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Ralph Stanley

 
Ralph Stanley

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Ralph Stanley



 
 
Ralph Stanley (born February 25, 1927), also known as Dr. Ralph Stanley, is a legendary American bluegrass
Bluegrass music

Bluegrass music is a form of American roots music, and is a sub-genre of country music. It has its own roots in Folk music of Ireland, Music of Scotland, Music of Wales and Folk Music of England traditional music....
 artist, known for his distinctive singing and banjo playing.

h Edmond Stanley was born, grew up, and lives today in rural
Rural

Rural areas are large and isolated areas of a country, often with low populations. Today, 75 percent of the United States' inhabitants live in suburban and urban areas, but cities occupy only 2 percent of the country....
 southwestern Virginia
Virginia

The Commonwealth of Virginia is an United States U.S. state on the East Coast of the United States of the Southern United States. The state is known as the "Old Dominion" and sometimes as "Mother of Presidents", because it is the birthplace of Lists of United States Presidents by place of birth#By state....
—"in a little town called McClure at a place called Big Spraddle, just up the holler" from where he moved in 1936 and has lived ever since in Dickenson County.






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Ralph Stanley (born February 25, 1927), also known as Dr. Ralph Stanley, is a legendary American bluegrass
Bluegrass music

Bluegrass music is a form of American roots music, and is a sub-genre of country music. It has its own roots in Folk music of Ireland, Music of Scotland, Music of Wales and Folk Music of England traditional music....
 artist, known for his distinctive singing and banjo playing.

Biography

Ralph Edmond Stanley was born, grew up, and lives today in rural
Rural

Rural areas are large and isolated areas of a country, often with low populations. Today, 75 percent of the United States' inhabitants live in suburban and urban areas, but cities occupy only 2 percent of the country....
 southwestern Virginia
Virginia

The Commonwealth of Virginia is an United States U.S. state on the East Coast of the United States of the Southern United States. The state is known as the "Old Dominion" and sometimes as "Mother of Presidents", because it is the birthplace of Lists of United States Presidents by place of birth#By state....
—"in a little town called McClure at a place called Big Spraddle, just up the holler" from where he moved in 1936 and has lived ever since in Dickenson County. 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
Man of Constant Sorrow

"Man of Constant Sorrow" is a traditional American folk music song first performed by Dick Burnett , a partially blind fiddler from Kentucky. The song was originally recorded by Burnett as "Farewell Song" printed in a Richard Burnett songbook, c....
,' 'Pretty Polly
Pretty Polly

Pretty Polly , was an outstanding United Kingdom Thoroughbred racehorse.Owned by Major Eustace Loder and trained by Peter Gilpin, she won nine races from nine starts as a two-year-old in 1903....
' and 'Omie Wise
Omie Wise

Omie Wise or Naomi Wise was an United States murder victim, who is remembered by a popular murder ballad about her death. ...
.'"

He learned to play the banjo
Banjo

The banjo is a stringed instrument developed by Slavery in the United States Africans in the United States, adapted from several African instruments....
, claw-hammer style, from his mother:

He graduated from high school 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:

Clinch Mountain Boys

After initially considering a course in "veterinary," he decided to throw in with his older guitar
Guitar

The guitar is a musical instrument with ancient roots that is used in a wide variety of musical styles. It typically has six Strings , but Tenor guitar, Seven-string guitar, Eight-string guitar, Ten-string guitar, Eleven-string guitar, Twelve-string guitar, Thirteen-string guitar and doubleneck guitar string guitars also exist....
-playing brother, Carter
Carter Stanley

Carter Glen Stanley was a bluegrass music lead singer, songwriter, and rhythm guitar player. He formed the Stanley Brothers band together with his brother Ralph Stanley....
, and form the Clinch Mountain Boys, in 1946. Drawing heavily on the musical traditions of the area, which included the unique minor-key singing style of the Primitive Baptist Universalist
Primitive Baptist Universalist

The Primitive Baptist Universalists are a Calvinism Christian Universalist sect based primarily in the central Appalachian region of the United States....
 church and the sweet down-home family harmonies of the Carter Family
Carter Family

The Carter Family was a country music group that recorded between 1927 and 1956. Their music had a profound impact on bluegrass music, country music, southern gospel, popular music and rock musicians as well as on the Folk & blues revival of the 1960s....
, the Stanleys began playing on local radio stations. They first performed at Norton, Virginia
Norton, Virginia

Norton is an independent city within the confines of Wise County, Virginia in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the United States Census 2000, the city population was 3,904, making it the smallest city in the state by population....
's WNVA, but didn't stay long there, moving on instead to Bristol, Virginia
Bristol, Virginia

Bristol is an independent city in Virginia, bounded by Washington County, Virginia, and Sullivan County, Tennessee.As of the United States Census 2000, the city had a total population of 17,367....
 and WCYB to start the show Farm and Fun Time where they stayed "off and on for 12 years."

