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Tag Archives: Osborne Brothers

Ask Sonny Anything… what did you think of the Earl Scruggs Revue?

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We just lost one the most prolific songwriters ever in Tom T. Hall.

Did the Osborne Brothers ever play any shows together? And did you all record any of his songs? Thanks for your time!

Sean M

Yes on both counts. We did several shows with Tom and recorded an album with him, which I don’t recall the name. We did some of his songs too, one being Souvenirs, I Washed My Face in the Morning Dew, and Ballad of Forty Dollars. He was a good friend and a great songwriter and will always be remembered as such. And while we were recording he would change clothes into period clothes that would match the songs we were doing. Once, I looked down at my watch and he said, “do you have someplace else to go?” and I took that as an insult and said, “as a matter of fact, I do have a session at 6 and I’d like to not be late!”
S.

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Hi Sonny, Hope you are well!!

I happened to be reading Dick Spottswood’s book, Banjo on the Mountain, about Wade Mainer. I noticed your picture in there with him from 2002 at the Grand Ole Opry. I was wondering if you could share your meeting with him. As well, was he a big influence for you in any way? Thank you so much.

Jacob F.

First of all, my picture at the Grand Ole Opry has probably appeared in a thousand media outlets, so my picture with Wade Mainer does not stand out in my memory. I played there every weekend for 43 years, so the number of pictures taken would be endless. And as far as an influence, neither Spottswood nor Mainer had much influence in my playing. I look to guys like Earl Scruggs and Rudy Lyle to be my biggest influence, and I think my playing shows that, and if I were a beginning banjo player right now, my biggest influences would be Lincoln Hensley and Derek Vaden. Those two young guys seem to have it all together with a great right hand and matching left. What more could anybody want?!

I’ve been asked numerous times about setting a banjo up, and who’s good and who’s not. I guess the best guy that I know of in this area would be Lincoln Hensley because he seems to have the touch. When we first started making the Krako banjos, it was made from spare parts I had collected for years. And when I had it put together the action was very high. I took it to a “friend” and asked that he lower the action, and when I got it back, it cost me 100 dollars and he had put a shorter bridge on it instead of making the proper adjustments that he could have made with the coordinating rods or the truss rod. He chose to put a shorter bridge on there, a method of which a five-year-old child could have figured out.
S.

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Thanks for doing this column Sonny, I always appreciate your perspective. What are your thoughts on Earl’s music and career after the split with Lester?

James P.

Hey James, thank you for participating in our chaotic thing we got going here. As far as Earl’s music with his boys, and not to hurt anyone’s feelings (Gary Scruggs, Earl’s son, is a close friend), but I was not a big fan of the music and career after the split with Lester. Nor was I a big fan of Lester and Earl’s music directly before the split. I grew up on Flatt and Scruggs, and the music they played there in the ’50s was unmatched then and now. No one has quite captured that sound and I doubt if they ever will. Foggy Mountain Breakdown has been played, folks, and it was played in Cincinnati in 1949, and I doubt it will ever be played like that ever again.
S.

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Sonny, what other genres of music do you listen to besides country and bluegrass? Do you enjoy classical and baroque as well?

D.R.

Well, D.R., due to the fact the little that I know about classical guitar and I don’t know what baroque is, other than being broke about a thousand times during the ’50s and calling my dad up at 3 o’clock in the morning and his first words after finding out who was calling was, “how much do you need and where do I need to send it?” And it never mattered how much. He never questioned it or anything – if I would say 500 dollars and send it to Western Union in that town, it would be there the next morning. And the rest of his life, he never asked me what I used it for. When he moved from Ohio to Kentucky – there’s an old saying that “dollars talk and b.s. walks” – there was an old man with a farm for sale and my dad was wanting it. He needed ten grand to make up with what he had so he could get that place. He told me that and I went and got it and gave it to him. It made him so happy. This would be in the mid-late ’60s.
S.

If you have something you would like to ask Sonny, be sure to post it in the comments below, or send it to us directly.

