About Bill Yohey
Bill Yohey (1919 – 1991) was a very gifted musician, “one of a kind”. He was well known for his fiddle, banjo, and tenor guitar music. He was a charter member of the Oregon Oldtime Fiddlers’ Association (OOFTA) and a member for over 40 years. Bill served as President for several years and was the first Chairperson for District 9. He helped get several of the other districts going. He won many contests and always placed very high. His contribution to the music were enormous. He excelled both as a soloist and as an accompanist. He was well liked, had a wonderful disposition. Upon Bill’s death in 1991, OOTFA established the annual Bill Yohey Memorial Award. The criteria for selecting the recipient is dedication and service to OOTFA as an accompanist.
The Bill Yohey Best Accompanist Award honors a past or present OOTFA member who has been a contributing member for at least five years, has given outstanding service to OOTFA’s goals, and has accompanied fiddlers at OOTFA events beyond their own district.
How to nominate someone
Fill out the nomination form and send it to the OOTFA State President by March 1. The award is presented at the State Convention of the same year.
Bill Yohey Award nomination form (PDF)
Past recipients
| Year | Recipient | Hometown | District |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | Don & Ruth Loring | Albany | 6 |
| 1992 | Dennis & Thelma Allen | Roseburg | 10 |
| 1993 | Ruel Teague | Burns | 9 |
| 1994 | Penny Mead | Portland | 7 |
| 1995 | Bob Huffman | Portland | 7 |
| 1996 | Bob Church | Keizer | 8 |
| 1997 | Frank Moore | St. Helens | 7 |
| 1998 | Cactus Finley | Beaverton | 7 |
| 1999 | Ruth Montgomery | Harrisburg | 6 |
| 2000 | Norman McGrew | Dayton | 8 |
| 2001 | Fred Groove | Coos Bay | 5 |
| 2002 | Jerry Ruddock | Klamath Falls | 1 |
| 2003 | Hollis Real | Bend | 3 |
| 2004 | Pat & Chuck Gates | Tigard | 7 |
| 2005 | Bob Hanson | Sutherlin | 10 |
| 2006 | Jack Kerr | Prineville | 3 |
| 2007 | Larry McLain | Lakeview | 1E |
| 2008 | Les Tucker | Woodburn | 8 |
| 2009 | Loita & Dale Colebank | Woodburn | 8 |
| 2010 | Jeff Walter | Portland | 7 |
| 2011 | Roger Germundson | Troutdale | 7 |
| 2012 | Peggy Hudson | Prineville | 3 |
| 2013 | John Renfro | Sams Valley | 4 |
| 2014 | Ken Luse | Eugene | 6 |
| 2015 | Bob Shaffer | Bandon | 5 |
| 2016 | Hal Thompson | Glide | 10 |
| 2017 | Larry McLain | Lakeview | 1E |
| 2018 | Jerry Ruddock | Klamath Falls (posthumously) | 1 |
| 2019 | Jerry Parks | Lebanon | 6 |
| 2020 | no nominations due to COVID | ||
| 2021 | no nominations due to COVID | ||
| 2022 | Loita Colebank | Woodburn | 8 |
| 2023 | Larry Gallagher | Florence | 5 |
| 2024 | Joe Ross | Roseburg | 10 |
| 2025 | Andy Emert | Portland | 7 |
| 2026 | Joey McKenzie | 8 / OS | 8 |