The Tradition

Bluegrass Innovator Seventy-five years ago the Stanley Brothers developed a distinctive sound in country music (a music that would later become known as bluegrass).  Carter’s lead voice, sparse rhythm guitar style and songwriting combined with Ralph’s soulful tenor voice and distinct approach to the five-string banjo to deliver a unique style of bluegrass music that…

The year 2020 was proclaimed by many as the 75th anniversary of the birth of bluegrass, a time that celebrated when the stars aligned in 1945 to provide Bill Monroe with an all-star cast of pickers and singers in his Blue Grass Boys band. At the top of the list were smooth Tennessee-born vocalist and…

Bluegrass  Incubator Many times, people who are known as but a footnote in history actually have vibrant lives that belie their postscript status. Such is the case with Roy Sykes, whose claim to fame is that his band, the Blue Ridge Mountain Boys, provided the career launch pad for Stanley Brothers. Less well known is…

Queries Q: I recently sold off some of my bluegrass memorabilia, including a 1951 Stanley Brothers song and picture folio. The booklet contained a photo of a disc jockey by the name of Jerry Donovan. Just curious as to who he is/was and why he’s included in a Stanley Brothers booklet? Tom Adler, Lexington, Kentucky….

Queries: Q: There is a gospel tune the Gillis Brothers recorded which, as far as I can tell, has not been recorded elsewhere: “I Always Call Your Name.” I and my bluegrass friends LOVE the tune, but we are seriously struggling with understanding the lyrics in the second verse. We are missing the second and…

I consider myself to be just an ordinary soul. I never reached the national spotlight. But as I grow older, I often look back on the many aspects of my life and bluegrass music has been a major influence on how I lived and it has been a source for many accomplishments and treasures. A…