There gold in dem there hills of you tube.....came bye to pay my respects to Dr Ralph Stanley. ...as we say here this is mighty... Greetings from IRELAND 😉 we love traditional music here. ....
I never had the chance to see Carter in person but got to see Ralph a few times. Always top notch show. My all - time favorite record was a 45 rpm by the Stanley Brothers " Say You'll Take Me Back Back " b/w " Baby Girl"
That opening number is just golden. Not only do you have Ralph Stanley singing but he is joined by "Big Mon" Bill Monroe and Keith Whitley between the two. That is a lot of bluegrass royalty standing there
And Ricky Scaggs over Big Mon's right shoulder. Keith and he were with Ralph and the Clinch Mountain Boys at the same time and left about the same time. Curly Ray Cline, I think one of the fiddlers. Anyone know the venue of that first clip? Looks a lot like Lake Whippoorwill, Warrenton/Culpepper, VA., all but the stage. If it is, they must have lowered and expanded it before I got there, '74. Open backed and on the lake, too. I was at the "8th annual" so they must have started the festival in '66. Sad that Ricky is probably the only one left (unless the young banjo picker is. Pretty good. Anyone I.D. him?).
Well they are all about gone the music they made will live on but the good ones are gone thank god for youtube so we can see it and feel it. now this is music
Those I recognize in the first clip: Kenny Baker, Gene Lowinger, Curly Ray Cline, Marshall Family, Mike Munford, Troy Profitt, Bill Monroe, Keith Whitley, Ralph, Ray Goins, Boys From Indiana, Carl Story, Wayne Lewis.
Thank you for hearing something you like in this music. That's quite a compliment coming from someone like you in a faraway country. I've heard folk music in Central Europe that I found really pleasing and I'm from Kentucky. I think we all share music from a common ancestor or ancestors just as our languages are, for the most part, Indo-European. I hope things are going well for you in your Eastern European home
Looks a bit crowded on that stage. I was waiting for someone to fall off, or for Ray Cline to poke someone's eye out with his fiddle bow. Hardly recognised Bill Monroe without his hat. Great post, though, thanks. Amazing to think that bluegrass music has been with us for nearly 80 years, now, & still going strong!
Thanks Tom - I did find a reference to the name in Bluegrass Unlimited (August '76) just after he'd joined: "Troy Profitt who hails from Richlands, Virginia. The other members of the group in their typical style have got a nickname for him already - 'Renfro Valley'. I've added your comment to Troy's entry at:- www.clinchmountainecho.co.uk/cmblineup2.php
Thanks for posting this Bluegrass Buzzbomb. In honor and memory of Dr Ralph Ive been listening and watching to his music all day. Its a huge loss to us bluegrass lovers when a icon and originator passes on but his music will be here forever. RIP Dr Ralph Stanley
You man the last studio track? That's "I'll Just Catch A Train And Ride" and it's on Ralph's 'Down Where The River Bends' LP www.clinchmountainecho.co.uk/disc/slp1579.php It's never been issued on CD, but you can get it as a digital download from itunes/Amazon.
I think it's from 1978. Ralph introduces "Who's Gonna Mow My Grass" as a new song Curly's recorded, and that album was recorded 5th Jan 1978 (the first to feature Charlie & Sizemore). See: www.clinchmountainecho.co.uk/disc/slp1577.php
