Manuel “Speedy” Clark was an all-around tap-dancing, guitar-strumming country
entertainer and mountain balladeer. He performed at the Renfro Valley Barn
Dance, where he developed a comic old man character he called “Uncle Joe Clark”.
He soon adopted “Old Joe Clark” as his own name. The fiddle tune Old
Joe Clark is a tribute to this legendary performer.
Many arrangements of the song have been performed. This arrangement is very
similar to the version showcased by the Canadian fiddle group Barrage.