Ask Sonny Anything… why did you play a 6 string banjo?

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Sonny is again unable to respond to questions this week, so we are re-running another of his most popular columns. Let’s hope he is back at it next week.

Is it true you lifted up your banjo on stage into a ceiling fan in Kahoka, MO and tore off the headstock? Which banjo was that?
– Rhonda in Missouri (yes, that Rhonda)

I don’t think that was in Missouri. Larry Stephenson was there and reminds me it was actually in Canton, Texas when I took the banjo off to play the Guitjo, and the peghead hit the ceiling fan. It didn’t break it but it did leave a permanent scar. I had a 38 pistol in my pocket and I was so angry that I wanted to destroy that fan. I couldn’t get it out of my pocket because the hammer got stuck in the cloth of the pocket. David Crow, who played fiddle with us, realizing what was about to take place, came over to me and reminded me that 2,000 people were watching. All I could think of was that fan could have destroyed a half million dollar banjo… my Granada… But I recovered my senses in time. Chubby Wise was sitting on the front row beside Charles Perry. Charley told me that Chubby leaned over to him and said, “They’s gonna be trouble hyer!”

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Sonny, Is it true that you didn’t like for people to dance anywhere onstage or offstage while the Osborne Brothers were playing? If so, why?
– Greg J

Yep, that’s true. When we played I wanted the complete attention of the audience. I didn’t want some drunk clown to run up in front of the crowd and steal their attention. Right? Wrong? It really didn’t matter. That was our time to do our part to pay the promoter for hiring us…. first to draw people, then to be sober, and to look and act like professional people at work… much the same as if you would work in an office. That stage was our office… that was part of our job… respect what you were hired to do. We did that as best we could and expected our audience to do the same. RIGHT…..WRONG……

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Sonny, I remember just a little about the day at Berryville when someone cut the power cord on your band’s bass amplifier. Would you tell us all what you did about it that day?
– Mark S.

I remember it well. 5,000 people were there. We had disrupted the bluegrass community by plugging our acoustic instruments into amps and using electric bass…. Not out of defiance, but necessity, simply because of the venues we were playing. Mostly country package shows, competing with loud country bands and sound men who didn’t know how to mic bluegrass music. So, when we went on I realized that MY cord to the banjo was cut…not broken, but cut. I told Joe Green, who was with us on that trip, to go to a cabinet in the motor home and bring me another cord. I had 10 extra cords for this occasion… he was gone two minutes, I plugged in and we continued. I also remember that day because when we were finished with our show, we received a standing ovation… one of only two for the day… the other one was for Ralph Stanley.

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Sonny, please tell us about your thinking behind adding a 6th (low) string to one of your banjos and the experience of playing it.
– Charlie S.

I did that because I grew tired of not being able to play the actual melody of a song. If you play in G, the new string was an octave below the third string G. (Funny, I have spellcheck and it said octave was actually spelled with an I. I told it what it could go do… Then I realized I had tried to spell it with an A instead of O….SO…..) You could also tune it to C and have the exact tune… as in Listening to The Rain. It was an interesting concept…hard to play, but rewarding.

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Have you ever had to rough up a promoter?
– Alex W.

Nope. Never been in a fight in my life. But… I thought Bobby Crum was gonna shoot me though! We didn’t draw a big crowd for him, and we insulted his MC. She lied to him… told him we made fun of Melvin Goins… the real thing that upset her the most was none of our guys flirted with her, nor did they respond to her drunken passes. Truth… I believe in it… 100%

GOODAY

If you have something you would like to ask Sonny, be sure to post it in the comments below, or send it to us directly.

Ask Sonny Anything… did Bill Monroe like electric bass?

