Jump to content

Ralph Stanley: Difference between revisions

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Browse history interactively
← Previous edit
Content deleted Content added
VisualWikitext
m Removing from Category:Songwriters from Virginia in subcat using Cat-a-lot
No edit summary
 
(44 intermediate revisions by 32 users not shown)
Line 1: Line 1:
{{short description|American bluegrass musician and singer}}
{{Short description|American bluegrass musician and singer (1927–2016)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2016}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2016}}
{{Infobox musical artist <!-- See Wikipedia:WikiProject Musicians -->
{{Infobox musical artist <!-- See Wikipedia:WikiProject Musicians -->
| name = Ralph Stanley
| image = Dr. Ralph Stanley in 2011.jpg
| image = Dr. Ralph Stanley in 2011.jpg
| caption = Ralph Stanley in 2011
| caption = Stanley in 2011
| background = solo_singer
| background = solo_singer
| birth_name = Ralph Edmund Stanley
| birth_name = Ralph Edmund Stanley
| other_name = Dr. Ralph Stanley
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1927|2|25}}
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1927|2|25}}
| birth_place = [[McClure, Virginia]], U.S.
| birth_place = [[McClure, Virginia]], U.S.
| death_date = {{Death date and age|2016|06|23|1927|2|25}}
| death_date = {{Death date and age|2016|06|23|1927|2|25}}
| origin = [[Dickenson County, Virginia|Big Spraddle Creek, Virginia]], U.S.
| origin = [[Dickenson County, Virginia|Big Spraddle Creek, Virginia]], U.S.
| death_place = [[Coeburn, Virginia]], U.S.
| death_place = [[Dickenson County, Virginia|Sandy Ridge, Virginia]], U.S.
| instrument = Banjo
| instrument = Banjo
| genre = [[Bluegrass music|Bluegrass]], [[old-time music|old-time]], [[American folk music|folk]]
| genre = {{hlist|[[Bluegrass music|Bluegrass]]|[[old-time music|old-time]]|[[American folk music|folk]]}}
| occupation = Bluegrass musician
| occupation = Bluegrass musician
| years_active = 1946–2016
| years_active = 1946–2016
| label = [[Columbia Records|Columbia]], [[Rebel Records|Rebel]]
| label = {{hlist|[[Columbia Records|Columbia]]|[[Rebel Records|Rebel]]}}
| associated_acts = [[Clinch Mountain Boys]], [[Stanley Brothers]]
| associated_acts = {{hlist|[[Clinch Mountain Boys]]|[[Stanley Brothers]]}}
| website = {{url|drralphstanleymusic.com}}
| website = {{url|drralphstanleymusic.com}}
| spouse = {{marriage|Jimmie Crabtree|1968}}
}}
}}


'''Ralph Edmund Stanley''' (February 25, 1927 – June 23, 2016) was an American [[Bluegrass music|bluegrass]] artist, known for his distinctive singing and [[banjo]] playing. Stanley began playing music in 1946, originally with his older brother [[Carter Stanley]] as part of [[The Stanley Brothers]], and most often as the leader of his band, The Clinch Mountain Boys. He was also known as '''Dr. Ralph Stanley'''.
'''Ralph Edmund Stanley''' (February 25, 1927 – June 23, 2016) was an American [[Bluegrass music|bluegrass]] artist, known for his distinctive singing and [[banjo]] playing. He began playing music in 1946, originally with his older brother [[Carter Stanley]] as part of [[The Stanley Brothers]], and most often as the leader of his band, '''The Clinch Mountain Boys'''. Ralph was also known as '''Dr. Ralph Stanley'''.


He was part of the first generation of [[bluegrass music]]ians and was inducted into both the [[International Bluegrass Music Hall of Honor]] and the [[Grand Ole Opry]].
He was part of the first generation of [[bluegrass music]]ians and was inducted into both the [[International Bluegrass Music Hall of Honor]] and the [[Grand Ole Opry]].


==Biography==
==Biography==
[[File:Ralph Stanley - Ralph Stanley II - Ron Baker 2008.jpg|thumb|left|250px|Ralph Stanley and son Ralph II in 2008]]
[[File:Ralph Stanley - Ralph Stanley II - Ron Baker 2008.jpg|thumb|left|250px|Stanley and son Ralph II in 2008]]
Stanley was born, grew up, and lived in rural [[Southwest Virginia]]—"in a little town called [[McClure, Virginia|McClure]] at a place called Big Spraddle, just up the holler" from where he moved in 1936 and lived ever since in [[Dickenson County]].<ref name="virginia-living55">"Old-Time Man" interview by Don Harrison June 2008 ''[[Virginia Living]]'', p. 55.</ref> The son of Lee and Lucy Stanley, Ralph did not grow up around a lot of music in his home. As he says, his "daddy didn't play an instrument, but sometimes he would sing church music. And I'd hear him sing songs like '[[Man of Constant Sorrow]],' '[[Pretty Polly (ballad)|Pretty Polly]]' and '[[Omie Wise]].'"<ref name="virginia-living55"/>
Stanley was born, grew up, and lived in rural [[Southwest Virginia]]—"in a little town called [[McClure, Virginia|McClure]] at a place called Big Spraddle Creek, just up the holler" from where he moved in 1936. Before that he lived in another part of [[Dickenson County]].<ref name="virginia-living55">"Old-Time Man" interview by Don Harrison June 2008 ''[[Virginia Living]]'', p. 55.</ref> The son of Lee and Lucy Smith Stanley, Ralph did not grow up around a lot of music in his home. As he said, his "daddy didn't play an instrument, but sometimes he would sing church music... I'd hear him sing songs like '[[Man of Constant Sorrow]],' '[[Pretty Polly (ballad)|Pretty Polly]]' and '[[Omie Wise]].'"<ref name="virginia-living55"/>


{{blockquote|I got my first banjo when I was a teenager. I guess I was 15, 16 years old. My aunt had this old banjo, and Mother bought it for me ... paid $5 for it, which back then was probably like $5,000. [My parents] had a little store, and I remember my aunt took it out in groceries.<ref name="virginia-living55"/>}}
{{blockquote|I got my first banjo when I was a teenager. I guess I was 15, 16 years old. My aunt had this old banjo, and Mother bought it for me ... paid $5 for it, which back then was probably like $5,000. [My parents] had a little store, and I remember my aunt took it out in groceries.<ref name="virginia-living55"/>}}
Line 36: Line 35:
{{blockquote|She had 11 brothers and sisters, and all of them could play the five-string banjo. She played gatherings around the neighborhood, like bean stringin's. She tuned it up for me and played this tune, "Shout Little Luly," and I tried to play it like she did. But I think I developed my own style of the banjo.<ref name="virginia-living55"/>}}
{{blockquote|She had 11 brothers and sisters, and all of them could play the five-string banjo. She played gatherings around the neighborhood, like bean stringin's. She tuned it up for me and played this tune, "Shout Little Luly," and I tried to play it like she did. But I think I developed my own style of the banjo.<ref name="virginia-living55"/>}}


He graduated from high school on May 2, 1945 and was inducted into the Army on May 16, serving "little more than a year." He immediately began performing when he got home:
He graduated from high school on May 2, 1945, and was inducted into the [[United States Army|Army]] on May 16, serving for "little more than a year." When he got home he immediately began performing:


{{blockquote|... my daddy and Carter picked me up from the (station), and Carter was playing with another group, Roy Sykes and the Blue Ridge Mountain Boys, and they had a personal appearance that night. So I sung a song with Carter on the radio before I even got home.<ref name="virginia-living56">"Old-Time Man" interview by Don Harrison June 2008 ''[[Virginia Living]]'', p. 56.</ref>}}
{{blockquote|... my daddy and Carter picked me up from the (station), and Carter was playing with another group, Roy Sykes and the Blue Ridge Mountain Boys, and they had a personal appearance that night. So I sung a song with Carter on the radio before I even got home.<ref name="virginia-living56">"Old-Time Man" interview by Don Harrison June 2008 ''[[Virginia Living]]'', p. 56.</ref>}}