Initially covering "a lot of Bill Monroe
Bill Monroe

William Smith Monroe was an United States musician who helped develop the style of music known as bluegrass music, which takes its name from his band, the "Blue Grass Boys," named for Monroe's home state of Kentucky....
 music", 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." When Columbia Records
Columbia Records

Columbia Records is an American record label founded in 1888.Columbia is the oldest surviving brand name in pre-recorded sound, being the first record company to produce pre-recorded records as opposed to blank cylinders....
 signed the Stanley Brothers, Bill Monroe left in protest and joined Decca
Decca Records

Decca Records is a British record label established in 1929 in music by Edward Lewis . Its U.S. label was established in late 1934; later the link with the British company was broken for several decades....
. Later, the Stanleys split up and Carter went to sing for the "Father of Bluegrass." Asked how Monroe could be mad at the Stanley Brothers at one point and then hire Carter for his band, Ralph explained: "He knew Carter would make him a good singer. . . Bill Monroe loved our music and loved our singing."

The Stanley Brothers joined King Records
King Records

is a Japanese record company, founded in 1931 in music as a division of Japanese publisher Kodansha. It became and began operating as an independent entity in the 1950s, but remains part of the publisher's Otowa Group....
 in the late '50s, a record company so eclectic it included James Brown
James Brown

James Joseph Brown, Jr. was an United States entertainer. He is recognized as one of the most influential figures in 20th century popular music and was renowned for his vocals and feverish dancing....
 at the time. In fact he and his band were in the studio when the brothers recorded "Finger Poppin' Time." "James and his band were poppin' their fingers on that" according to Ralph. It was at King Records that they "went to a more 'Stanley style,' the sound that people most know today."

Ralph and Carter
Carter Stanley

Carter Glen Stanley was a bluegrass music lead singer, songwriter, and rhythm guitar player. He formed the Stanley Brothers band together with his brother Ralph Stanley....
 performed as The Stanley Brothers
The Stanley Brothers

The Stanley Brothers - United States Bluegrass music musicians....
 with their band, the Clinch Mountain Boys from 1946 to 1966.

Solo

After Carter passed away of liver cancer in 1966, after failing for "a year or so," 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.'" ] He decided to go it alone, eventually reviving the Clinch Mountain Boys. Larry Sparks
Larry Sparks

Larry Sparks is a bluegrass music singer and guitarist. He was the winner of the 2004 and 2005 IBMA Male Vocalist of the Year Award....
, Roy Lee Centers, and Charlie Sizemore were among those with whom he played in the revived band. He encountered Ricky Skaggs
Ricky Skaggs

For the punk rock musician, see Ricky Scaggs.Richard Lee "Ricky" Skaggs is a Grammy-winning country music and bluegrass music singer, musician, producer, and composer....
 and Keith Whitley
Keith Whitley

Jesse Keith Whitley , known professionally as Keith Whitley, was an American country music singer. Whitley's brief career in mainstream country music lasted from 1984 till his death in 1989, but he continues to influence an entire generation of singers and songwriters....
 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)." Seeing their potential, he hired them "to give 'em a chance", even though that meant a seven-member band. Eventually, his son Ralph Stanley II, took over as lead singer and rhythm guitarist for the Clinch Mountain Boys.

Political career

Around 1970, he ran for Clerk of Court and Commissioner of Revenue in Dickenson County
Dickenson County, Virginia

Dickenson County is a county located in the U.S. state — officially, "Commonwealth " — of Virginia. As of the United States Census, 2000, the population was 16,395....
 only to be used:

O Brother, Where Art Thou?

Stanley's work was featured in the 2000 film O Brother, Where Art Thou?
O Brother, Where Art Thou?

