Dr. Ralph Stanley Master of the 5 String Banjo
Ralph says that he didn't get his first banjo until he was around 15 or 16 years old. His mother got it from one of her sisters for $5 worth of groceries (Ralph's parents ran a grocery store) which, according to Ralph, was a lot of money for a used banjo in the early 1940s.
In 1976 the Lincoln Memorial University, located in Harrogate, Tennessee presented Stanley with and honorary Doctorate of Music so many people call him Dr. Ralph Stanley. As Bill Monroe is known as the father of bluegrass music, Ralph Stanley is known as the master of the 5 string banjo.
The Stanley Brothers ~ at WCBY Radio 1948
The Stanley Brothers and The Clinch Mountain Boys
Two weeks after Ralph graduated from high school, in May of 1945, he went off to join the Army. When he got out of the Army in late 1946 his brother Carter and his father picked him up at the train station. Carter was in a band called Roy Sykes and the Blue Ridge Mountain Boys at the time and they had a gig for a local radion station that evening. Ralph went to the radio station and sang with the group before he had even had a chance to get home.Ralph has said that he had thought about going to school to become a veteranarian, but instead him and Carter formed a new group and called it the Clinch Mountain Boys. They were one of the first groups to play the new style of music we now call bluegrass that was created just a few years earlier by Bill Monroe.
Ralph and Carter performed as The Stanley Brothers and the Clinch Mountain Boys for the first time for WNVA radion in Norton, West Virginia, but soon they were playing for other radio stations including a show called Farm and Fun Time for WCYB radion in Bristol, Virginia.
In the beginning the Stanley Brothers performed quite a bit of Bill Monroe's songs, but that wasn't working out as well as they liked and they soon realized that they needed their own original songs.
The Stanley Brothers and the Clinch Mountain Boys played together for 20 years from 1946 through 1966.
Ralph & Carter ~ The Stanley Brothers
The Stanley Brothers and Columbia Records
The Stanley Brothers soon signed a contract with Columbia Records. Bill Monroe protested with Columbia and when the record company went ahead with the Stanley Brothers Bill decided to leave and signed on with Decca.Later on, when the Stanley brothers broke up in 1951 Carter joined Bill Monroe, which surprised a lot of people. Ralph himself played the banjo for Bill Monroe's band several different times. In August of that year Ralph was headed home from one of Monroe's shows and he got into a bad car wreck. After he recovered from the accident him and his brother decided to get back together and The Stanley Brothers and the Clinch Mountain Boys were back.
Ralph was asked how he thought Bill could have hired Carter to join his band when he was mad at them over Columbia's signing of the Stanley Brothers. Ralph said that even though Bill had been angry he did love their music and he knew that Carter was a good singer.
The Stanley Brothers and King Records
While the Stanley Brothers were recording for King Records they developed their own unique brand of style.
The Clinch Mountain Boys 1966 and Beyond
In October of 1966 while The Stanley Brothers were performing at a school in Hazel Green, Kentucky Carter became ill and began coughing up blood. A few weeks later, on December 1st, Carter died from cirrhosis of the liver, he was only 41 years old.Ralph continued with the Clinch Mountain Boys and they still play bluegrass music today. Over the years there have been many different musicians who have had the honor of being a part of the Clinch Mountain Boys. Just to name a few; Ray Goins, Charlie Sizemore, Larry Sparks, Keith Whitley, Curly Ray Cline, and Ricky Skaggs.
Ralph's son, Ralph Stanley the 2nd and his grandson Nathan Stanley also play with the band. Ralph Stanley the 2nd is an accomplished guitar player and singer. Nathan began performing on stage with The Clinch Mountain Boys when he was only six years old and today he plays both banjo and mandolin.
The Stanley Brothers have received many awards and honors and in 2002 Ralph Stanley was chosen as the winner for the Grammy Award for Best Male Country Vocal Performance for his song "O Death" in the 2000 movie O Brother, Where Art Thou?
Ralph Stanley is one of the last of the bluegrass legends still alive and touring.
I got to meet him just a few months ago (summer of 2008) when he appeared at a local bluegrass festival. Although he was over 80 years old at the time he was still sharp and put on a great performance.
If you get the chance to catch Ralph in your area be sure to do it. I had the great fortune of seeing Ralph perform O Death, among some other songs. I deeply regret that I did not have my camera along with me at that time.
Ralph Stanley ~ 2007
What Is Your Favorite Stanley Brothers Song?
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Visitor Comments
What do you think of this tribute to Ralp Stanley?
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- OldGrampa OldGrampa Feb 16, 2009 @ 3:12 pm
- I got to meet Ralph Stanley last summer. He is really getting old. I love bluegrass music and ole Ralph Stanley is the absolute king of the 5 string banjo! Five stars to you my friend!
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- Oct 18, 2008 @ 9:31 pm
- Ralph Stanley has got to be the essence of Bluegrass! You can't even hear the word Bluegrass without thinking of Ralph Stanley. Definitely one of the top all time greats!
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