett of Rapelje, Montana. Cowboy Legacy is the result of that apprenticeship.
In addition to performing in the studio and at fiddle contests, John plays many public performances and is often accompanied by his family. John's father, John, Sr., plays guitar, his sister Jeanette, age 15, plays mandolin and viola and brother Will, age 13, plays cello and string bass. John's mother acts as the group's manager.
Perhaps John's biggest accomplishment is that he did all of this before graduating from high school! At just eighteen years old, John has built quite a reputation for himself. John graduated in the Spring of 1998 and is continuing his career in music at Minot State University.