===Clinch Mountain Boys===
===Clinch Mountain Boys===
[[File:Dr. Ralph Stanley Grass Valley CA February 2006.jpg|thumb|right|250px|Ralph Stanley in 2006]]
[[File:Dr. Ralph Stanley Grass Valley CA February 2006.jpg|thumb|right|250px|Stanley in 2006]]
After considering a course in "veterinary", he decided instead to join his older guitar-playing brother [[Carter Stanley]] (1925–1966) to form the Clinch Mountain Boys in 1946. Drawing heavily on the musical traditions of the area, which included the unique singing style of the [[Primitive Baptist Universalist]] church and the sweet down-home family harmonies of the [[Carter Family]], the two Stanley brothers began playing on local radio stations. They first performed at [[Norton, Virginia]]'s WNVA, but did not stay long there, moving on instead to [[Bristol, Virginia]], and [[WZAP|WCYB]] to start the show ''Farm and Fun Time'', where they stayed "off and on for 12 years".<ref name="virginia-living56"/>
After considering a course in "veterinary", he decided instead to join his older guitar-playing brother [[Carter Stanley]] (1925–1966) to form the Clinch Mountain Boys in 1946. Drawing heavily on the musical traditions of the area, which included the unique singing style of the [[Primitive Baptist Universalist]] church and the sweet down-home family harmonies of the [[Carter Family]], the two Stanley brothers began playing on local radio stations. They first performed at [[Norton, Virginia]]'s WNVA, but did not stay long there, moving on instead to [[Bristol, Virginia]], and [[WZAP|WCYB]] to start the show ''Farm and Fun Time'', where they stayed "off and on for 12 years".<ref name="virginia-living56"/>


At first they covered "a lot of [[Bill Monroe]] music" (one of the first groups to pick up the new "bluegrass" format).<ref name=trischka>Trischka, Tony, "Ralph Stanley", ''Banjo Song Book'', Oak Publications, 1977</ref> They soon "found out that didn't pay off—we needed something of our own. So we started writing songs in 1947, 1948. I guess I wrote 20 or so banjo tunes, but Carter was a better writer than me."<ref name="virginia-living56"/> When [[Columbia Records]] signed them as The Stanley Brothers, Bill Monroe left in protest and joined [[Decca Records|Decca]]. Later, Carter went back to sing for the "Father of Bluegrass", Bill Monroe.
At first they covered "a lot of [[Bill Monroe]] music" (one of the first groups to pick up the new "bluegrass" format).<ref name=trischka>Trischka, Tony, "Ralph Stanley", ''Banjo Song Book'', Oak Publications, 1977</ref> They soon "found out that didn't pay off—we needed something of our own. So we started writing songs in 1947, 1948. I guess I wrote 20 or so banjo tunes, but Carter was a better writer than me."<ref name="virginia-living56"/> When [[Columbia Records]] signed them as The Stanley Brothers, Monroe left in protest joining [[Decca Records]]. Later, Carter went back to sing for the "Father of Bluegrass", Monroe.


Ralph Stanley gave his opinion on Bill Monroe's apparent change of heart: "He [Bill Monroe] knew Carter would make him a good singer ... Bill Monroe loved our music and loved our singing."<ref name="virginia-living56"/>
Ralph Stanley gave his opinion on Bill Monroe's apparent change of heart: "He [Monroe] knew Carter would make him a good singer... Bill Monroe loved our music and loved our singing."<ref name="virginia-living56"/>


The Stanley Brothers joined [[King Records (USA)|King Records]] in the late '50s, a record company so eclectic that it included [[James Brown]] at the time. In fact, James Brown and his band were in the studio when the Stanley Brothers recorded "[[Finger Poppin' Time]]". "James and his band were poppin' their fingers on that" according to Ralph.<ref name="virginia-living56"/> At King Records, they "went to a more 'Stanley style', the sound that people most know today."<ref name="virginia-living56"/>
The Stanley Brothers joined [[King Records (USA)|King Records]] in the late 1950s, a record company which was so eclectic that it included [[James Brown]] at the time. In fact, James Brown and his band were in the studio when the Stanley Brothers recorded "[[Finger Poppin' Time]]". "James and his band were poppin' their fingers on that" according to Ralph.<ref name="virginia-living56"/> At King Records, they "went to a more 'Stanley style', the sound that people most know today."<ref name="virginia-living56"/>


Ralph and Carter performed as The Stanley Brothers with their band, The Clinch Mountain Boys, from 1946 to 1966. Ralph kept the band name when he continued as a solo act after Carter's death, from 1967 until his death in 2016.
Ralph and Carter performed as The Stanley Brothers with their band, The Clinch Mountain Boys, from 1946 to 1966. Ralph kept the band name when he continued as a solo act after Carter's death, from 1967 until his death in 2016.


===Solo===
===Solo===
After Carter died of complications of cirrhosis in 1966, after ailing for "a year or so",<ref name="virginia-living56"/> Ralph faced a hard decision on whether to continue performing on his own. "I was worried, I didn't know if I could do it by myself. But boy, I got letters, 3,000 of 'em, and phone calls ... I went to Syd Nathan at King and asked him if he wanted me to go on, and he said, 'Hell yes! You might be better than both of them.'"<ref name="virginia-living567">"Old-Time Man" interview by Don Harrison June 2008 ''[[Virginia Living]]'', p. 56-7.</ref>
After Carter died of complications of cirrhosis in 1966, after ailing for "a year or so",<ref name="virginia-living56"/> Ralph Stanley faced a hard decision on whether to continue performing on his own. "I was worried, I didn't know if I could do it by myself. But boy, I got letters, 3,000 of 'em, and phone calls... I went to Syd Nathan at King and asked him if he wanted me to go on, and he said, 'Hell yes! You might be better than both of them.'"<ref name="virginia-living567">"Old-Time Man" interview by Don Harrison June 2008 ''[[Virginia Living]]'', p. 56-7.</ref>


He decided to go it alone, eventually reviving The Clinch Mountain Boys. [[Larry Sparks]], Roy Lee Centers, and Charlie Sizemore were among those with whom he played in the revived band. He encountered [[Ricky Skaggs]] and [[Keith Whitley]] arriving late to his own show: "They were about 16 or 17, and they were holding the crowd 'til we got there ... They sounded just exactly like (the Stanley Brothers)."<ref name="virginia-living57">"Old-Time Man" interview by Don Harrison June 2008 ''[[Virginia Living]]'', p. 57.</ref> Seeing their potential, he hired them "to give 'em a chance", though that meant a seven-member band.<ref name="virginia-living56"/> Eventually, his son, [[Ralph Stanley II]], took over as lead singer and rhythm guitarist for The Clinch Mountain Boys.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ralphstanleyii.com/history.html |title=Ralph Stanley II.|publisher=Ralphstanleyii.com |access-date=September 17, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120302005927/http://www.ralphstanleyii.com/history.html |archive-date=March 2, 2012 |df=mdy-all }}</ref> His grandson Nathan Stanley became the last lead singer and band leader for The Clinch Mountain Boys.{{Citation needed|date=April 2021}}
He decided to go it alone, eventually reviving The Clinch Mountain Boys. [[Larry Sparks]], Roy Lee Centers, and Charlie Sizemore were among those with whom he played in the revived band. He encountered [[Ricky Skaggs]] and [[Keith Whitley]] arriving late to his own show, "They were about 16 or 17, and they were holding the crowd 'til we got there... They sounded just exactly like (the Stanley Brothers)."<ref name="virginia-living57">"Old-Time Man" interview by Don Harrison June 2008 ''[[Virginia Living]]'', p. 57.</ref> Seeing their potential, he hired them "to give 'em a chance", though that meant a seven-member band.<ref name="virginia-living56"/> Eventually, his son, Ralph Stanley II, took over as lead singer and rhythm guitarist for The Clinch Mountain Boys.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ralphstanleyii.com/history.html |title=Ralph Stanley II.|website=Ralphstanleyii.com |access-date=September 17, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120302005927/http://www.ralphstanleyii.com/history.html |archive-date=March 2, 2012 |df=mdy-all }}</ref> His grandson Nathan Stanley became the last lead singer and band leader for The Clinch Mountain Boys.{{Citation needed|date=April 2021}}