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Sonny:

I once joined a bluegrass band to play mandolin and sing tenor. Not longer after I joined, the bass player quit, so I took over that job. Having never played the bass before, I got an electric bass guitar. At that time, both Jim & Jesse and the Osborne Brothers were using electric bass guitars. I figured if electric bass was good enough for these first-generation legends, it was good enough for me. I took some flack for that and was once reprimanded for playing electric bass at a SPBGMA festival. I have a SPBGMA sticker on my Fender bass case to this day. Did the Osborne Brothers ever get any complaints about using an electric bass?

Orin Friesen

Orin, thank you for your time and participation. It is appreciated and I’m happy to hear from you. It’s been a long time and I hope you’re well.

In answer to your question, Bill Monroe wouldn’t hire us at Bean Blossom because we had an electric bass. And my answer to Bill was that we were thinking about having a festival and we wanted to hire him without his mandolin pick. And his answer was the infamous “that ain’t no part of nothin’” and it was! Because our bass amp and electric bass were as much a part of our sound as anything else you could point to.

(I was there the first time Bill Monroe ever said that expression. It was in Alexandria, Virginia, and the crowd was shouting out requests. Someone asked for Take Me Back to Tulsa and Bill turned to Kenny Baker and asked “do you know that number.” He said, “no, I don’t,” and Bill kind of stuttered and said, “well, that ain’t no part of nothin’!”)
S

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Sonny, thank you so much for answering my question a few weeks ago (regarding Buck Owens and other country artists attempting bluegrass). As you said, a background in country music doesn’t prepare you to make bluegrass. So my question today is the reverse: do you feel like a bluegrass background is beneficial to an artist attempting to cross over to country (I mean in an artistic sense, not necessarily a commercial one). Ricky Skaggs, Marty Stuart, and Vince Gill are clearly better musicians than the average country singers of their eras, and all of them as well as the late Keith Whitley and even Chris Stapleton today have largely steered clear of the quest for pop crossover success and sold out arena shows that seems to plague many in the country field. Do you attribute some of that to them beginning their careers in the bluegrass world?

On a different note, what are your thoughts on Dave Evans as a banjo player, and do you have any stories about him?

Thanks again and God bless,

Adam

Adam, I appreciate your time and participation.

I’m not sure I can answer these questions appropriately. I can mention several who were born within a bluegrass music environment – Paul Brewster and Larry Sparks – they both could have made it as a country act if they had used the right instrumentation as well as the correct songs. Larry Sparks is my favorite singer. I frankly can’t see Flatt and Scruggs, Don and Red, or anyone else who was a big name in bluegrass making it as a country band. I really can’t. And actually I should include us in that, because we sold a lot of records with steel, piano, drums, electric guitar, and those players were Nashville’s A-Team and so we had the best Nashville had to offer.

I thought we had great songs and we were considered country because in 1971, we won the Country Music Association’s Vocal Group of the Year. And my dad always said, “bragging isn’t bragging if you can back it up.” And it would be impossible to be raised in a more bluegrass home than we were, and we sold strongly to a country audience…21 songs on the national charts. Case closed!

I don’t have any stories about Dave Evans and I don’t have an opinion of him as a banjo player.
S

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I was listening to an old record of Wynn Osborne and the Bluegrass Playboys and noticed the tone he pulled on Flint Hill Special and Dear Old Dixie and wondered, if he was playing your Granada on that album. It was great when he filled in with you guys in the ’80s and he could pick up where you left off on stuff.

Wes V

Wes (has to be Vanderpool)… I’m glad to hear from you. And yes, Wynn played my Granada on that whole album and it shows. As a teenager, I thought Wynn would develop into maybe the best banjo player out there. One night at the Opry, Bobby asked me if Wynn could play Foggy Mountain Breakdown on our portion of the show. Wynn was about 13. And I said sure, go ahead. That kid stepped up to the mic with an RB-100 Gibson and played the mortal hell out of Foggy Mountain Breakdown and he never missed a lick. And he accomplished in two and a half minutes what I couldn’t accomplish in a lifetime at the Grand Ole Opry. For some reason, I could never play well in that building or on that show. I never was happy with anything I did on the Opry. Of course, take into consideration the sound coming from the Opry was never what you would call really good and it still isn’t. Of course nowadays, it is not the same Opry that I knew in the ’60s and ’70s. Krako must have been staked out! I bet he did, really.
S