O Brother, Where Art Thou? is a comedy-adventure film made by the Coen Brothers. Released in 2000 in film, the film is set in Mississippi during the Great Depression ....
, in which he sings the Appalachian dirge "O Death." The soundtrack's producer was T-Bone Burnett
T-Bone Burnett

Joseph Henry "T-Bone" Burnett is an American songwriter, musician and producer. He was born in St. Louis, Missouri, and raised in Fort Worth, Texas....
. Stanley said the following about working with Burnett:

With that song, Stanley won a 2002 Grammy Award
Grammy Awards of 2002

The 44th Grammy Awards were held on February 27, 2002. They recognized accomplishments by musicians from the previous year. The biggest winner of this year was Alicia Keys, winning 5 Grammys, including Best New Artist and Song of the Year for "Fallin'"....
 in the category of Best Male Country Vocal Performance
Grammy Award for Best Male Country Vocal Performance

The Grammy Award for Best Male Country Vocal Performance has been awarded since 1965. The award has had several minor name changes:*From 1965 to 1967 the award was known as Best Country & Western Vocal Performance - Male...
. "That put the icing on the cake for me," he says. "It put me in a different category."

Today

Known in the world of bluegrass music
Bluegrass music

Bluegrass music is a form of American roots music, and is a sub-genre of country music. It has its own roots in Folk music of Ireland, Music of Scotland, Music of Wales and Folk Music of England traditional music....
 by the popular title, "Dr. Ralph Stanley" (after being awarded an honorary
Honorary

An honorary position is an unpaid position. Other uses include:* title of honor ? awarded as a mark of distinction** honorary citizenship ? awarded to aliens who have rendered service to the state...
 Doctorate of Music from Lincoln Memorial University
Lincoln Memorial University

Lincoln Memorial University is a private four-year co-educational liberal arts college located in Harrogate, Tennessee.LMU's campus borders on Cumberland Gap National Historical Park....
 in Harrogate, Tennessee
Harrogate, Tennessee

Harrogate is a city in Claiborne County, Tennessee, Tennessee, United States. The community has been known as "Harrogate" since the 1800s, but did not municipal corporation by that name until 1993....
 in 1976), Stanley was inducted into the International Bluegrass Music Hall of Honor
International Bluegrass Music Hall of Honor

Induction to the International Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame, called the International Bluegrass Music Hall of Honor from its creation in 1991 through 2006, is managed by the International Bluegrass Music Association, and the Hall itself is maintained at the International Bluegrass Music Museum in Owensboro, Kentucky....
 in 1992 and in 2000, and became the first person to be inducted into the Grand Ole Opry
Grand Ole Opry

The Grand Ole Opry is a weekly country music radio programming and concert broadcast live on WSM radio in Nashville, Tennessee, Tennessee, every Friday and Saturday night, as well as Tuesdays from March through December....
 in the third millennium.

He is featured in the Josh Turner
Josh Turner

Joshua Otis "Josh" Turner is an American country music artist. Signed to MCA Nashville Records in 2003, Josh released his platinum certified debut album Long Black Train that year....
 hit song "Me and God," released in 2006. In 2006 he was awarded the National Medal of Arts
National Medal of Arts

The National Medal of Arts is an award and title created by the Congress of the United States in 1984, for the purpose of honoring artists and patrons of the arts....
. On November 10, 2007, Stanley and the Clinch Mountain Boys performed at a rally for presidential candidate John Edwards
John Edwards

Johnny Reid "John" Edwards is an American politician who served one term as United States Senate from North Carolina. He was the Democratic Party nominee for Vice President of the United States in United States presidential election, 2004, and was a candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination in Democratic Party presidential prima...
 in Des Moines, Iowa
Des Moines, Iowa

Des Moines , is the Capital and the most populous city in the United States U.S. state of Iowa. It is also the county seat of Polk County, Iowa....
, just prior to the Democratic Party
Democratic Party (United States)

The Democratic Party is one of two major party contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party . It is the oldest political party in continuous operation in the United States and it is one of the oldest parties in the world....
's annual Jefferson-Jackson Day
Jefferson-Jackson Day

Jefferson-Jackson Day is the most common name given to the annual fundraising celebration held by Democratic Party organizations in the United States....
 Dinner. Between renditions of "Man of Constant Sorrow
Man of Constant Sorrow

"Man of Constant Sorrow" is a traditional American folk music song first performed by Dick Burnett , a partially blind fiddler from Kentucky. The song was originally recorded by Burnett as "Farewell Song" printed in a Richard Burnett songbook, c....
" and "Orange Blossom Special
Orange Blossom Special (song)

