Bob Fietsam: Presenting…


Bob Fietsam it seems was a local student of the classical guitar. This is the only lp of his I’ve run across. He was a student of O.A. “Red” McCutcheon, who in his own right was a famed guitar instructor from West Virginia. Besides classical standards, Bob put to wax two original compositions for this lp. Both are short pieces that are very quiet and delicate. By far the best cuts on the album. This lp has been a favorite of mine and my wifes for years now. Primarily for sleep inducing purposes.

Listen: “For Friends”, “For Friends no.2”

21 Comments

  • Dave says:

    This guy could have been the next Segovia. He later Co-produced Nashville recording artist Rick Blair’s debut album. He co-wrote quite a few of the tunes on that record as well. Check him out on Myspace music http://www.myspace.com/rickblairnashville.

  • Dave says:

    Clarification: The guy he produced is on myspace music and he’s damn good! Once again, you can find him on the net http://www.myspace.com/rickblairnashville

  • Mike says:

    I heard Bob is now Barb and living as a female in Ohio. He does drag shows in West Virginia under the name Bubblefeet. Man that guy/girl can cut a rug. He gave up the booze and found Hinduism. I saw him/her playing Keno in a bar last year and he said he was writing fiction and working part time making homeade sausage.

  • Depak says:

    NO self respecting Hindu would make homeade sausage. I had “For Friends” played on Sitar at my wedding recently in New Dehli and now regret doing so.

  • Depak says:

    Bob\Barb is #1 on recurring classical chart on New Delhi station Patel Classics. He eats Cow though, that should ruin his career there.

  • Court F says:

    I am an attorney in town and I know for sure that Bob does NOT live as a woman, but speaking of waxidermy, he does in fact wax his ballsack.

  • RW says:

    I USED TO WATCH HIM PLAY CLASSICAL GUITAR AT A LITTLE ITALIAN PLACE NAMED ROCKYS, I THINK. ONE STRANGE DUDE BUT GOOD GUTIAR PLAYER.

  • Mike says:

    Not so fast Court! I saw his show at the old Driftwood in November. I also bought 2 rolls of his “Fietsausage” from a street dealer behind the old Big Bear train tracks. He’s running for city counsel as Barb. Book it!

  • Joe says:

    Bob joined the Navy special ops elite Seals unit and registered 10 kills in the early days of the Iraq war. He’s the Chuck Norris of classical music.

  • Adam says:

    say it aint so joe!!!!bob teached me guitar at the fret n fiddle years years agao. he always smelled like beer and pot but i learned alot (ryme unintenonal).

  • Dave says:

    I covered Bob when he wrote a novel under a pseudonym a few years back. The sausage part I’m unaware of. He and his buddy Rick are also tight with another cat from back in these parts. You can find him at http://www.myspace.com/rickhuckaby I’ve covered him in the paper alot. Careful Mike, you can be sued for slander over that silly drag queen stuff. This site is for music lovers, not idiots like you. So with that said, go climb back under the rock you crawled out from under…Keep trippin’…Dave

  • Jamaal Fusion says:

    I remember Barb as a child cause we grew up within blocks of each other . Her legend began long ago when she used to dress up her pet gerbil up as bob dylan and play motown records to him .I think that gerbils name was gunther .
    I don’t know what this sex change stuff is about but the only waxing i remember was in her ears and that was for a science project . she didn’t have any balls . She was a normal little cheerleader wanna be . If she is a man today all I can say is thank god for science cause she wasn’t a looker as a girl . She could be a normal ugly man . I say barb if you are out there and you made a man of yourself …god bless you . Keep on keeping on .

  • Ric Fuller says:

    Barb…..is really one exciting person ! One minute a Bud in his hand, the next, a hand down your pants ! He sure can play guitar!! Barbba keep on keeping on !

  • Josh says:

    I have to say Iam shocked by all this goofy crap that I am hearing I have co written several songs with this great talented man stop that talk really stupid play on Bob

  • Stan says:

    Bob and I were friends when I lived in Logan and Williamson WV in the late 1970s. When I got married in 1980 in Oak Hill WV Bob’s wedding present was to sit on the alter of the small country church and play classical guitar for the half hour or so as people arrived and were seated. I lost track of him some years back but I still have the album.

  • Rick B. says:

    Bob also played classical guitar at my wedding. We also have written several songs together. He did indeed Co-produce an album of mine. He does, in fact, drink like he’s on an Indian reservation. But he does not cross dress, to my knowledge. I’ve yet to try any of this so called, “Fietsausage”, but he does cook a mean meatloaf.

  • David says:

    I was actually in attendance at Stan’s wedding in Oak Hill. He played and it was beautiful, as Stan notes.

    One writer above says that Bob could have been the next Segovia. I’m not competent to evaluate that. But I can attest that Bob used to practice over seven hours a day. It was necessary for him to keep up his extensive reportoire. No one that I have ever heard play live could coax the beauty that Bob could from his battered classical guitar.

    Bob continues to have an acute, sick sense of humor, so I assume he has put some of his friends up to posting some of the Bob/Barb and “Fietsausage” stuff.

    Bob now lives the life of retired gentry…

  • Bob, Barb, sausage master, retired gentry, mystery essence of wedding music past, whatever the story may be, “to friends” is so completely awesomesauce I will gladly buy the beers anytime he passes through Pittsburgh

  • Don Painter says:

    I studied classical guitar with Mr. McCutcheon in 1976 in Parkersburg, WV. I remember Bob Fietsam. He didn’t come to Parkersburg very often when I was there. He was a very good player. Id like to hear from Bob and find out where Ray Thompson is. He was another student of Mac’s and we went to Sienna Italy in 1978 to study and perform for Columbia University

  • Alex says:

    I took lessons from Bob at Fret & Fiddle many years ago. I wish I could remember the two brands of strings he recommended to string up my classical! You guitar players know how hard it is to find a good G string.

  • Robert Samuels says:

    I also studied with Mr. McCutcheon back in 1976. After long unsuccessful searches for Information about him it is good to hear of Don & Ray from 1976 to have something tangable of the Powell & Clark Studio days. Thanks, Bob from Cleveland.

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