John P. Williams is an accomplished Missouri old-time fiddler. He has been playing the fiddle for over 30 years, since he was seven years old, when he was inspired by the music he heard at fiddle contests. He was born and raised on a farm in rural Monroe County, in northeast Missouri, where he still resides. This region is the origin of the distinctive old time fiddle style called Little Dixie, which is characterized by long bow strokes, clear notes and melodies, frequent double stops, and accenting that create a driving quality to the tunes. John received instruction from some of the most renowned Missouri fiddlers at the Bethel Fiddle Camp, which he attended annually from age 9 to 17. Some of his teachers were Pete McMahan, Taylor McBaine, Johnny Bruce, Vesta Johnson, Dwight Lamb, Charlie Walden and Bob Holt, among others. When he was 16, he had the privilege of apprenticing with Pete McMahan, a legendary Little Dixie and contest fiddler, through Missouri’s Traditional Apprenticeship Program. Pete imparted to John his remarkable bowing technique and many of his rare and unique tunes. John was greatly influenced by Pete, but he also developed his own style and repertoire over the years. John started to compete and win in fiddle contests when he was a teenager, both in Missouri and other states. In 2001, when he was 20, he won the National Invitational Fiddle Championship in Yankton, South Dakota. Now in his early 40's, John occasionally participates in Missouri fiddle contests, but mainly for fun and to jam with old friends. He is concerned that the national contest style of fiddling is overshadowing Missouri’s traditional regional styles. He prefers to play at jams, local dances, or with his friends on his farm. John is also a master fiddler who teaches at the Bethel Fiddle Camp, where he used to be a student. He has been selected five times as a master artist in Missouri’s Traditional Arts Apprenticeship Program, one of the youngest masters in the program’s history. John’s objective is simple and earnest: “I want to play and pass on the traditional tunes that have been played in our state for generations.”