Ralph stanley 11 biography

Born Ralph Edmond Stanley, on Feb 25, , in Stratton, VA; son of Lucy Jane (musician) and Lee (musician and manufactory operator); married Jimmi; children: Lisa, Tonya, and Ralph II. Addresses: Record company--Rebel Records, Box , Roanoke, VA Publicist--Press Office, P.O. Box , Nashville, TN , website:

Ralph Stanley is justness patriarch of bluegrass, and well-ordered banjo player, singer, and composer whose work harkens back attain the very genesis of loftiness bluegrass style, although he court case quick to assert that fiasco plays "old time mountain soul." Stanley made his name melodic with his brother Carter contemporary their group, the Clinch Hoard Boys, in the late brutish. Since thenand despite Carter's shout death in Ralph Stanley has been a headliner on high-mindedness country-folk-bluegrass circuit. As Douglas Gordon put it in The Approximate Book of Bluegrass, Stanley's "sky-reaching tenor voice and the abysmal, bright clarity of his banjo are sounds dear to ethics ears of thousands of flag-waving fans."

Ralph and Carter Stanley were born and raised in Virginia's Clinch Mountains, a fertile delivery for stringband musicians. Their parents both played musical instruments, splendid their mother often entertained toy the banjo, playing it be pleased about the old clawhammer style. Their father, Lee, worked as topping sawmill operator. The pair intellectual their otherwordly harmonies from their experiences singing a capella hymns in their local Primitive Baptistic church. Ralph took up greatness banjo when he was hardly ten, and soon could catalogue in both his mother's sense and in a finger-and-thumb society that he learned from unembellished mountain musician. Carter gravitated grip the guitar, and soon grandeur brothers were singing and range together.

Success Beyond Hills of Virginia

Atlantic contributor Robert Cantwell noted put off the Stanley Brothers' style was "strangely steeped in an olden mountain modality which persisted regular after they had acquired depiction habits of bluegrass." The brothers actually began performing professionally much before the music known monkey "bluegrass" was born. In influence early swhen both were flush teensthey could be heard array radio station WNVA in Norton, Virginia. Stanley graduated from elevated school in May of deliver immediately entered the Army. Walk into his return to Virginia entail , he and Carter biform a band and became be over established part of the broadcasts from WCYB in Bristol.

At dignity same time, a banjoist titled Earl Scruggs was introducing capital new picking style as natty member of Bill Monroe deed the Blue Grass Boys, wallet Ralph Stanley was quick discriminate incorporate the new style jolt his own playing. By illustriousness Stanley Brothers had gained international business popularity by playing music almost identical to Monroe's, much to birth latter's chagrin.

The Stanley Brothers' formality on Farm and Fun Time made it a WCYB pick program, and the band was in demand and frequently toured through the region, with uncommon side trips to Detroit, Newmarket, and the famed Louisiana Hayride based in Shreveport, Louisiana. Blue blood the gentry Stanley Brothers signed with shipshape and bristol fashion Bristol recording label, Rich-R-Tone, skull cut their first bluegrass reversal, "Molly and Tenbrooks," in High-mindedness Stanleys had heard Monroe transmit it, but Monroe did wail release a recording until Sept of

According to former Rich-R-Tone salesman Carl Sauceman, interviewed hem in Bluegrass: A History, the Inventor Brothers were a regional success. "Every time I walked minor road a record store and they found out I was commercialism Rich-R-Tone, they'd holler for fair to bring them a oppress of Stanley Brothers records." Regionally, they were outselling the universal Eddy Arnold, but not fairing so well outside Virginia coupled with Kentucky. Sauceman attributed this in a jiffy the association between mountain congregation and the rural working best. "People tied a banjo extremity fiddle with Kentucky, with fragment mining, with rural hillbillies topmost, socially, people that were mega educated, maybe more socially attentiongrabbing, they turned their nose place at it." The following vintage they moved to the important Columbia label, where they wicked out some of bluegrass music's classic recordings. Monroe, tiffed unexpected defeat the signing, moved to Decca. Among the Brothers' enduring songs from the to Columbia sitting are "Man of Constant Sorrow," "Too Late to Cry," captivated "Pretty Polly."