===Clinch Mountain Boys members===
===Clinch Mountain Boys members===
Line 68: Line 67:
*[[Lonesome Pine Fiddlers|Melvin Goins]] ([[upright bass|bass]], [[Steel-string guitar|guitar]])
*[[Lonesome Pine Fiddlers|Melvin Goins]] ([[upright bass|bass]], [[Steel-string guitar|guitar]])
*[[Larry Sparks]] ([[Lead vocalist]], [[Steel-string guitar|guitar]])
*[[Larry Sparks]] ([[Lead vocalist]], [[Steel-string guitar|guitar]])
*[[Roy Lee Centers]] ([[Lead vocalist]], [[Steel-string guitar|guitar]])
*Roy Lee Centers ([[Lead vocalist]], [[Steel-string guitar|guitar]])
*[[Ricky Skaggs]] ([[mandolin]], [[fiddle]])
*[[Ricky Skaggs]] ([[mandolin]], [[fiddle]])
*[[Keith Whitley]] ([[Lead vocalist]], [[Steel-string guitar|guitar]])
*[[Keith Whitley]] ([[Lead vocalist]], [[Steel-string guitar|guitar]])
*[[Charlie Sizemore]] ([[Lead vocalist]], [[Steel-string guitar|guitar]])
*Charlie Sizemore ([[Lead vocalist]], [[Steel-string guitar|guitar]])
*[[Hook n Beans]] {Buddy Moore } lead singer- guitar
*Hook n Beans (Buddy Moore) lead singer- guitar
*Ricky Lee ([[Steel-string guitar|guitar]])
*Ricky Lee ([[Steel-string guitar|guitar]])
*Junior Blankenship ([[Steel-string guitar|guitar]])
*Junior Blankenship ([[Steel-string guitar|guitar]])
Line 91: Line 90:
*Nathan Stanley ([[mandolin]], [[Lead vocalist]], [[Steel-string guitar|guitar]])
*Nathan Stanley ([[mandolin]], [[Lead vocalist]], [[Steel-string guitar|guitar]])
*James Price ([[fiddle]])
*James Price ([[fiddle]])
*Randall Joe Hibbitts ([[upright bass|bass]])
*Randall Hibbitts ([[upright bass|bass]])
*Mitchell Van Dyke ([[banjo]])
*Mitchell Van Dyke ([[banjo]])
*Jarrod Church ([[banjo]])
*Jarrod Church ([[banjo]])
*Alex Hibbitts ([[Mandolin]])
*Alex Hibbitts ([[Mandolin]])
*Jimmy Vaughn ([[Rhythm Guitar]], [[Vocals]])
*Jimmie Vaughan ([[Rhythm Guitar]], [[Vocals]])
{{div col end}}
{{div col end}}


===Political career===
===Political career===
Around 1970, he ran for Clerk of Court and Commissioner of Revenue in [[Dickenson County, Virginia|Dickenson County]] only to state this:
About 1970, Ralph Stanley ran for Clerk of Court and Commissioner of Revenue in [[Dickenson County, Virginia|Dickenson County]] and said:


{{blockquote|What happened is, somebody traded me off—[[dummy candidate|they used my popularity and money to elect somebody else]]. I was done dirty. And I'm so proud that I was done dirty, because if I had been elected ... I woulda had a job to do ... maybe woulda finally quit. So that's one time I was done dirty and I want to thank them for it now.<ref name="virginia-living57"/>}}
{{blockquote|What happened is, somebody traded me off—[[dummy candidate|they used my popularity and money to elect somebody else]]. I was done dirty. And I'm so proud that I was done dirty, because if I had been elected ... I woulda had a job to do ... maybe woulda finally quit. So that's one time I was done dirty and I want to thank them for it now.<ref name="virginia-living57"/>}}


===''O Brother, Where Art Thou?''===
===''O Brother, Where Art Thou?''===
Stanley's work was featured in the very popular 2000 film ''[[O Brother, Where Art Thou?]]'', in which he sings the Appalachian dirge "[[O Death]]". The soundtrack's producer was [[T-Bone Burnett]]. Stanley said the following about working with Burnett:
Stanley's work was featured in the very popular 2000 film ''[[O Brother, Where Art Thou?]]'', in which he sings the Appalachian dirge "[[O Death]]". The soundtrack's producer was [[T-Bone Burnett]]. Stanley said the following about working with Burnett:


{{blockquote|T-Bone Burnett had several auditions for that song. He wanted it in the [[Dock Boggs]] style. So I got my banjo and learned it the way he did it. You see, I had recorded "O Death" three times, done it with Carter. So I went down with my banjo to Nashville and I said, "T-Bone, let me sing it the way I want to sing it," and I laid my banjo down and sung it [[a cappella]]. After two or three verses, he stopped me and said, "That's it."<ref name="virginia-living57"/>}}
{{blockquote|T-Bone Burnett had several auditions for that song. He wanted it in the [[Dock Boggs]] style. So I got my banjo and learned it the way he did it. You see, I had recorded "O Death" three times, done it with Carter. So I went down with my banjo to Nashville and I said, "T-Bone, let me sing it the way I want to sing it," and I laid my banjo down and sung it [[a cappella]]. After two or three verses, he stopped me and said, "That's it."<ref name="virginia-living57"/>}}


With that song, Stanley won a [[Grammy Awards of 2002|2002 Grammy Award]] in the category of [[Grammy Award for Best Male Country Vocal Performance|Best Male Country Vocal Performance]]. "That put the icing on the cake for me," he said. "It put me in a different category."<ref name="virginia-living57"/>
With that song, Stanley won a [[Grammy Awards of 2002|2002 Grammy Award]] in the category of [[Grammy Award for Best Male Country Vocal Performance|Best Male Country Vocal Performance]]. "That put the icing on the cake for me," he said. "It put me in a different category."<ref name="virginia-living57"/>


===Later life===
===Later life===
He was known in the world of [[bluegrass music]] by the popular title, "Dr. Ralph Stanley", having been awarded an honorary doctorate in music from [[Lincoln Memorial University]]<ref name= "CW Farewell">{{cite web|last=Freeman|first=Jon|title=Dr. Ralph Stanley Announces Farewell Tour |url= http://www.countryweekly.com/news/dr-ralph-stanley-announces-farewell-tour|work=Country Weekly|date= June 26, 2013 |access-date= August 8, 2017| url-status= dead| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20131008201630/http://www.countryweekly.com/news/dr-ralph-stanley-announces-farewell-tour| archive-date= October 8, 2013}}</ref> of [[Harrogate, Tennessee]] in 1976. Stanley was inducted into the [[International Bluegrass Music Hall of Honor]] in 1992 and in 2000, and became the first person to be inducted into the [[Grand Ole Opry]] in the third millennium.
He was known in the world of [[bluegrass music]] by the popular title, "Dr. Ralph Stanley", having been awarded an honorary doctorate in music from [[Lincoln Memorial University]]<ref name= "CW Farewell">{{cite web|last=Freeman|first=Jon|title=Dr. Ralph Stanley Announces Farewell Tour |url= http://www.countryweekly.com/news/dr-ralph-stanley-announces-farewell-tour|work=Country Weekly|date= June 26, 2013 |access-date= August 8, 2017| url-status= dead| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20131008201630/http://www.countryweekly.com/news/dr-ralph-stanley-announces-farewell-tour| archive-date= October 8, 2013}}</ref> of [[Harrogate, Tennessee]] in 1976. Stanley was inducted into the [[International Bluegrass Music Hall of Honor]] in 1992 and in 2000; he became the first person to be inducted into the [[Grand Ole Opry]] in the third millennium.