The fiddle tune "Orange Blossom Special", about the Orange Blossom Special of the same name, was written by Ervin T. Rouse in 1938. The original recording was created by Ervin and Gordon Rouse in 1939....
," Stanley told the crowd that he had cast his first vote for Harry S. Truman
Harry S. Truman

Harry S. Truman was the List of Presidents of the United States President of the United States . As the List of Vice Presidents of the United States Vice President of the United States, he succeeded Franklin D....
 in 1948 and would cast his next for John Edwards in 2008-- but after Edwards fell by the wayside, Stanley endorsed Barack Obama
Barack Obama

Barack Hussein Obama II is the List of Presidents of the United States and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office....
 on September 9, 2008. In October 2008, the Obama campaign aired a radio ad in Virginia featuring Stanley.

Stanley maintains an extensive touring schedule.

Stanley's autobiography
Autobiography

An autobiography is a biography written by its subject . The term was first used by the poet Robert Southey in 1809 in the English language Periodical publication Quarterly Review, but the form goes back to antiquity....
, Man of Constant Sorrow, coauthored with Eddie Dean
Eddie Dean

Edward Cantor "Eddie" Dean is a fictional character in Stephen King's The Dark Tower series of novels. He was introduced in The Dark Tower II: The Drawing of the Three and became a main character for the remainder of the series....
, is expected for release from Gotham Books on April 2, 2009.

Musical style

Ralph created a unique style of banjo
Banjo

The banjo is a stringed instrument developed by Slavery in the United States Africans in the United States, adapted from several African instruments....
 playing, sometimes called "Stanley Style". It evolved from Scruggs style
Scruggs style

Scruggs style is the most common style of playing the banjo in bluegrass music. It is a fingerpicking method, also known as three-finger style....
, which is a three finger technique. "Stanley style" is distinguished by incredibly fast "forward rolls," led by the index finger, sometimes in the higher registers utilizing a capo
Capo

A capo tasto , or simply capo, is a device used for shortening the strings, and hence raising the pitch, of a stringed instrument such as a guitar, mandolin or banjo....
.

Discography

Year Album Chart Positions Label
US Bluegrass US Country US
Billboard 200

The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling Albums and extended play in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine....
US Heat
Top Heatseekers

Top Heatseekers is a weekly albums chart introduced by Billboard in 1993 whose purpose is to highlight sales by new and developing musical recording artists....
2001 Clinch Mountain Gospel     Rebel
2002 Ralph Stanley 3 22 163 5 DMZ
2003 Poor Rambler     King
2005 Shine On 6    Rebel
2006 A Distant Land to Roam 4   
2007 Mountain Preacher's Child 9   


Other contributions

  • Lifted: Songs of the Spirit (2002, Sony
    Sony

    is a multinational corporation list of conglomerates corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan, and one of the world's largest media conglomerates with revenue exceeding US$99.1 billion ....
    /Hear Music
    Hear Music

    Hear Music is the brand name of Starbucks' retail music concept and record label. Hear Music began as a catalog company in Cambridge, Massachusetts in 1990 before being purchased by Starbucks in 1999....
    ) - "Listen to the Shepherd"


Honors, awards, distinctions

  • He's known in the world of bluegrass music
    Bluegrass music

    Bluegrass music is a form of American roots music, and is a sub-genre of country music. It has its own roots in Folk music of Ireland, Music of Scotland, Music of Wales and Folk Music of England traditional music....
     by the popular title, "Dr. Ralph Stanley" after being awarded an honorary
    Honorary

    An honorary position is an unpaid position. Other uses include:* title of honor ? awarded as a mark of distinction** honorary citizenship ? awarded to aliens who have rendered service to the state...
     Doctorate of Music from Lincoln Memorial University
    Lincoln Memorial University

    Lincoln Memorial University is a private four-year co-educational liberal arts college located in Harrogate, Tennessee.LMU's campus borders on Cumberland Gap National Historical Park....
     in Harrogate, Tennessee
    Harrogate, Tennessee

    Harrogate is a city in Claiborne County, Tennessee, Tennessee, United States. The community has been known as "Harrogate" since the 1800s, but did not municipal corporation by that name until 1993....
    , in 1976.
  • He was inducted into the International Bluegrass Music Hall of Honor
    International Bluegrass Music Hall of Honor

    Induction to the International Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame, called the International Bluegrass Music Hall of Honor from its creation in 1991 through 2006, is managed by the International Bluegrass Music Association, and the Hall itself is maintained at the International Bluegrass Music Museum in Owensboro, Kentucky....
     in 1992 and in 2000.
  • He became the first person to be inducted into the Grand Ole Opry
    Grand Ole Opry

    The Grand Ole Opry is a weekly country music radio programming and concert broadcast live on WSM radio in Nashville, Tennessee, Tennessee, every Friday and Saturday night, as well as Tuesdays from March through December....
     in the third millennium.
  • His work was featured in the 2000 film O Brother, Where Art Thou?
    O Brother, Where Art Thou?

