Buddy Spicher doing one of his favorite things: Holding court at a fiddle camp. (Photo from buddyspicher.com)

Buddy Spicher has been referred to as a fiddler’s fiddler.

That’s probably a big reason behind the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum putting Spicher in the spotlight on Aug. 23 as part of its quarterly program series, “Nashville Cats: A Celebration of Music City Session Players.”

Spicher, indeed, has left indelible marks on Music City’s commercial recordings as a top session player back in the days when fiddle played a prominent role in the country music recording and concert industry. But he also has a remarkable career in the bluegrass genre, including sideman work with the Father himself, Bill Monroe.

The tribute program will begin at 1:30 p.m. and be hosted by the museum’s stringed instrument curator Bill Lloyd. It will include a brief performance and an in-depth, one-on-one interview highlighted by vintage recordings, photos and film clips from the Museum’s Frist Library and Archive.

Immediately following the program, Spicher will sign autographs in the museum store.

The program will be staged in the Ford Theater. It is free with museum admission and also open at no cost to museum members.

Spicher, known for adding a sweet classical touch to his country and bluegrass fiddle licks, is perhaps best known for his distinctive harmony playing behind such country music legends as Monroe, Patsy Cline, Ray Price, Hank Snow, Kitty Wells, Faron Young and others in the late ’50s and throughout most of the ’60s.

After dedicating himself fully to session work, Spicher became one of Nashville’s most in-demand studio musicians for more than three decades. His credits include “Is Anybody Goin’ to San Antone” (Charley Pride), “Long Long Time” (Linda Ronstadt), “Love in the Hot Afternoon” (Gene Watson) and “Amarillo by Morning” (George Strait), among many others.

Spicher has also issued highly regarded fiddle recordings of his own that feature his signature “double-stop” technique.

He was born on a farm outside of Dubois, Pa., on July 28, 1938. After his brother traded a pony for a radio, the sounds of swing, boogie-woogie music and broadcasts of the Grand Ole Opry became the soundtrack to Spicher’s childhood.

At age 13, he began playing fiddle. Soon Spicher was playing in bands and, by the early ’50s, had earned a spot on the WWVA Jamboree in Wheeling, W. Va.

In 1957, Hank Williams’ widow, Audrey Williams, invited Spicher to Nashville after hearing him on WWVA. Within a few years, he was touring behind many of his childhood musical heroes. Through his work with Hank Snow, Spicher was able to make valuable connections and begin working in the recording studio.

Spicher’s shift to full-time session work in the late ’60s paid off, as his sophisticated, classical style and keen arranging skills were highly sought after by Nashville record producers.

Artists whose recordings feature Spicher include Ray Charles, Waylon Jennings, Jerry Lee Lewis, Loretta Lynn, Reba McEntire, Willie Nelson, Johnny Paycheck, Webb Pierce, Marty Robbins, Hank Thompson and Conway Twitty, among many others.

Spicher has also lent his fiddle stylings to artists outside the country realm including Joan Baez, Gary Burton, Rosemary Clooney, Henry Mancini, Steve Miller Band and others.

Spicher currently owns and operates a recording studio, the Fiddle House, in East Nashville and appears live with the Nashville Swing Band. Spicher has worked on numerous projects throughout the years as both a producer and a recording artist.

His newest CD, “Air Mail Special,” is a collaboration with renowned Canadian fiddler Calvin Vollrath and other superpickers. Spicher also teaches at several annual fiddle camps, including the Mark O’Connor Fiddle Camp and the Montana Fiddle Camp.

More information about Spicher and his recorded products that are for sale is available at www.buddyspicher.com.

The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum’s Web address is www.countrymusichalloffame.com.