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Biography
Infobox musical artist|name = The Stanley Brothers| image =| caption = The Stanley Brothers performing at the first Roanoke Bluegrass Festival in September 1965. Photographed by Gene Lowinger.| image_size =| background = group_or_band| origin = Dickenson County, Virginia , USA| genre = Bluegrass music|Bluegrass | years_active = 1946–1966| label = Rich-R-Tone, Columbia Records|Columbia , Mercury Records|Mercury , King Records (USA)|King , Starday Records|Starday , Wango, Rimrock| past_members = Carter Stanley Ralph Stanley The Stanley Brothers were an American Bluegrass music|bluegrass duo made up of brothers Carter Stanley|Carter and Ralph Stanley .
Biography
Carter and Ralph Stanley were born in the Clinch Mountains of Dickenson County , Virginia . They were raised on a small farm near McClure, Virginia in that same county. Music was a part of their lives from early on, as they were able to listen to the likes of the Bill Monroe|Monroe Brothers , J. E. Mainer|J. E. Mainer's Mountaineers and the Grand Ole Opry on local radio. The brothers soon formed a band, the Lazy Ramblers, and performed as a duo on WJCW|WJHL radio in Johnson City, Tennessee.cite book |title= Country Music: The Encyclopedia (3rd ed.)|last= Stambler|first= Irwin|authorlink= |coauthors= Grelun Landon|year= 2000|publisher= St. Martin's Press |location= New York|isbn= 0-312-26487-9|page= |pages= 457–8|url= http://books.google.com/books? id=d18K8QWcEo8C|accessdate= February 6, 2010 World War II interrupted any thoughts of a musical career, and it was not until both brothers returned from the United States Army|service that they were able to make their own mark in music.
They formed their band, the Stanley Brothers and the Clinch Mountain Boys , in 1946 as the first band to copy the Bill Monroe|Monroe sound .Malone, McCulloh 1975, p.& nbsp;426.Carter played guitar and sang lead while Ralph played banjo and sang with a strong, high tenor voice. Additional members of this early band were Pee Wee Lambert|Darrell "Pee Wee" Lambert on mandolin and Bobby Sumner on fiddle. Sumner was soon to be replaced by Leslie Keith .Rosenberg 2005, p.& nbsp;80. On December 26, 1946, the band began performing at radio station WZAP|WCYB in Bristol, Tennessee as stalwarts of the famed "Farm and Fun Time" radio show.Wright 1995, p.& nbsp;3. They made their recording debut in September 1947 for Rich-R-Tone Records which had been founded the year before. Their records sold well "outselling even Eddy Arnold " regionally.Rosenberg 2005, p.& nbsp;82. Up to now, Ralph had been playing the banjo with two fingers only on recordings and in concerts but switched in 1948 to the three-finger style popularised by Earl Scruggs .Rosenberg 2005, p.& nbsp;84. In March 1949, the Stanley Brothers began recording for Columbia Records .Rosenberg 2005, p.& nbsp;87.
During this time, Bill Monroe was not particularly fond of groups like the Stanley Brothers and Flatt & Scruggs whom he believed "stole" his music by copying it and they were therefore seen as "economic threats."Rosenberg 2005, p.& nbsp;88.Rosenberg 2005, p.& nbsp;85. Financially hard times in the early 1950s forced the brothers to take a short break in their musical career and they began working for the Ford Motor Company in Detroit . Eventually, Monroe and the Stanley Brothers became friends and Carter performed for several months with Bill Monroe in the summer of 1951. In August 1951, Ralph was involved in a serious automobile accident that almost ended his career.Wright 1995, p.& nbsp;4. Following his recovery, Carter & Ralph reunited to front their Clinch Mountain Boys.
As bluegrass music grew less popular in the late 1950s, the Stanley Brothers moved to Live Oak, Florida to headline the weekly Suwannee River Jamboree radio show on WQHL (AM)|WNER from 1958 to 1962. The three-hour show was also syndicated across the Southeast.
cite web| last = | first = | authorlink = | coauthors = | title = Folklife Database: Recording of the Suwannee River Jamboree radio program | work = | publisher = State Library and Archives of Florida | date = | url = http://www.floridamemory.com/Collections/folklife/profile.cfm? idsThing=4476 | format = | doi = | accessdate = 2009-05-20 In 1966, the brothers toured Europe and upon returning home they continued to perform together until Carter's death in December 1966.Wright 1995, p.& nbsp;5.
The brothers wrote many of their own songs and Carter had a particular knack for writing deceptively simple lyrics that portrayed strong emotion. The Stanley's style can best be described as a traditional "mountain soul" sound that remained close to the Primitive Baptist vocal stylings they learned from their parents and others near their southwestern Virginia home. Ralph has often used the expression ''"...old-time, mountain style, what they call 'bluegrass' music",'' to differentiate the Stanley's sound from mainstream bluegrass. They later added an innovative touch to their traditional sound with the guitar solos of George Shuffler , an early proponent of the crosspicking guitar style.
Later, Ralph revived the Clinch Mountain Boys and is still performing as of 2010. Among the musicians who have played in the revived Clinch Mountain Boys are Ricky Skaggs , Keith Whitley , Larry Sparks , Curly Ray Cline , Jack Cooke, Roy Lee Centers, Charlie Sizemore, Ray Goins, and Ralph Stanley II. Ralph's career received a big boost with his prominent role on the phenomenally successful soundtrack recording of the 2000 film, O Brother, Where Art Thou? . The Stanley Brothers were inducted into the International Bluegrass Music Hall of Honor in 1992. In 2005, The Barter State Theatre of Virginia premiered an original stage production entitled, "Man of Constant Sorrow: The Story of the Stanley Brothers," written by Dr. Douglas Pote.