    O Brother, Where Art Thou? is a comedy-adventure film made by the Coen Brothers. Released in 2000 in film, the film is set in Mississippi during the Great Depression ....
    , in which he sings the Appalachian dirge "O Death."
    • That song won him a 2002 Grammy Award
      Grammy Awards of 2002

      The 44th Grammy Awards were held on February 27, 2002. They recognized accomplishments by musicians from the previous year. The biggest winner of this year was Alicia Keys, winning 5 Grammys, including Best New Artist and Song of the Year for "Fallin'"....
       in the category of Best Male Country Vocal Performance
      Grammy Award for Best Male Country Vocal Performance

      The Grammy Award for Best Male Country Vocal Performance has been awarded since 1965. The award has had several minor name changes:*From 1965 to 1967 the award was known as Best Country & Western Vocal Performance - Male...
      .
  • The Virginia Press Association made him their Distinguished Virginian of the Year in 2004.
  • The Ralph Stanley Museum and Traditional Mountain Music Center opened in Clintwood, Virginia
    Clintwood, Virginia

    Clintwood is a town in Dickenson County, Virginia, Virginia, United States. The population was 1,549 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Dickenson County, Virginia....
     in 2004.
  • He was awarded the National Medal of Arts
    National Medal of Arts

    The National Medal of Arts is an award and title created by the Congress of the United States in 1984, for the purpose of honoring artists and patrons of the arts....
     in 2006, the nation's highest honor for artistic excellence.
  • The Virginia legislature designated him the Outstanding Virginian of 2008.
  • He was awarded the Key to the City of Garner, North Carolina
    Garner, North Carolina

    Garner is a town in Wake County, North Carolina, North Carolina, United States and a suburb of Raleigh, North Carolina. The population was 17,757 at the United States Census, 2000 and was 25,184 in 2008....
     on November 15th, 2008


See also

  • The Stanley Brothers
    The Stanley Brothers

    The Stanley Brothers - United States Bluegrass music musicians....
  • Dickenson County, Virginia
    Dickenson County, Virginia

    Dickenson County is a county located in the U.S. state — officially, "Commonwealth " — of Virginia. As of the United States Census, 2000, the population was 16,395....
  • Bluegrass music
    Bluegrass music

    Bluegrass music is a form of American roots music, and is a sub-genre of country music. It has its own roots in Folk music of Ireland, Music of Scotland, Music of Wales and Folk Music of England traditional music....
  • Old-time music
    Old-time music

    Old-time music is a form of North American folk music, with roots in the folk music of many countries, including England, Scotland, Ireland and Africa....
  • Banjo
    Banjo

    The banjo is a stringed instrument developed by Slavery in the United States Africans in the United States, adapted from several African instruments....
  • International Bluegrass Music Hall of Honor
    International Bluegrass Music Hall of Honor

    Induction to the International Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame, called the International Bluegrass Music Hall of Honor from its creation in 1991 through 2006, is managed by the International Bluegrass Music Association, and the Hall itself is maintained at the International Bluegrass Music Museum in Owensboro, Kentucky....
  • Grand Ole Opry
    Grand Ole Opry

    The Grand Ole Opry is a weekly country music radio programming and concert broadcast live on WSM radio in Nashville, Tennessee, Tennessee, every Friday and Saturday night, as well as Tuesdays from March through December....
  • O Brother, Where Art Thou?
    O Brother, Where Art Thou?

    O Brother, Where Art Thou? is a comedy-adventure film made by the Coen Brothers. Released in 2000 in film, the film is set in Mississippi during the Great Depression ....
  • Grammy Awards
  • National Medal of Arts
    National Medal of Arts

    The National Medal of Arts is an award and title created by the Congress of the United States in 1984, for the purpose of honoring artists and patrons of the arts....


External links