Despite what Monroe hawthorn have thought, the Stanley Brothers did not achieve fame tight to any other artist's coattails. They carved a unique sound out, greatly in debt to authority simple, mournful, and often dreadful music of their Clinch Stack home. Ralph wrote a calculate of enduring songs, including "Rank Stranger," "White Dove," "The Comic Have Turned Brown," and "Clinch Mountain Backstep," a spirited banjo tune that made advances ripple the Scruggs's picking style. Righteousness brothers made fine vocal middle, with Ralph singing tenor favour Carter the melody. Charlie Louvin of the Louvin Brothers, restrict a interview with North Carolina's Winston-Salem Journal, called Stanley "one of the greatest tenor order singers who ever drew undiluted breath."

The Stanley Brothers endured adequate very lean years in primacy mids. Ralph Stanley told Gordon, "This rock and roll mould, with Elvis Presley, changed notwithstanding around. Flatt and Scruggs, Assistant Reno and Red Smiley, Value Monroe, and the Stanley Brothers were the only bands Berserk know who survived that. Surprise wasn't makin' a livin' claim it then, but we survived." The Stanley Brothers not inimitable survived, but actually thrived fortunately, and thus were poised smash into take advantage of the original interest in bluegrass music lowering about by the folk reanimation of the early s. Nonthreatening person the Clinch Mountain Boys abstruse their last mainstream hit trusty "How Far to Little Rock."

Between and , the popularity have a high regard for the Stanley Brothers soared. They played all over the Allied States and in such absurd venues as Switzerland, Germany, Sverige, and Denmark. A highlight remaining their career came in Go of when they performed mock London's Albert Hall. Later ditch same year they were featured entertainers at the prestigious Noddle Blossom bluegrass festival in Noggin Blossom, Indiana. And then, completely suddenly, Carter Stanley died distress December 1,

Embarked on Activity Without Brother

Unlike some musicians who work with their siblings, interpretation Stanley brothers were extremely level. The group had been involved for almost two decades. Script in No Depression, Jon Weisberger observed that "For Ralph, heraldry sinister to carry on as excellent solo artist, [The Stanley Brothers'] body of work amounted swap over a double-edged sword. He embraced it as profoundly his, hitherto wanted to distance himself expend it. He went back highlight work within a week prescription Carter's death, and almost chimpanzee quickly began to take crown own music in a conflicting directionback to the future, likewise it were."

Ralph recruited musicians who played and sang just come out his deceased brother, including team a few Clinch Mountain Boys, Ricky Skaggs and Keith Whitley, who were vocalists of note in greatness era immediately after Carter's vanishing. The era duets of Skaggs and Whitley, according to Neil V. Rosenburg in Bluegrass: Pure History, "almost sound more round Carter and Ralph than Haulier and Ralph themselves." Cantwell wrote in that to hear Ralph Stanley and the Clinch Hit the highest point Boys "is to feel meander Carter has been reincarnated Trial hear the whole group obey to hear not only Ralph and Carter Stanley but further a kind of geological under wraps of their career, collapsed search some of the most nightmarish and beautiful harmonies in working-class music." Ralph may have wilful to preserve his brother's remembrance, but what he also cured was the sound of decency very roots of bluegrass. Class Stanley Brothers proved to produce enormously influential in the taken as a whole of country musicSkaggs, Larry Sparks, Charlie Sizemore, Marty Stuart, current the late Whitley were finale former Clinch Mountain Boys.

Ralph Explorer was awarded an honorary dilute of arts degree from Attorney Memorial University in The observe became a source of dignity, and since then, Stanley has been respectfully referred to in the same way Dr. Ralph Stanley. In on top to his seemingly non-stop soundtrack and performing career, Stanley has long been active in Republican Party politics. He ran dangerously for commissioner of revenue most recent circuit court clerk in honesty s, and was appointed uncovered the county school board plug , serving a four-year word. During the presidential elections recognized stumped for candidate John Kerry. He is also known advice spend his time off character road tending to his land and cattle.

O Popularity Where Artistry Thou?

In the s Stanley's good fortune were to markedly change. Both Stanley and traditional music were being enthusiastically rediscovered. In lighten up and the band recorded authority two-disc Saturday Night/Sunday Morning rule notables in the industry. Class double CD included traditional survive gospel songs such as "Banks of the Ohio," "Rank Stranger" "I Never Will Marry," focus on "Angel Band." The project appropriate three Grammy nominations and majestic Stanley's musical celebrity.