He joined producers [[Randall Franks]] and [[Alan Autry]] for the ''[[In the Heat of the Night (TV Series)|In the Heat of the Night]]'' cast CD ''Christmas Time's A Comin''', performing "Christmas Time's A Comin'" with the cast on the CD released on Sonlite and MGM/UA; it was one of the most popular Christmas releases of 1991 and 1992 with Southern retailers.
He joined producers [[Randall Franks]] and [[Alan Autry]] for the ''[[In the Heat of the Night (TV Series)|In the Heat of the Night]]'' cast CD ''Christmas Time's A Comin''', performing "Christmas Time's A Comin'" with the cast on the CD released on Sonlite and MGM/UA; it was one of the most popular Christmas releases of 1991 and 1992 with Southern retailers.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://randallfranks.com/christmas-times-a-comin/ | title=Christmas Times' A Comin'|website=Randallfranks.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.clinchmountainecho.co.uk/disc/son140cd.php | title=CME: Christmas Time's a Comin'|website=Clinchmountainecho.co.uk}}</ref>


He was featured in the [[Josh Turner]] hit song "[[Me and God]]" released in 2006.
He was featured in the [[Josh Turner]] hit song "[[Me and God]]" released in 2006, the same year he was awarded the [[National Medal of Arts]].
[[File:John and Elizabeth Edwards with Ralph Stanley and the Clinch Mountain Boys Roanoke VA July 2007.jpg|right|thumb|300px|John and Elizabeth Edwards with Ralph Stanley and Clinch Mountain Boys, July 18, 2007]]
[[File:John and Elizabeth Edwards with Ralph Stanley and the Clinch Mountain Boys Roanoke VA July 2007.jpg|right|thumb|300px|John and Elizabeth Edwards with Stanley and Clinch Mountain Boys, July 18, 2007]]
In 2006, he was awarded the [[National Medal of Arts]].


On November 10, 2007, Stanley and the Clinch Mountain Boys performed at a rally for presidential candidate [[John Edwards]] in [[Des Moines, Iowa]], just before the [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic Party]]'s annual [[Jefferson-Jackson Day]] Dinner. Between renditions of "[[Man of Constant Sorrow]]" and "[[Orange Blossom Special (song)|Orange Blossom Special]]", Stanley told the crowd that he had cast his first vote for [[Harry S. Truman]] in 1948 and would cast his next for John Edwards in 2008.
On November 10, 2007, Stanley and the Clinch Mountain Boys performed at a rally for presidential candidate [[John Edwards]] in [[Des Moines, Iowa]], just before the [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic Party]]'s annual [[Jefferson-Jackson Day]] Dinner. Between renditions of "[[Man of Constant Sorrow]]" and "[[Orange Blossom Special (song)|Orange Blossom Special]]", Stanley told the crowd that he had cast his first vote for [[Harry S. Truman]] in 1948 and would cast his next for John Edwards in 2008.{{Citation needed|date=March 2023}} In October 2008, he performed in a radio advertisement for [[Barack Obama]]'s presidential campaign.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Davis |first=Susan |date=October 2, 2008 |title=Bluegrass Legend Cuts Radio Ad for Obama in Va. |work=[[The Wall Street Journal]] |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/BL-WB-6245 |access-date=March 9, 2023}}</ref><ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Kreps |first=Daniel |date=2008-10-03 |title=Bluegrass Legend Ralph Stanley Endorses Obama: "We Need a Change" |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/bluegrass-legend-ralph-stanley-endorses-obama-we-need-a-change-96834/ |access-date=2023-03-09 |magazine=Rolling Stone |language=en-US}}</ref>


Country singer [[Dwight Yoakam]] has stated that Ralph Stanley is one of his "musical heroes".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9RKrdSfelCs |title=Ralph Stanley & Dwight Yoakam - Bluegrass Duet |publisher=YouTube |date=September 28, 2008 |access-date=September 17, 2012}}</ref>
Country singer [[Dwight Yoakam]] said that Stanley is one of his "musical heroes".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9RKrdSfelCs | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180401074048/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9RKrdSfelCs| archive-date=2018-04-01 | url-status=dead|title=Ralph Stanley & Dwight Yoakam - Bluegrass Duet |publisher=YouTube |date=September 28, 2008 |access-date=September 17, 2012}}</ref>


Stanley's autobiography, ''Man of Constant Sorrow'', coauthored with the music journalist Eddie Dean, was released by [[Gotham Books]] on October 15, 2009.<ref name="StanleyDean2009">{{cite book| last1= Stanley|first1=Ralph|last2=Dean|first2=Eddie|title=Man of Constant Sorrow: My Life and Times|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4y8fyeZ--kcC|date=October 15, 2009|publisher= Penguin Publishing Group|isbn=978-1-101-14878-5}}</ref> In 2012, Stanley was featured on several tracks of the soundtrack for [[Nick Cave]]'s film ''[[Lawless (film)|Lawless]]'', with music by Cave and [[Warren Ellis (musician)|Warren Ellis]]. His solo track "White Light/White Heat" is prominent in several scenes of the movie.
In 2012, Stanley was featured on several tracks of the soundtrack for [[Nick Cave]]'s film ''[[Lawless (film)|Lawless]]'', with music by Cave and [[Warren Ellis (musician)|Warren Ellis]]. His solo track "White Light/White Heat" is prominent in several scenes of the movie.


Stanley maintained an active touring schedule; appearances in his later years included the 2012 [[Muddy Roots]] Music Festival in Cookeville, Tennessee, and the 2013 FreshGrass Festival in North Adams, Massachusetts. In June 2013, he announced a farewell tour,<ref name= "BG final">{{cite web|url= http://bluegrasstoday.com/ralph-stanley-announces-his-final-tour/ |title= Ralph Stanley announces his final tour |work= Bluegrass Today | first= John| last= Lawless|date= June 26, 2013| access-date= August 8, 2017| url-status= live| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20131019113806/https://bluegrasstoday.com/ralph-stanley-announces-his-final-tour/| archive-date= October 19, 2013}}</ref><ref name= "CW Farewell" /> scheduled to begin in Rocky Mount, North Carolina, on October 18 and extending to December 2014. However, upon notification of being elected as a fellow of the [[American Academy of Arts and Sciences]] (awarded October 11, 2014) a statement on his own website appeared, saying that he would not be retiring.<ref name="drralphstanleymusic.com">{{cite web|url=http://drralphstanleymusic.com/|title=Dr. Ralph Stanley |work=drralphstanleymusic.com}}</ref>
Stanley maintained an active touring schedule; appearances in his later years included the 2012 [[Muddy Roots]] Music Festival in [[Cookeville, Tennessee]] and the 2013 FreshGrass Festival in [[North Adams, Massachusetts]]. In June 2013, he announced a farewell tour,<ref name= "BG final">{{cite web|url= http://bluegrasstoday.com/ralph-stanley-announces-his-final-tour/ |title= Ralph Stanley announces his final tour |work= Bluegrass Today | first= John| last= Lawless|date= June 26, 2013| access-date= August 8, 2017| url-status= live| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20131019113806/https://bluegrasstoday.com/ralph-stanley-announces-his-final-tour/| archive-date= October 19, 2013}}</ref><ref name= "CW Farewell" /> scheduled to begin in [[Rocky Mount, North Carolina]] on October 18 and extending to December 2014. However, upon notification of being elected as a fellow of the [[American Academy of Arts and Sciences]] (awarded on October 11, 2014) a statement on his own website appeared saying that he would not be retiring.<ref name="drralphstanleymusic.com">{{cite web|url=http://drralphstanleymusic.com/|title=Dr. Ralph Stanley |work=drralphstanleymusic.com}}</ref>


