"Bill Cheatam" is an old-time breakdown in A Major. The parts are played AABB or AA'BB' (Kaufman). Krassen and others note this is a common fiddle tune throughout the Southern part of the United States, where it probably originated (Christeson says he did not hear the tune in Missouri until the mid-1940's). The tune was a fiddle contest "category" tune in 1899 in Gallatin, Tenn.: each fiddler would play a version, with the best rendition being awarded a prize (C. Wolfe, The Devil's Box, Vol. 14, No. 4, 12/1/80). The earliest sound recording of the tune is by Texas fiddler Eck Robertson, in 1922, played as part of his “Brilliancy Medley”. It was printed in Brody's Fiddler's Fakebook (1983), R.P. Christeson's Old Time Fiddler's Repertory, vol. 1 (1973), Kaufman's Beginning Old Time Fiddle (1977), Krassen's Appalachian Fiddle (1973), Lowinger's Bluegrass Fiddle (1974), Phillips' Fiddle Case Tunebook: Old Time Southern (1989), Phillips' Traditional American Fiddle Tunes, vol. 1 (1994), Reiner's Anthology of Fiddle Styles (1977) and Thede's The Fiddle Book (1967) (appears as "Bill Cheatem"). It was recorded by Sandy Bradley on Potluck & Dance Tonite! (1979), Blind Joe Mangrum on Nashville: the Early String Bands, Vol. 2 (originally recorded in 1928), Kenny Baker on Portrait of a Bluegrass Fiddler (1968), Fennigs All Star String Band on The Hammered Dulcimer Strikes Again (1977), John Burke on Fancy Pickin' and Plain Singing (1977), Kyle Creed on Blue Ridge Style Square Dance Time (1972), Vassar Clements on Crossing the Catskills (1973), Jerry Douglas on Fluxology (1979) and Graham Townsend on Le Violon/The Fiddle (1976).