Jack Cooke was a legend, he had lost a lot of weight at this juncture in his career...... The Mayor

To join the Clinch Mountain Boys you had to be super good, you couldn't be just good, you had to be next level or it just wasn't going to work out. So all these musicians you're seeing with Ralph are Just exceptional and legends like Cooke and Curly and the boys.

It makes me happy with Ricky skaggs Kentucky thunder awesome job ❤❤❤

Yessir, we lost a good one. RIP, Jim .

Lordamercy. That rendering of If I Lose makes me want to punch through a brick wall. Top tier.

2 stars of Audies band.Patrick and Russ Carson on banjo

heard his cover of Martins's Sophronie I it was Jimmy.

Be missed? I'll say. Tge first time I beard

What a great band! I saw them around 1980 at Great America in the Bay Area California. Some of the best harmonies ever.

Sound mix leaves a lot to be desired.

The best, no doubt! Sonny was so talented and of course no one can sing like Bobby. Love them so much!

The very best blue grass… no question! I wish we had these boys back for much, much more. God bless the memories we have to listen to now.

I was there. What wonderful memories of a great festival.

Too bad Audie lost McAvinue to the USN BG band.

On the last Jimmy Martin show I enjoyed he said was only 1of 2 singers (the other was Paul Williams) he could depend to give a rock solid vocal and mandolin performance. The Audie broke a mando string!!!

Yes sir I'm going to miss jim😊

Dr. Ralph Stanley and the Clinch Mountain Boys are the absolute best!

Sutton has calmed down a bit since those days 😂

Hwy old man can you rip off Jerusalem ridge

Who is that on the guitar next to Curly Ray Cline?

Howdy cuz, frm ky.

Thanks for posting! (Berkshire. )

Wonderful!!!!!!

Doesn't get any better, unless we go back in time with this same lineup And Danny and Michael's dad Bob Paisley.

Bobby and Sonny look great! So tan, smiling, full of life and music.....Paul and Jimmy Brock look good too...

Terry ! Grascals ?

This was the only time, here at this festival, I saw Jim and Jesse. I think Bill Monroe played in Orange County this same summer.

Vintage bluegrass - some of the best then & now!🪕🎵🎻🎼🎶🎸❤️

I was 14-19yrs old when The Unit was in it's prime, NewGrass was in it's last year's as a band. Jason Burleson(BlueHighway banjo player) youngest brother is my best friend. We went to so many awesome shows all over western North Carolina and east Tennessee. It influenced my entire life's musical taste. While most kids were seeing rock bands in stadiums... I was seeing the Unit and NGR at places like the Down Home in Johnson City Tenn and The Merle Watson Memorial Festival aka... Merle Fest #1. We were at Merle Fest the first 5yrs in a row.

RIP Jim Mills

😊😊 😊 . Mm

R. I. P. Jim Mills

Hey we picked with and your dad at SPBGMA this year and I was just wondering how yall are doing! This is CB and Jacob

Only 47 likes for one of the greater ensembles ever

Excellent audio!!

I'd recognize Glenn Duncan at any age!!

This is just so wonderful. Thank you for this.

Great quality recording, thanks.

Ruby has to be one of my favorites!

Gold indeed.

Sonny is a great musician. Love his guitar pickin. I believe he had a good sense of humor

Boy, what a sound. Too bad it has got out of fashion. I prefer this.

I saw them in 1980. Loved their show!

The Country GENTLEMEN. Just an Great & Awesome Bluegrass Band. 💓💯🤠👍👍👐👏👏👀🎵🎶

Bobby sounds like an angel. The greatest singer that ever lived

❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤

Love this thanks for posting

Whose on banjo

The late great Kenny Ingram on the five. Saw this lineup at South Stokes High school in NC that same year.

Vassar Clements was not a good fiddle player. Yeah I said it. If you know anything about playing you know his style was self indulgent and obnoxious and it did nothing to serve the songs. Sorry not sorry.