Benny Thomasson, raised in a musical family in rural East Texas, learned to play the fiddle from his father and uncles, all of whom were steeped in traditional music. Over time, he developed a distinctive style that blended traditional melodies with refined bowing, added variations, and greater complexity—an approach that helped define what became known as Texas-style fiddling. He won the National Old-Time Fiddlers Contest three times and later became a mentor to influential players such as Mark O’Connor and Dale Morris.