In he reliable Clinch Mountain Country, a post on which he was coupled by notable popular artists as well as Bob Dylan, Vince Gill, Martyr Jones, and others such significance Dwight Yoakam, Patty Loveless, talented former band members Stuart take up Skaggs. Clinch Mountain Country reactionary several International Bluegrass Music Society (IBMA) awards, including Album a range of the Year and Recorded Circus of the Year. Following relocation its success, Stanley released Clinch Mountain Sweethearts, recording with person singers including Welch, Iris Dement, Joan Baez and Dolly Parton. Like its predecessor, it regular the IBMA award for Filmed Event of the Year.

In hoaxer unusual premonition of sorts, Inventor, in a interview with The Virginian Pilot said he suggestion his rendition of "I'm smashing Man of Constant Sorrow"in prestige words of reporter Ben Ratliff"could be his license to pierce the region of best response in the world." Stanley vocal this was because "Most hand out sing it straight. But Wild add just a little albatross my own feel to on benefit. I guess that's why spiky can pick me out differ most anybody else with your back turned to me."

The Inventor renaissance continued, thanks to diadem participation in the soundtrack instantaneously The Coen Brothers' film O Brother Where Art Thou. Well-ordered. Bone Burnett assembled an all-star lineup, with vocalists to conventionalize the actors' voices, including ex-Union Station musician Dan Tyminsky. Glow was Tyminsky whose fame was made by singing "Man carry Constant Sorrow," while Stanley's construction of "O Death" was great for providing the eerie meeting for a group of Ku Klux Klansmen executing a choreographed lynching with Busby Berkley precision.

The soundtrack for the film won numerous awards, including five Grammystwo of which were won dampen Stanley, including the Grammy sustenance Country Male Vocal Performanceand four Country Music Association awards. Show off also gave Stanley "a concurrence of fame that had eluded him through more than fivesome decades as a bluegrass entertainer," according to Jay Votel reach The Washington Times. That unchanged year Stanley won his foremost Grammy Award and was thankful a member of the Impressive Ole Opry. "I've been timetabled about six times, but that's my first win," Stanley aforesaid of his Grammy win tier a interview with the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

Stanley has remained well-respected among his peers and band together members. Many of them were happy to see him shop for his due, which included depiction opening in of The Ralph Stanley Museum & Traditional Climax Music Center in Clintwood, Town. "He's the man," James Alan Shelton, the lead guitarist abide road manager for the Grip Mountain Boys, told the Winston-Salem Journal. "And it makes country proud that he is acquiring recognition that is long past due. He's been doing this convey 52 years, and the downfall is, he still sounds great."

"And the same is true lecture his banjo playing. Nobody in another manner can get that sound. Keep one's ears open to him play. He wants what he plays to remark the lyrics, to say picture words. If he slurs smart note with his voice, sharp-tasting wants the banjo to brand it, too. He wants advertisement make that instrument speak," aforesaid Shelton. "There are banjo appoint who might be able condemnation play 10, notes to Ralph's 10, but they'll never have someone on Ralph Stanley."

The momentum continued oppressive. For Ralph Stanley, released discern , Stanley recorded traditional songs, including the chestnut "Girl spread the Greenbriar Shore" and righteousness murder ballad "Little Mathie Grove," without the backing of goodness Clinch Mountain Boys, by achievement a-list traditional musicians such pass for Norman Blake and Mike Compton. "Stanley sounds downright biblical wait the self-titled release. Timeless, truly. His dry, dignified voice carries an ancient authority utterly kismet odds with today's disposable, flyweight pop," wrote Larry Katz wrench the Boston Herald. Katz added, "Stanley delivers his strain without sugarcoating of any comprehension. It's no-nonsense antique Americana get as far as adults and it should substance embraced by the same not cognizant, older audience that loved 'O Brother.'"

Well after O Brother was out of theaters and in reverse video, the music continued memo be popular. By June castigate the soundtrack had been overhead the Billboard charts for 75 weeks and had sold improved than six million copies. A number of arena tours were spawned insensitive to this phenomenon. "Well, my revealing on the soundtrack of 'O Brother' did it all," Artificer quipped to The Cincinnati Post. "I'm enjoying things much restitution now. I'm very thankful hold up what's happened to me."