===Personal life and death===
On June 23, 2016, Stanley died at age 89 as a result of [[skin cancer]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.wdbj7.com/content/news/Bluegrass-legend-Ralph-Stanley-dies-at-the-age-of-88-384205011.html |title=Bluegrass legend Ralph Stanley dies at the age of 89 |publisher=Wdbj7.com |date=June 22, 2016 |access-date=June 22, 2016}}</ref>
After two previous marriages ended in divorce, Stanley married his wife, Jimmie, in 1968; he had four children.<ref name = NYT>{{cite news|url = https://www.nytimes.com/2016/06/24/arts/music/ralph-stanley-whose-mountain-music-gave-rise-to-bluegrass-dies-at-89.html|title = Ralph Stanley, Whose Mountain Music Gave Rise to Bluegrass, Is Dead at 89|last = Friskics-Warren|first = Bill|date = June 24, 2016|page = B14|newspaper = [[The New York Times]]|access-date = February 12, 2024|url-access = limited}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url = https://www.tennessean.com/story/entertainment/music/2016/06/23/ralph-stanley-bluegrass-legend-dead-89/86038242/|title = Ralph Stanley, bluegrass legend, dead at 89|last = Thanki|first = Julie|date = June 23, 2016|access-date = February 12, 2024|newspaper = [[The Tennessean]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url = https://www.theguardian.com/music/2016/jun/26/ralph-stanley-obituary|last = Russell|first = Tony| title=Ralph Stanley obituary |date = June 26, 2016|access-date = February 12, 2024|newspaper = [[The Guardian]]}}</ref>

Stanley's autobiography, ''Man of Constant Sorrow'' which was coauthored with the music journalist Eddie Dean, was released by [[Gotham Books]] on October 15, 2009.<ref name="StanleyDean2009">{{cite book| last1= Stanley|first1=Ralph|last2=Dean|first2=Eddie|title=Man of Constant Sorrow: My Life and Times|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4y8fyeZ--kcC|date=October 15, 2009|publisher= Penguin Publishing Group|isbn=978-1-101-14878-5}}</ref> On June 23, 2016, Stanley died from [[skin cancer]] at his home in Sandy Ridge in [[Dickenson County, Virginia|Dickenson County]], [[Virginia]]; he was 89.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.wdbj7.com/content/news/Bluegrass-legend-Ralph-Stanley-dies-at-the-age-of-88-384205011.html |title=Bluegrass legend Ralph Stanley dies at the age of 89 |website=Wdbj7.com |date=June 22, 2016 |access-date=June 22, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url = https://www.mountainzone.com/mountains/virginia/dickenson-va/range/sandy-ridge-18/|title = Sandy Ridge, Dickenson County VA|website = MountainZone.com|access-date = February 12, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url = https://www.themountaineagle.com/articles/funeral-held-in-va-tuesday-for-ralph-stanley/|title = Funeral held in Va. Tuesday for Ralph Stanley|work = [[The Mountain Eagle]]|date = June 29, 2016|access-date = February 12, 2024}}</ref>


==Musical style==
==Musical style==
{{unreferenced section|date=June 2016}}
{{unreferenced section|date=June 2016}}
Stanley created a unique style of [[banjo]] playing, sometimes called "Stanley style". It evolved from [[Wade Mainer]] style two-finger technique, later influenced by [[Scruggs style]], which is a three-finger technique. "Stanley style" is distinguished by incredibly fast "forward rolls", led by the index finger (instead of the thumb, as in Scruggs style), sometimes in the higher registers using a [[capo]]. In "Stanley style", the rolls of the banjo are continuous, while being picked fairly close to the bridge on the banjo, giving the tone of the instrument a very crisp, articulate snap to the strings as the player would strike them.
Stanley created a unique style of [[banjo]] playing, sometimes called "Stanley style". It evolved from the [[Wade Mainer]] style two-finger technique and was later influenced by the [[Scruggs style]], which is a three-finger technique. "Stanley style" is distinguished by incredibly fast "forward rolls", led by the index finger (instead of the thumb, as in Scruggs style), sometimes in the higher registers using a [[Capo (musical device)|capo]]. In "Stanley style", the rolls of the banjo are continuous, while being picked fairly close to the bridge on the banjo, giving the tone of the instrument a very crisp, articulate snap to the strings as the player plays them.


==Selected discography==
==Selected discography==
Line 320: Line 321:
|}
|}
<ref name="praguefrank">{{cite web|url=http://countrydiscography.blogspot.com/2009/06/ralph-stanley.html|title=Ralph Stanley|work=Praguefrank's Country Music Discographies |access-date=January 19, 2010}}</ref>
<ref name="praguefrank">{{cite web|url=http://countrydiscography.blogspot.com/2009/06/ralph-stanley.html|title=Ralph Stanley|work=Praguefrank's Country Music Discographies |access-date=January 19, 2010}}</ref>
<ref name="hillwilliam">{{cite web|url=http://www.ibiblio.org/hillwilliam/BGdiscography/ |title=Ralph Stanley |work=Discography of Bluegrass Sound Recordings, 1942– |publisher=[[ibiblio]]
<ref name="hillwilliam">{{cite web|url=http://www.ibiblio.org/hillwilliam/BGdiscography/ |title=Ralph Stanley |work=Discography of Bluegrass Sound Recordings, 1942– |publisher=[[ibiblio]]|access-date =January 19, 2010}}</ref>
|access-date =January 19, 2010}}</ref>


