Legendary bluegrass player Dr. Ralph Stanley and His Clinch Mountain Boys will play two shows tonight at The Blue Gator, 63 N. Court St.
Stanley started plucking the banjo in 1946, forming a band with his brother Carter. Known as The Stanley Brothers, the popular ensemble continued together until 1966, when Carter died.
Stanley didn't miss a beat after Carter's death and to this day has released almost 200 albums and has toured relentlessly.
Combining a unique voice with the claw-hammer banjo plucking style taught to him by his mother, Stanley sticks out from the typical bluegrass fare.
His skill is evident in the plethora of awards he has earned over the years. Three Grammys, the Living Legend Medal awarded by the Library of Congress, and the first ever Traditional American Music Award given by President Ronald Reagan are a small sample of the awards Stanley has won. He earned an honorary doctorate in music from Lincoln Memorial University, hence the Dr. preceding his name.
More recently, Stanley's contributions to the O Brother, Where Art Thou soundtrack, including the classic Stanley Brothers song Man of Constant Sorrow, have revived attention in the bluegrass great. As a result, Stanley headlined the sold out series inspired by the O Brother soundtrack dubbed the 2002 Down from the Mountain Tour.
Even at 76 years old, he hasn't slowed down a bit, as he still performs between 150 and 200 shows yearly.
Ralph Stanley and His Clinch Mountain Boys will perform an all ages, non-smoking set at 6 p.m. today, with a second 18-and-over, smoking-permitted set at 10 p.m. The cost per show is $25, while tickets for both are $40.
-Mark Karges
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Mark Karges