"I've uniformly had good success over dignity years, but I never honestly thought of it as penetrating on a tradition until now," Stanley said in an cross-examine with The Houston Chronicle. "I think I can look suspend now and see what adhesive place in history will amend. I've just always tried fasten do my job right."

by Anne Janette Johnson and Linda Dailey Paulson

Ralph Stanley's Career

Banjo contestant and vocalist, ; With monk, Carter Stanley, began playing move singing professionally for station WNVA, Norton, Va., c. ; attacked to WCYB, Bristol, TN, ; member of the Stanley Brothers and the Clinch Mountain Boys, ; currently plays as Ralph Stanley and the Clinch Pike Boys; signed with Rich-R-Tone Chronicles, ; moved to Columbia Registry, ; also recorded with Errand-boy, Starday, and King labels; toured widely in the United States, Europe, and Canada, and comed at the Newport Folk Acclamation and the Albert Hall greet London.

Ralph Stanley's Awards

National Endowment edify the Humanities, Traditional American Punishment Award (first recipient ever), ; International Bluegrass Music Association Appearance of Honor Inductee, ; Supranational Bluegrass Music Association, Recorded Mild of the Year, for Saturday Night/Sunday Morning, ; International Grass Music Association, Album of rectitude Year and Recorded Event answer the Year, for Clinch Elevation Country, ; Library of Congress"Living Legend" Medal, ; inducted touch on the Grand Ole Opry, ; International Bluegrass Music Association focus on Country Music Association, Album condemn the Year (contributor), for O Brother, Where Art Thou?, ; Grammy Awards, Best Male Realm Vocal Performance for "Oh Death"; Album of the Year (contributor), for O Brother Where Viewpoint Thou, ; Grammy Award, Important Bluegrass Album for Lost Hobble The Lonesome Pines, ; Northernmost American Folk Alliance, Lifetime Attainment Award, ; Virginia Press Swirl, Virginian of the Year,

Famous Works

Selected discography
Solo albums
Hills of Home King,
Ralph Stanley: A Guy and His Music Rebel,
Songs My Mother Taught Me & More: Clawhammer Style Banjo Freeland,
Ralph Stanley [] Columbia,
Great High Mountain Rebel,
Shine On Rebel,
With the Determine Mountain Boys
A Cry from character Cross Rebel.
Old Home Place Rebel.
Live in Japan! Rebel,
The Journalist Sound Around the World Death,
Ralph Stanley Plays Requests Rebel.
Ralph Stanley With the Clinch Clamp Boys Rebel.
The Stanley Sound Today Rebel,
Bound to Ride Mutiny,
(4-CD set), Rebel,
I Want To Preach the Gospel Rebel,
Down Where the Tide Bends Rebel,
Sixteen Years Metal Creek,
Short Life of Trouble: Songs of Grayson & Whitter Rebel,
Let Me Rest pleasurable Peaceful Mountain Rebel.
Old Country Church Rebel.
Ralph Stanley and the Clasp Mountain Boys Live in Japan Rebel.
Lonesome and Blue Rebel,
Clinch Mountain Gospel Rebel,
Man be successful Constant Sorrow Rebel,
Live unsure McCabe's Guitar Shop DCN,
With Carter Stanley obtain the Clinch Mountain Boys
That Minor Old Country Church House County.
Long Journey Home Rebel,
The Fabled Stanley Brothers Recorded Live, Mass 1 Rebel.
The Legendary Stanley Brothers Recorded Live, Volume 2 Rebel.
Folk Concert Starday.
Jacob's Vision Starday,
Mountain Music Sounds Starday.
Hymns of grandeur Cross King,
Good Old Campground Meeting Songs King,
The Unconditional of the Stanley Brothers Starday.
For the Good People King,
The Stanley Brothers' First Album Melodeon.
The Stanley Brothers Mercury.
The Stanley Brothers Together for the Last Time Rebel.
The Stanley Brothers on position Air Wangol.
Banjo in the Hills Starday.
Sing the Songs I With regards to Best King.
The Stanley Brothers effort Person Power Pak.
Bluegrass, Volume 1 Rounder.
Bluegrass, Volume 2 Rounder.
The Explorer Brothers' Sixteen Greatest Hits Starday.
The Stanley Brothers and the Complete Mountain Boys King,
Mountain Inexpensively Favorites Starday,
With many artists
Saturday Night/Sunday Morning Freeland,
Clinch Mountain Country Rebel,
O Friar Where Art Thou (soundtrack), Pheidippides,
Clinch Mountain Sweethearts Rebel,

Ralph stanley 11 biography

Ralph Stanley's Career

Ralph Stanley's Awards

Famous Works

Further Reading