===With Joe Isaacs===
===With Joe Isaacs===
Line 332: Line 332:
==Honors, awards, distinctions==
==Honors, awards, distinctions==
{{more citations needed section|date=June 2016}}
{{more citations needed section|date=June 2016}}
*Stanley was widely known in the world of [[bluegrass music]] by the popular title, "Dr. Ralph Stanley" after being awarded an [[Honorary degree|honorary]] [[Doctor of Music]] from [[Lincoln Memorial University]] in [[Harrogate, Tennessee]], in 1976.
*Stanley was widely known in the world of [[bluegrass music]] by the popular title, "Dr. Ralph Stanley," after being awarded an [[Honorary degree|honorary]] [[Doctor of Music]] from [[Lincoln Memorial University]] in [[Harrogate, Tennessee]], in 1976.
*He was a recipient of a 1984 [[National Heritage Fellowship]] awarded by the [[National Endowment for the Arts]], which is the United States government's highest honor in the folk and traditional arts.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.arts.gov/honors/heritage/year/1984|title=NEA National Heritage Fellowships 1984 |author=<!--Not stated--> |website=www.arts.gov |publisher=National Endowment for the Arts |access-date=November 25, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200810221411/https://www.arts.gov/honors/heritage/year/1984 |archive-date=August 10, 2020 |url-status=dead}}</ref>
*He was a recipient of a 1984 [[National Heritage Fellowship]] awarded by the [[National Endowment for the Arts]], which is the United States government's highest honor in the folk and traditional arts.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.arts.gov/honors/heritage/year/1984|title=NEA National Heritage Fellowships 1984 |author=<!--Not stated--> |website=Arts.gov |publisher=National Endowment for the Arts |access-date=November 25, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200810221411/https://www.arts.gov/honors/heritage/year/1984 |archive-date=August 10, 2020 |url-status=dead}}</ref>
*He was inducted into the [[International Bluegrass Music Hall of Honor]] in 1992 and in 2000.
*He was inducted into the [[International Bluegrass Music Hall of Honor]] in 1992 and in 2000.
*Between [[36th Annual Grammy Awards|1993]] and [[58th Annual Grammy Awards|2015]], Stanley was nominated for 15 Grammy Awards in various categories.<ref name="grammy">{{cite web |url=https://www.grammy.com/grammys/artists/ralph-stanley|title=Artist: Ralph Stanley|author=<!--Not stated--> |date=2019 |website=www.grammy.com |publisher=Recording Academy |access-date=July 3, 2019}}</ref>
*Between [[36th Annual Grammy Awards|1993]] and [[58th Annual Grammy Awards|2015]], Stanley was nominated for 15 Grammy Awards in various categories.<ref name="grammy">{{cite web |url=https://www.grammy.com/grammys/artists/ralph-stanley|title=Artist: Ralph Stanley|author=<!--Not stated--> |date=2019 |website=Grammy.com |publisher=Recording Academy |access-date=July 3, 2019}}</ref>
*He became the first person to be inducted into the [[Grand Ole Opry]] in the third millennium.
*He became the first person to be inducted into the [[Grand Ole Opry]] in the third millennium.
*His work was featured in the 2000 film ''[[O Brother, Where Art Thou?]]'', in which he sings the Appalachian dirge "O Death". That song won him a [[44th Annual Grammy Awards|2002 Grammy Award]] in the category of [[Grammy Award for Best Male Country Vocal Performance|Best Male Country Vocal Performance]].
*His work was featured in the 2000 film ''[[O Brother, Where Art Thou?]]'', in which he sings the Appalachian dirge "O Death". That song won him a [[44th Annual Grammy Awards|2002 Grammy Award]] in the category of [[Grammy Award for Best Male Country Vocal Performance|Best Male Country Vocal Performance]].
Line 344: Line 344:
*The Virginia legislature designated him the Outstanding Virginian of 2008.
*The Virginia legislature designated him the Outstanding Virginian of 2008.
*He was awarded the Key to the City of [[Garner, North Carolina]] on November 15, 2008.
*He was awarded the Key to the City of [[Garner, North Carolina]] on November 15, 2008.
*He was named a [[Library of Congress Living Legend]] in April 2000.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.loc.gov/about/awardshonors/livinglegends/bio/stanleyr.html |title=Living Legends: Ralph Stanley |website=www.loc.gov |publisher=Library of Congress|date=July 23, 2007 |access-date=November 25, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080331025222/https://www.loc.gov/about/awardshonors/livinglegends/bio/stanleyr.html |archive-date=March 31, 2008 |url-status=dead}}</ref>
*He was named a [[Library of Congress Living Legend]] in April 2000.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.loc.gov/about/awardshonors/livinglegends/bio/stanleyr.html |title=Living Legends: Ralph Stanley |website=Loc.gov|date=July 23, 2007 |access-date=November 25, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080331025222/https://www.loc.gov/about/awardshonors/livinglegends/bio/stanleyr.html |archive-date=March 31, 2008 |url-status=dead}}</ref>
*He was inducted into the Virginia Musical Museum & Virginia Music Hall of Fame in 2013.
*He was inducted into the Virginia Musical Museum & Virginia Music Hall of Fame in 2013.
*He received a second honorary Doctor of Music degree from [[Yale University]] on May 19, 2014.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://news.yale.edu/2014/05/19/yale-awards-12-honorary-degrees-2014-graduation|title=Yale awards 12 honorary degrees at 2014 graduation|date=May 19, 2014|access-date=April 21, 2018}}</ref>
*He received a second honorary Doctor of Music degree from [[Yale University]] on May 19, 2014.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://news.yale.edu/2014/05/19/yale-awards-12-honorary-degrees-2014-graduation|title=Yale awards 12 honorary degrees at 2014 graduation|date=May 19, 2014|access-date=April 21, 2018}}</ref>
*He became an elected fellow of the [[American Academy of Arts and Sciences]] on October 11, 2014.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://drralphstanleymusic.com|title=Dr. Ralph Stanley|work=drralphstanleymusic.com}}</ref>
*He became an elected fellow of the [[American Academy of Arts and Sciences]] on October 11, 2014.<ref name="drralphstanleymusic.com"/>
*From the January 2, 2015 death of [[Little Jimmy Dickens]] until his own death, Stanley was the oldest living member of the ''Grand Ole Opry''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://wixy.com/news/030030-oprys-oldest-member-is-now-ralph-stanley/ |title=Opry's oldest member is now Ralph Stanley |publisher=WIXY |date=January 6, 2015 |access-date=January 8, 2015}}</ref>
*From the January 2, 2015 death of [[Little Jimmy Dickens]] until his own death, Stanley was the oldest living member of the ''Grand Ole Opry''.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://wixy.com/news/030030-oprys-oldest-member-is-now-ralph-stanley/ |title=Opry's oldest member is now Ralph Stanley |website=Wixy.com |date=January 6, 2015 |access-date=January 8, 2015 |archive-date=January 9, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150109053716/http://wixy.com/news/030030-oprys-oldest-member-is-now-ralph-stanley/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>
*In 2024, Stanley was inducted into the [[American Banjo Museum Hall of Fame members|American Banjo Museum Hall of Fame]] in the Historical category.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2019-02-13 |title=Hall of Fame Celebration |url=https://americanbanjomuseum.com/hall-of-fame-celebration/ |access-date=2024-06-21 |website=American Banjo Museum |language=en-US}}</ref>


==References==
==References==
Line 359: Line 360:
* {{AllMusic|id=ralph-stanley-mn0000389979|title=Ralph Stanley}}
* {{AllMusic|id=ralph-stanley-mn0000389979|title=Ralph Stanley}}
* {{Discogs artist}}
* {{Discogs artist}}
*[https://www.namm.org/library/oral-history/ralph-stanley/ Ralph Stanley Interview] NAMM Oral History Library (2013)
*[https://www.namm.org/library/oral-history/ralph-stanley/ Ralph Stanley Interview] at [[NAMM Oral History Program|NAMM Oral History Collection]] (2013)


{{Navboxes
| title = Awards for Ralph Stanley
| list =
{{Grammy Award for Album of the Year 2000s}}
{{National Medal of Arts recipients 2000s}}
{{National Medal of Arts recipients 2000s}}
}}
{{Grand Ole Opry members}}
{{Grand Ole Opry members}}


Line 378: Line 374:
[[Category:21st-century American musicians]]
[[Category:21st-century American musicians]]
[[Category:21st-century Christian universalists]]
[[Category:21st-century Christian universalists]]
⚫
[[Category:American banjoists]]
[[Category:Bluegrass musicians from Virginia]]
[[Category:Bluegrass musicians from Virginia]]
[[Category:American Christian universalists]]
[[Category:American Christian universalists]]
Line 385: Line 380:
[[Category:American male singer-songwriters]]
[[Category:American male singer-songwriters]]
[[Category:Baptists from Virginia]]
[[Category:Baptists from Virginia]]
[[Category:Deaths from skin cancer]]
[[Category:Deaths from skin cancer in the United States]]
[[Category:Deaths from cancer in Virginia]]
[[Category:Deaths from cancer in Virginia]]
[[Category:Grammy Award winners]]
[[Category:Grammy Award winners]]
Line 399: Line 394:
[[Category:20th-century Baptists]]
[[Category:20th-century Baptists]]
[[Category:United States Army personnel of World War II]]
[[Category:United States Army personnel of World War II]]
⚫
[[Category:American autobiographers]]

Latest revision as of 03:13, 20 December 2024

Ralph Stanley
Stanley in 2011
Stanley in 2011
Background information
Birth nameRalph Edmund Stanley
Born(1927-02-25)February 25, 1927
McClure, Virginia, U.S.
OriginBig Spraddle Creek, Virginia, U.S.
DiedJune 23, 2016(2016-06-23) (aged 89)
Sandy Ridge, Virginia, U.S.
Genres
OccupationBluegrass musician
InstrumentBanjo
Years active1946–2016
Labels
Spouse
Jimmie Crabtree
​
(m. 1968)​
Websitedrralphstanleymusic.com

Ralph Edmund Stanley (February 25, 1927 – June 23, 2016) was an American bluegrass artist, known for his distinctive singing and banjo playing. He began playing music in 1946, originally with his older brother Carter Stanley as part of The Stanley Brothers, and most often as the leader of his band, The Clinch Mountain Boys. Ralph was also known as Dr. Ralph Stanley.

