The Tradition

Q – I am a big fan of Ernie Thacker and know that he was in Ralph Stanley’s band from 1988-1994. I am trying to find all the albums that feature him singing lead with Ralph Stanley & the Clinch Mountain Boys.  Do you happen to know the titles of the albums that Ernie was…

A West Virginia Bluegrass Legend’s Signature Song Revived for Modern Times by Kenny and Amanda Smith Pocahontas County is not only one of the most beautiful counties in West Virginia, it is one of the most nature-filled regions in all of the 400-year-old Appalachian Mountain chain. The county, which contains the headwaters of eight rivers,…

Part 1: Jim Lunsford: Growing music from the mountains and beyond At a Charlotte, North Carolina, studio in April 1954, 26-year-old Jimmy Lunsford cranked up wild fiddle solos on “Dixie Breakdown,” a tune he’d written with banjo innovator Don Reno. Lunsford’s presence on Don Reno & Red Smiley releases was just one of the creative…

For many new adherents to folk music in the early 1950s, one of THE go-to collections was the Anthology of American Folk Music that was assembled by Harry Smith. The 80-track set, complete with a well-annotated booklet, served as a roots music primer for a generation of folk music enthusiasts. Less well known, and perhaps…

Photo by Scott Simontacchi Harry Sherile “Buck” White (December 13, 1930 – January 13, 2025) was the patriarch of the popular acoustic, bluegrass-friendly group The Whites. Although known primarily for his mandolin playing and vocals, he was also an amazing piano player. White’s career as a musician got its start in the late 1940s and…

Q: I have been playing bluegrass music for at least five decades. The Stanley Brothers are one of my favorites to listen to and get inspiration from. It was recently brought to my attention by a friend, who was acquainted with Henry Dockery, that the wordage, “Get down boys, go back home…” is incorrect in…