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Hello Sonny, thank you for this forum. It brings back a lot of fond memories, which leads me to my question. My first exposure to live bluegrass occurred in the 1970s when I was a banjo-obsessed teenager living in Atlanta. I had not been born into the world of bluegrass and it was something I had to seek out. Before I could drive I would go to Shoal Creek Park in Lavonia, GA with my parents. I was instantly hooked. It was the first time I saw you play, and, well, you know the lineup at that festival in those days. That was also the first time I saw Bill Monroe play, and those late night sets seared my brain forever. I don’t think it’s time that has magnified my memories, but it does seem like that festival had moments that were hard to find later. My question is: Can you share your special memories of the Lavonia festival, and its role in live bluegrass at the time? My view of that festival was as a young spectator, so I would like to hear your behind the scenes experiences. Thank you very much.

Karl R.

Karl, thank you for joining our chaotic free-for-all. Sometimes it does seem like that, but it’s always appreciated.

Shoal Creek Park had to be the hottest venue ever created. I swear, I saw Mac Wiseman just crumble there once when he weighed 400 pounds. While Shoal Creek was a good outlet for bluegrass music, the sound was always good and we always got paid. One sour note that clouds my memory comes from PBS – one Sunday or it might have been Saturday, they were determined to film us and I said no, but their determination showed its ugly face in the form of a remote control television camera. It was set up 30 feet in front of me on stage, and every time I’d look up, that camera was pointed in a different direction with no one behind it operating it. And so right in the middle of the one song, I just stopped and asked our band to have a seat on a bunch of hay bales they had placed on the stage. And I said in the mic “until that camera is pointed down to the ground, I’m not going to play another note.” And the guy who was running the camera went berserk. “I’ve got to get this done!” he said. I said, “Not today you don’t! I told you beforehand no! In this case your determination has failed you miserably, because it was in my contract that I don’t have to allow you to film us.”

We ran into this situation several times but our record contract and our agency contract didn’t allow us to be filmed. And that’s the truth.

I may have retold the previous story, and for that I apologize, but I figure it’s worth retelling, and I figure the guy might remember the two words I told him. The crowd probably remembers too.
S

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Dictation – Sonny Osborne
Typist – Aynsley Porchak
Question coordinator – Lincoln Hensley
Kibitzing – Pepper and Judy Osborne

If you have something you would like to ask Sonny, be sure to post it in the comments below, or send it to us directly.

Ask Sonny Anything… what first got you excited to play banjo?

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Sonny,

Let me say first off that if it wasn’t for Sonny and The Earl, I would never have picked up a banjo. I’ve been playing now for 23 years, but it only feels like 5. Did time fly by for you when you were on the road playing with Bobby and the band?

Also, One of my best mentor’s, Doug Greene (banjo) from Lake Okeechobee, FL area, and later on moved up to western NC, had a band called The Prospectors with his brother Jerry (guitar). They have both passed on now. They were huge Osborne Brothers fans that have played festivals with The Brothers in the ’70s and ’80s. My question to you is, do you have any recollections of Doug and/or Jerry Greene? They sure spoke highly of you, Bobby, and the band. Thank you so much for your wealth of knowledge and stories on this column. They are priceless!

Scott H.

Hey Scott. Thank you for your time, appreciate it. When I was on the road with the Brothers band, time did not fly by as you say. It still took 14 hours to drive 800 miles, and no matter how it felt it still took that long to get 800 miles from one date to the next. I don’t know how many times I sat there and daydreamed about time travel, and how I could just automatically be in Sacramento, CA but no….I had to go from St Louis, to Kansas City and Denver, and then think … why it’s only another 4 or 5 hours to Sacramento.