He was part of the first generation of bluegrass musicians and was inducted into both the International Bluegrass Music Hall of Honor and the Grand Ole Opry.

Biography

[edit]
Stanley and son Ralph II in 2008

Stanley was born, grew up, and lived in rural Southwest Virginia—"in a little town called McClure at a place called Big Spraddle Creek, just up the holler" from where he moved in 1936. Before that he lived in another part of Dickenson County.[1] The son of Lee and Lucy Smith Stanley, Ralph did not grow up around a lot of music in his home. As he said, his "daddy didn't play an instrument, but sometimes he would sing church music... I'd hear him sing songs like 'Man of Constant Sorrow,' 'Pretty Polly' and 'Omie Wise.'"[1]

I got my first banjo when I was a teenager. I guess I was 15, 16 years old. My aunt had this old banjo, and Mother bought it for me ... paid $5 for it, which back then was probably like $5,000. [My parents] had a little store, and I remember my aunt took it out in groceries.[1]

He learned to play the banjo, clawhammer style, from his mother:

She had 11 brothers and sisters, and all of them could play the five-string banjo. She played gatherings around the neighborhood, like bean stringin's. She tuned it up for me and played this tune, "Shout Little Luly," and I tried to play it like she did. But I think I developed my own style of the banjo.[1]

He graduated from high school on May 2, 1945, and was inducted into the Army on May 16, serving for "little more than a year." When he got home he immediately began performing:

... my daddy and Carter picked me up from the (station), and Carter was playing with another group, Roy Sykes and the Blue Ridge Mountain Boys, and they had a personal appearance that night. So I sung a song with Carter on the radio before I even got home.[2]

Clinch Mountain Boys

[edit]
Stanley in 2006

After considering a course in "veterinary", he decided instead to join his older guitar-playing brother Carter Stanley (1925–1966) to form the Clinch Mountain Boys in 1946. Drawing heavily on the musical traditions of the area, which included the unique singing style of the Primitive Baptist Universalist church and the sweet down-home family harmonies of the Carter Family, the two Stanley brothers began playing on local radio stations. They first performed at Norton, Virginia's WNVA, but did not stay long there, moving on instead to Bristol, Virginia, and WCYB to start the show Farm and Fun Time, where they stayed "off and on for 12 years".[2]

At first they covered "a lot of Bill Monroe music" (one of the first groups to pick up the new "bluegrass" format).[3] They soon "found out that didn't pay off—we needed something of our own. So we started writing songs in 1947, 1948. I guess I wrote 20 or so banjo tunes, but Carter was a better writer than me."[2] When Columbia Records signed them as The Stanley Brothers, Monroe left in protest joining Decca Records. Later, Carter went back to sing for the "Father of Bluegrass", Monroe.

Ralph Stanley gave his opinion on Bill Monroe's apparent change of heart: "He [Monroe] knew Carter would make him a good singer... Bill Monroe loved our music and loved our singing."[2]

The Stanley Brothers joined King Records in the late 1950s, a record company which was so eclectic that it included James Brown at the time. In fact, James Brown and his band were in the studio when the Stanley Brothers recorded "Finger Poppin' Time". "James and his band were poppin' their fingers on that" according to Ralph.[2] At King Records, they "went to a more 'Stanley style', the sound that people most know today."[2]

Ralph and Carter performed as The Stanley Brothers with their band, The Clinch Mountain Boys, from 1946 to 1966. Ralph kept the band name when he continued as a solo act after Carter's death, from 1967 until his death in 2016.

Solo

[edit]

After Carter died of complications of cirrhosis in 1966, after ailing for "a year or so",[2] Ralph Stanley faced a hard decision on whether to continue performing on his own. "I was worried, I didn't know if I could do it by myself. But boy, I got letters, 3,000 of 'em, and phone calls... I went to Syd Nathan at King and asked him if he wanted me to go on, and he said, 'Hell yes! You might be better than both of them.'"[4]

He decided to go it alone, eventually reviving The Clinch Mountain Boys. Larry Sparks, Roy Lee Centers, and Charlie Sizemore were among those with whom he played in the revived band. He encountered Ricky Skaggs and Keith Whitley arriving late to his own show, "They were about 16 or 17, and they were holding the crowd 'til we got there... They sounded just exactly like (the Stanley Brothers)."[5] Seeing their potential, he hired them "to give 'em a chance", though that meant a seven-member band.[2] Eventually, his son, Ralph Stanley II, took over as lead singer and rhythm guitarist for The Clinch Mountain Boys.[6] His grandson Nathan Stanley became the last lead singer and band leader for The Clinch Mountain Boys.[citation needed]

Clinch Mountain Boys members

[edit]

1967 to 2016

[edit]

Political career

[edit]

About 1970, Ralph Stanley ran for Clerk of Court and Commissioner of Revenue in Dickenson County and said:

What happened is, somebody traded me off—they used my popularity and money to elect somebody else. I was done dirty. And I'm so proud that I was done dirty, because if I had been elected ... I woulda had a job to do ... maybe woulda finally quit. So that's one time I was done dirty and I want to thank them for it now.[5]

O Brother, Where Art Thou?

[edit]

Stanley's work was featured in the very popular 2000 film O Brother, Where Art Thou?, in which he sings the Appalachian dirge "O Death". The soundtrack's producer was T-Bone Burnett. Stanley said the following about working with Burnett:

T-Bone Burnett had several auditions for that song. He wanted it in the Dock Boggs style. So I got my banjo and learned it the way he did it. You see, I had recorded "O Death" three times, done it with Carter. So I went down with my banjo to Nashville and I said, "T-Bone, let me sing it the way I want to sing it," and I laid my banjo down and sung it a cappella. After two or three verses, he stopped me and said, "That's it."[5]

With that song, Stanley won a 2002 Grammy Award in the category of Best Male Country Vocal Performance. "That put the icing on the cake for me," he said. "It put me in a different category."[5]

Later life

[edit]

He was known in the world of bluegrass music by the popular title, "Dr. Ralph Stanley", having been awarded an honorary doctorate in music from Lincoln Memorial University[7] of Harrogate, Tennessee in 1976. Stanley was inducted into the International Bluegrass Music Hall of Honor in 1992 and in 2000; he became the first person to be inducted into the Grand Ole Opry in the third millennium.

He joined producers Randall Franks and Alan Autry for the In the Heat of the Night cast CD Christmas Time's A Comin', performing "Christmas Time's A Comin'" with the cast on the CD released on Sonlite and MGM/UA; it was one of the most popular Christmas releases of 1991 and 1992 with Southern retailers.[8][9]

He was featured in the Josh Turner hit song "Me and God" released in 2006, the same year he was awarded the National Medal of Arts.

John and Elizabeth Edwards with Stanley and Clinch Mountain Boys, July 18, 2007

On November 10, 2007, Stanley and the Clinch Mountain Boys performed at a rally for presidential candidate John Edwards in Des Moines, Iowa, just before the Democratic Party's annual Jefferson-Jackson Day Dinner. Between renditions of "Man of Constant Sorrow" and "Orange Blossom Special", Stanley told the crowd that he had cast his first vote for Harry S. Truman in 1948 and would cast his next for John Edwards in 2008.[citation needed] In October 2008, he performed in a radio advertisement for Barack Obama's presidential campaign.[10][11]

Country singer Dwight Yoakam said that Stanley is one of his "musical heroes".[12]

In 2012, Stanley was featured on several tracks of the soundtrack for Nick Cave's film Lawless, with music by Cave and Warren Ellis. His solo track "White Light/White Heat" is prominent in several scenes of the movie.

