Musician. He was a pioneering jug-band musician based in Louisville, Kentucky and later New York City. His jug band was among the very first of the genre to be recorded, starting in 1924. His nickname "Whistler" came from the nose whistle he played during live performances and on recordings like "Low Down Blues" and "Jug Band Special"; he also sang and played guitar. Born in the small town of Eminence, Kentucky in 1893, Threlkeld moved to Louisville in the mid-1910's and formed a string band, eventually adding a jug player as jug band music grew in popularity. He performed around Louisville, toured as far away as New York City and Washington, DC, and recorded for Gennett, OKeh and Victor records. He even put together a unique lineup of three jug players along with his frequent partner Willie Black on banjo-mandolin and himself as a guitarist, nose-whistle player, and singer. Fox-Movietone newsreel, which has been preserved and can be seen today on DVD collections and YouTube. Filmed in Louisville in 1930, this clip provides a singular look at a depression-era jug band performing at the height of its powers. According to “The Jug Bands of Louisville” by Fred Cox, Whistler was accused of stealing from a guest during a hotel gig in 1932 and left Louisville, eventually settling in the middle of Harlem in New York City. He continued performing, but didn't record again. In May of 1935 he was admitted to Bellevue Hospital suffering from tuberculosis, and died there on September 1st. With no family to claim his body, he was buried in City Cemetery, the pauper's cemetery on Hart Island. Since his death, Threlkeld's music has been recorded by jug bands around the world, and in 2013, he was inducted into the Jug Band Hall of Fame.