I know a guy named Doug Greene, but I’m sure it’s not the one you mentioned, because I don’t think he had a brother named Jerry. I appreciate the fact that they were friends and fans of the Brothers, and I’m sorry that I don’t remember them.
S

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Have you considered a podcast, MC-ing festivals, or hosting a radio show? We enjoy this column, and I bet the fans would love to hear you in different settings.

– Brian M.

Brian, thank you for participating in our chaotic free-for-all. I have never considered a podcast, whatever that is, nor would I ever take the job of MC-ing a festival. And hosting a radio show takes a whole lot of planning and to maintain this little column takes all I want out of me at this point.
S

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Hi Sonny,

Thanks for taking the time each week to answer questions and share your thoughts and memories from your career.

My question is what role did the song Foggy Mountain Breakdown play in your deciding to learn to play the banjo, or did it at all? I think for many players like me, hearing that song played by Earl, in particular the 1949 recording, spoke us in a way that pulled us in to the instrument and then kept us there. To me, the combination of both speed and maintaining separation of notes in the 1949 recording is always head-shaking stuff.

What are you memories of when you first heard this recording, and then when you would hear it over the years as you became an expert professional player?

Last year I thoroughly enjoyed reading Earl Scruggs and Foggy Mountain Breakdown, The Making of an American Classic by Thomas Goldsmith. Did you happen to read it? It provides a wonderful overview of Earl’s life and career, but also provides a detailed analysis of the 1949 recording of Foggy Mountain Breakdown.

Finally, when you would perform the song, would you usually play the break, third section in the 1949 recording, based on Columbia, The Gem of the Ocean? I really like that break in the song.

Thanks much,
Perry

Perry…Thank you for joining us. I know this sounds a little weird, but Foggy Mountain Breakdown had nothing to do with my learning to play the banjo. The first guy who raised my interest at 11 year old was Larry Richardson, and I asked him to let me see his right hand, and instead of turning where I could see it, he turned his back on me so that I couldn’t see his right hand and that proceeded to piss me right on off.

Later that night, I told my dad, “You know what? I betcha I could learn that if you would buy me a banjo” ….which he did. And I did. I was playing Cripple Creek in no time. Not very good, mind you, but playing it.

My inspiration to play the banjo came from hearing James Bower play I’m On My Way Back to the Old Home on the Grand Ole Opry with Bill Monroe. I just had to learn how to do that. Which I did.

Books pertaining to music are so full of lies and authors’ ideas or concept of what really happened, and what should have happened…to me it’s a waste of time to read that stuff because in most cases I know what happened first-hand. I know Tommy Goldsmith, and he’s a good straight-up guy, but I did not read that book. And I knew Earl on a first-name basis, and we never discussed the making of Foggy Mountain Breakdown. I have heard people say that Earl has said in interviews that a section of it was based on Columbia the Gem of the Ocean, but the Earl never told me that personally, so I take that as hearsay…as they say on Judge Judy’s show. Thank you for your interesting comments.

My best memory of Foggy Mountain Breakdown was in the movie of Boney and Claude, when that car around that curve and the Earl hit that 1st, 3rd, and 5th string I almost went through the chair. It was so damn good.

Thank you Perry.
S

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Hey Sonny

I just wanted to let you know that I really enjoy learning more about the history of our family from the questions you are asked. Since I never saw you much after my son won that last baseball game in Goodlettsville, I was wondering if you guys were able to catch any of the other games. I appreciated the support and speaking with you guys during the team’s run. I remember looking out to center field to see if there was any Kentucky blue out there. 🙂

Galen O.

This paragraph does not pertain to music, but to my brother’s great-grandson, Blake Osborne’s Little League baseball heroics. Robby, Bobby’s son, who played drums with the Brothers’ band had a son named Galen, and Galen’s son is Blake….whose Little League team went all the way to the LL World Series championship game, and we suffered through the whole thing with them. We did not go to Williamsport, but thanks to TV we were there in spirit.