Stanley maintained an active touring schedule; appearances in his later years included the 2012 Muddy Roots Music Festival in Cookeville, Tennessee and the 2013 FreshGrass Festival in North Adams, Massachusetts. In June 2013, he announced a farewell tour,[13][7] scheduled to begin in Rocky Mount, North Carolina on October 18 and extending to December 2014. However, upon notification of being elected as a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences (awarded on October 11, 2014) a statement on his own website appeared saying that he would not be retiring.[14]

Personal life and death

[edit]

After two previous marriages ended in divorce, Stanley married his wife, Jimmie, in 1968; he had four children.[15][16][17]

Stanley's autobiography, Man of Constant Sorrow which was coauthored with the music journalist Eddie Dean, was released by Gotham Books on October 15, 2009.[18] On June 23, 2016, Stanley died from skin cancer at his home in Sandy Ridge in Dickenson County, Virginia; he was 89.[19][20][21]

Musical style

[edit]

Stanley created a unique style of banjo playing, sometimes called "Stanley style". It evolved from the Wade Mainer style two-finger technique and was later influenced by the Scruggs style, which is a three-finger technique. "Stanley style" is distinguished by incredibly fast "forward rolls", led by the index finger (instead of the thumb, as in Scruggs style), sometimes in the higher registers using a capo. In "Stanley style", the rolls of the banjo are continuous, while being picked fairly close to the bridge on the banjo, giving the tone of the instrument a very crisp, articulate snap to the strings as the player plays them.

Selected discography

[edit]
Title Details Peak chart positions
US Grass US Country US US Heat US Indie
Cry From the Cross — — — — —
Clinch Mountain Gospel — — — — —
I'll Answer the Call — — — — —
Clinch Mountain Country — — — — —
Man of Constant Sorrow — — — — —
Clinch Mountain Sweethearts — — — — —
Ralph Stanley 3 22 163 5 —
Poor Rambler — — — — —
Shine On
  • Release date: June 7, 2005
  • Label: Rebel Records
 6 — — — —
A Distant Land to Roam
  • Release date: May 30, 2006
  • Label: Columbia Records/DMZ
 4 — — — —
Mountain Preacher's Child
  • Release date: April 3, 2007
  • Label: Rebel Records
 9 — — — —
A Mother's Prayer
  • Release date: April 19, 2011
  • Label: Rebel Records
 6 — — — —
Old Songs & Ballads
  • Release date: August 14, 2012
  • Label: Rebel Records
 12 — — — —
Old Songs & Ballads: Volume Two
  • Release date: August 14, 2012
  • Label: Rebel Records
 14 — — — —
Side by Side (with Ralph Stanley II)
  • Release date: February 18, 2014
  • Label: Rebel Records
 3 — — — —
My Life & Legacy:
The Very Best of Ralph Stanley
  • Release date: September 16, 2014
  • Label: Rebel Records
 9 — — — —
Ralph Stanley & Friends:
Man of Constant Sorrow 		1 14 — 1 17
"—" denotes releases that did not chart

[22] [23]

With Joe Isaacs

[edit]
  • Gospel Gathering (1995, Freeland)

Other contributions

[edit]
  • Lifted: Songs of the Spirit (2002, Sony/Hear Music) – "Listen to the Shepherd"
  • Re:Generation Music Project soundtrack (2012) – "Wayfaring Stranger"[24]

Honors, awards, distinctions

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c d "Old-Time Man" interview by Don Harrison June 2008 Virginia Living, p. 55.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h "Old-Time Man" interview by Don Harrison June 2008 Virginia Living, p. 56.
  3. ^ Trischka, Tony, "Ralph Stanley", Banjo Song Book, Oak Publications, 1977
  4. ^ "Old-Time Man" interview by Don Harrison June 2008 Virginia Living, p. 56-7.
  5. ^ a b c d "Old-Time Man" interview by Don Harrison June 2008 Virginia Living, p. 57.
  6. ^ "Ralph Stanley II". Ralphstanleyii.com. Archived from the original on March 2, 2012. Retrieved September 17, 2012.
  7. ^ a b Freeman, Jon (June 26, 2013). "Dr. Ralph Stanley Announces Farewell Tour". Country Weekly. Archived from the original on October 8, 2013. Retrieved August 8, 2017.
  8. ^ "Christmas Times' A Comin'". Randallfranks.com.
  9. ^ "CME: Christmas Time's a Comin'". Clinchmountainecho.co.uk.
  10. ^ Davis, Susan (October 2, 2008). "Bluegrass Legend Cuts Radio Ad for Obama in Va". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved March 9, 2023.
  11. ^ Kreps, Daniel (October 3, 2008). "Bluegrass Legend Ralph Stanley Endorses Obama: "We Need a Change"". Rolling Stone. Retrieved March 9, 2023.
  12. ^ "Ralph Stanley & Dwight Yoakam - Bluegrass Duet". YouTube. September 28, 2008. Archived from the original on April 1, 2018. Retrieved September 17, 2012.
  13. ^ Lawless, John (June 26, 2013). "Ralph Stanley announces his final tour". Bluegrass Today. Archived from the original on October 19, 2013. Retrieved August 8, 2017.
  14. ^ a b "Dr. Ralph Stanley". drralphstanleymusic.com.
  15. ^ Friskics-Warren, Bill (June 24, 2016). "Ralph Stanley, Whose Mountain Music Gave Rise to Bluegrass, Is Dead at 89". The New York Times. p. B14. Retrieved February 12, 2024.
  16. ^ Thanki, Julie (June 23, 2016). "Ralph Stanley, bluegrass legend, dead at 89". The Tennessean. Retrieved February 12, 2024.
  17. ^ Russell, Tony (June 26, 2016). "Ralph Stanley obituary". The Guardian. Retrieved February 12, 2024.
  18. ^ Stanley, Ralph; Dean, Eddie (October 15, 2009). Man of Constant Sorrow: My Life and Times. Penguin Publishing Group. ISBN 978-1-101-14878-5.
  19. ^ "Bluegrass legend Ralph Stanley dies at the age of 89". Wdbj7.com. June 22, 2016. Retrieved June 22, 2016.
  20. ^ "Sandy Ridge, Dickenson County VA". MountainZone.com. Retrieved February 12, 2024.
  21. ^ "Funeral held in Va. Tuesday for Ralph Stanley". The Mountain Eagle. June 29, 2016. Retrieved February 12, 2024.
  22. ^ "Ralph Stanley". Praguefrank's Country Music Discographies. Retrieved January 19, 2010.
  23. ^ "Ralph Stanley". Discography of Bluegrass Sound Recordings, 1942–. ibiblio. Retrieved January 19, 2010.
  24. ^ Musicians mix genres in 'Re:Generation' documentary, USA Today, February 16, 2012. Retrieved March 13, 2012.
  25. ^ "NEA National Heritage Fellowships 1984". Arts.gov. National Endowment for the Arts. Archived from the original on August 10, 2020. Retrieved November 25, 2020.
  26. ^ a b "Artist: Ralph Stanley". Grammy.com. Recording Academy. 2019. Retrieved July 3, 2019.
  27. ^ "Living Legends: Ralph Stanley". Loc.gov. July 23, 2007. Archived from the original on March 31, 2008. Retrieved November 25, 2020.
  28. ^ "Yale awards 12 honorary degrees at 2014 graduation". May 19, 2014. Retrieved April 21, 2018.
  29. ^ "Opry's oldest member is now Ralph Stanley". Wixy.com. January 6, 2015. Archived from the original on January 9, 2015. Retrieved January 8, 2015.
  30. ^ "Hall of Fame Celebration". American Banjo Museum. February 13, 2019. Retrieved June 21, 2024.
[edit]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Ralph Stanley.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/enwiki/w/index.php?title=Ralph_Stanley&oldid=1264044535"