He was orphaned at a young age and raised by his aunt in Flatcreek, a small community located about halfway between Lynchburg and Shelbyville.
[1] Over the years, Stephens' repertoire grew to include folk tunes such as "Sail Away Lady", "The Arkansas Traveler", and "Mississippi Sawyer."
To get around this situation, Ford dealers in Kentucky quickly organized fiddlers' contests, as did those in Tennessee and southern Indiana, all areas covered by the Cincinnati station.
[4] After capturing first prize at the Ford dealership in Lynchburg, Stephens proceeded to the Tennessee statewide contest in Nashville, which began on the morning of January 19, 1926.
Stephens won third place behind Uncle Jimmy Thompson and a one-armed fiddler from Hartsville named Marshall Claiborne.
On February 9–10, 1926, Stephens, along with Elmore and Claiborne, played at a banquet in Dearborn that was held during a convention of Ford dealers from around the country.
[1] After his death, his recording of "Sail Away Lady" was analyzed by ethnomusicologist Harry Smith, who believed it to be played in a style that pre-dated the American Civil War.