Selected recordings
Among the Stanley Brothers' best known recordings are:
''I'm A Man of Constant Sorrow (Columbia 20816, Rec: Nov. 3, 1950, Released: May, 1951)
Bill Napier ( Steel-string guitar|guitar , mandolin )
George Shuffler ( Steel-string guitar|guitar , upright bass|bass )
Larry Sparks ( Steel-string guitar|guitar )
Keith Whitley (guitar)
Ricky Skaggs (guitar,mandolin)
Ernie Thacker (Guitar,lead vocals)
Discography
78 RPM
Year
Title
Label
Number
1947
1948
1948
1949
1949
1949
1949
1949
1950
1950
1950
1950
1950
1951
1952
1952
1952
1953
1953
1954
1954
1954
1954
1954
1955
1955
1955
1955
1956
1956
1957
1957
1958
1958
1959
1959
1959
1959
cite web |url= http://www.ibiblio.org/hillwilliam/BGdiscography/? v=bresults& format=78,45,33& browseBy=band& filter_band=3|title= Blue Grass Singles by Artist|first=Charley|last=Pennell|date= November 10, 2009|work= Discography of Bluegrass Sound Recordings, 1942 - |publisher= ibiblio |accessdate=May 11, 2010cite web |url= http://www.78discography.com/COL20500.htm|title= COLUMBIA (Microphone label, USA) 20500 - 21000 Numerical Listing|first=Steven|last=Abrams|date= September 2, 2009|work= The Online Discographical Project |publisher= |accessdate=January 28, 2010cite web |url= http://www.78discography.com/Merc700.htm|title= Mercury Numerical Listing - 70000 Series|first=Steven|last=Abrams|date= October 28, 2009|work= The Online Discographical Project |publisher= |accessdate=January 28, 2010
Albums (US)
Year
Title
Label
Number
Notes
1958
1959
1959
1959
1960
1960
1960
1961
1961
1961
1961
1961
1962
1962
1962
1962
1963
1963
1963
1963
1964
1965
1965
1966
1966
1966
1966
1966
1966
1966
1966
1966
1966
1967
1967
1967
1967
1969
1970
1970
1970
1971
1972
1976
1980
1980
1984
1984
1984
1988
1994
1997
2004
2004
cite web |url= http://www.bsnpubs.com/king/kingstory.html|title= King/Federal/DeLuxe Story|last1= Edwards|first1= David|last2= Callahan|first2= Mike|date= January 10, 1998|work= Album Discographies|publisher= Both Sides Now Publications|accessdate=January 28, 2010cite web |url= http://www.ibiblio.org/hillwilliam/BGdiscography/? v=bresults& format=LP& browseBy=band& filter_band=3|title= Blue Grass LPs by Artist|first=Charley|last=Pennell|date= January 10, 1998|work= Discography of Bluegrass Sound Recordings, 1942 - |publisher= ibiblio |accessdate=January 28, 2010cite web |url= http://countrydiscography.blogspot.com/2010/02/stanley-brothers.html |title=Stanley Brothers |author=Praguefrank |date= March 15, 2009|work=Praguefrank's Country Music Discographies |publisher= |accessdate=January 29, 2010cite web |url= http://www.rocky-52.net/chanteurss/stanley_brothers.htm |title=Stanley Brothers |first=Gerard "Rocky"|last=Lambert |date= April 5, 2007|work= Discographie Rock 'N' Country|language = French|accessdate=December 28, 2009
Video
Year
Title
Label
Number
Notes
2005
Charted singles
Year
Single
US Country
1960
"How Far to Little Rock"
17
Footnotes
reflist|2
References
Malone, Bill C. (1975) Judith McCulloh, Stars of Country Music , University of Illinois Press
Rosenberg, Neil V. (2005) Bluegrass: A History , University of Illinois Press
Wright, John (1995) Traveling the High Way Home , University of Illinois Press
External links
http://www.slipcue.com/music/country/countryartists/stanley.html Ralph Stanley Discography
http://www.floridamemory.com/Collections/folklife/folklife_cd2.cfm Recording of "We Are Going to Paint the Town" from a 1958 Florida radio show (made available for public use by the State Archives of Florida)
http://www.floridamemory.com/Collections/folklife/sound_pod.cfm Podcast (mp3) of one of the Stanley Brothers' Suwannee River Jamboree radio show from 1958 (made available for public use by the State Archives of Florida)
http://www.ralphstanleymuseum.com Ralph Stanley Museum & Traditional Mountain Music Center
http://www.bartertheatre.com/season/show_detail.html? production_id=61 Barter Theatre "Man of Constant Sorrow" show details
http://www.buddywoodward.net/gallery/mocs Production photos from "Man of Constant Sorrow"
http://www.hankwilliamslistings.com/ind-stbr.htm? = The Stanley Brothers - a listing of all their songs
DEFAULTSORT:Stanley Brothers Category:American bluegrass music groups Category:King Records artists Category:Starday Records artists Category:International Bluegrass Music Hall of Honor inductees Category:Virginia culture Category:Mercury Records artists Category:Columbia Records artists Category:Musicians from Virginia
da:The Stanley Brothers de:The Stanley Brothers sv:The Stanley Brothers
