Prince Archie Albert Hunt  (December 20, 1896 - March 21, 1931) 

From the Potter’s field, or pauper’s grave, you might not expect to find one of Terrell’s hidden “influencers” of the early 20th century. Archie Albert Hunt, later dubbed Prince Albert, was born outside of Terrell in 1897 into a large, extended family that resided throughout the area. He grew up without the material means that seem ubiquitous in the world of social media “influencers” today, but his meager means and experiences melded him into one of the most energetic and innovative fiddlers of his time. He is remembered for his ability to move his audience and that placed him in the annals of Texas music, and moreover, the larger movement of Western swing.

         Growing up in Terrell, Albert would borrow his father’s fiddle and sneak into the cemetery to play to a loyal following of both living and dead. He learned to play the fiddle by “ear,” and was inspired by country blues, Cajun, and polka music. The name, Prince Albert, was given to him by the crowd at a house dance where he was playing. One of the dancegoers called him the “prince of the fiddlers,” and the name stuck. It should be noted that house dances were occasions where folks would remove the furniture from their homes to create space for dancers to congregate. Prince Albert, and fellow musicians, would travel from house to house on any given weekend night to play at these dances. As Stevie Ray Vaughan many years later would sing, “the house is a rockin’, don’t bother knockin’…don’t bother, come on in.”

         Prince Albert’s experience as a musician was not a solo one. He played with guitarist Harmon Clem and played with fiddler Oscar and guitarist Doc Harper, fellow-Terrellites. The band became known as the Texas Rambler’s. Clem and the Harpers all had notable musical careers beyond the short-lived Prince Albert Hunt. What made Hunt’s fiddle performances so innovative was his use of what was called “hot fiddling,” which is described as music played “that after every verse, kicks up a dance-call with a single down-stroke so fat and sweet, that you are ready to hire him to clean up your yard.” Hunt seemed to have the knack to get his audience moving, and this knowledge stemmed from a drive to meet his basic needs. Fellow musician Harmon Clem recalled spontaneously setting up to play in the Farmersville City Café where Prince Albert shared, “we don’t do this to make a living, we just do it to keep from goin’ hungry.”

         The “fast-fiddling” lifestyle ignites and burns quickly, and it does not take a “thesis” to understand what happened to Prince Albert Hunt. He is certainly not the only musician who lived this life of moving and shaking, and if it weren’t for the two studio recordings with Okeh Records (a total of 8 tracks), then we would probably not be speaking of Hunt today. What is known is that the musical recordings are the only evidence to show the precursors to what is known as the Western swing. Today, rockabilly, honky-tonk, and country rock music are iterations of Western swing. Prince Albert Hunt’s most famous track, “Blues in a Bottle,” was recorded by Greenwich Village’s The Lovin’ Spoonful in 1965 and released with the title, “Blues in the Bottle” on their album called, “Do You Believe in Magic.”

         The magic of Prince Albert Hunt dissipated on a fateful evening in Deep Ellum (Dallas, TX) in 1931. At the age of 34, he was murdered by a jealous husband outside of the Confederate Hall, a dance hall in the area. The person responsible for killing Hunt was never charged by the grand jury due to “lack of evidence.” Attached to the “no-bill” by the grand jury was a condemnation of communist activity.

         Prince Albert Hunt’s life, though short-lived, is one that was punctuated by a human impulse and desire to connect with others. Hunt’s life experiences and the understanding of the human desire to “feel” music and dance which moved molehills catapulted him to level of fame and recognition, only to be silenced by our rifts.