Othar Turner was born on June 2, 1908, Except for a nine-month period laying and repairing railroad track as far north as Indiana, he lived his entire life in and around Gravel Springs, I been out on the farm a good while and raised six kids, and I don't know many other people, he said of his life as a small farmer.

Other made his first cane fife when he was 13. He had already learned a good deal about drumming from players in the area and wanted to move on to the fife. He picked his cane from a river bank and cut it to the right size: a little over a foot long, with several joints in the right places. He bored six holes in it , five finger holes and one for the mouthpiece. He experimented until he got the right intonation.

His band, the Rising Star Fife and Drum Band, consists of the fife and three drums: two kettles (snare drums) and a bass. The high-pitched kettle drum is the lead instrument. All the musicians play standing up, often while walking, with the fife leading the way. The repertoire is a mix of blues, old popular tunes, spirituals, and instrumental pieces collectively known as 'Shimmy She Wobble,' for the liberating effect the music has on dancers. The blues indeed can be played on anything.