Thank you Galen, for bringing this up, and reminding us what an exciting time it was to go to Goodlettsville and watch them play.

Sitting here, dilly-dallying with your questions, we just got word that our 3rd great-grandchild has been born…. a boy. Congratulations are in order. Thank You.
S

If you have something you would like to ask Sonny, be sure to post it in the comments below, or send it to us directly.

Ask Sonny Anything… did banjo tone change with plastic heads?

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Sonny, I can’t thank you enough for your insightful article that you both produce each week. I read a lot of music articles in various online publications on a daily basis, a few are pretty good, most are just fair, and many are just a waste of my time. Yours are like gold to me. The way you candidly, “tell it like you saw it,” makes for great reading, and a tremendous help for those of us trying to make sense of the music business (especially bluegrass).The saying “you don’t know where you are going if you don’t know where you been” captures what your articles are all about! Keep up the great work!

Lengdae

Len..I appreciate your time and your kind words. At my age, every little bit helps, and when I tell a story it may be the 5th or 15th time that I tell that same story, and sometimes they differ a little. But I still tell basically exactly what I saw.

If you’re trying to make any kind of sense out of the music business, mainly country which is now pop, and especially bluegrass which is now bad country, or I should say weak country…in my opinion….and the old saying, “You don’t know where you’re going if you don’t know where you’ve been.” That holds so much truth for what they call country now and it’s beginning to trickle down into bluegrass, sorry to say.

S

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Sonny,

I look forward to this column every week. I consider it a treasure. I’ll ask you something I’ve always wondered about.

I’ve heard hundreds of people over the years talk about your style of banjo playing being among the best (which I happen to agree with), but I don’t ever hear anyone talking about the Osborne Brothers rhythm. I’ve always felt there was a very unique “drive” to the rhythm section. You have this unique vamp, or “chop,” like us hillbillies call it. It almost has a double vamp, at times…like when a snare drum adds an extra hit for accent.

I’ve never heard any other banjo player, myself included, be able to recreate it. That, combined with Bobby’s broad mandolin chops and Jim Brock’s powerful Music Man Sabre, made for a percussive and unique rhythm. I noticed Bobby would often drop out to focus on a vocal line, but then when he would come back in with the chop it would be like getting hit with a tidal wave of sound. I’m sure the Granada and Bobby’s Fern have a little to do with that.

It seems like your vamps and Bobby’s chops became more prominent in your music after you no longer carried drums. Was this by design, necessity, or both?

My original question here: In your opinion, what makes your vamps so powerful and unique? I think I’d rather listen to your vamps than most players lead playing. Have a great day!

Tom Feller

Hey Tom, good to hear from you.

When we had Jim Brock, who was the best electric bass player ever, who is now playing drums by the way, we also had Robby (Bobby’s son) playing drums. We didn’t need Bobby’s rhythm nor mine that much. The vamp I did on the banjo came from watching Bobby’s right hand and Dale Sledd’s right hand. It’s different, I understand that, but when we stopped carrying drums my rhythm vamp was a necessity and, yep, it was my design.

My vamps were so powerful and unique, as you stated, was mainly because I wasn’t afraid to do it.

And that last part of your question, I’m not even going to comment on. I’m just going to thank you for it.

S

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Hello Sonny,

I’ve got two things I’d like to ask your opinion of. First, once (’80s) I showed you a 1925 TB-Granada I had recently purchased, and the first thing you did, was to put your nose to the flange, and inhale like an addict getting a fix. Ever since that day, I also do the same when I encounter an original old instrument. I wonder why you do?

Secondly, I’d like to hear your opinion of how the plastic head changed the sound of the great pre-war banjos, as many of the most revered records were cut with calfskin. When did you switch? Were there some players that stuck with calfskin?

Thanks, always enjoyed your music.

Paul

Paul, thank you for joining us and thank you for your time. The old instruments, like a 1925 Granada, used a different kind of glue that had a specific odor, and the first thing I did was smell that glue, and that would tell me if it was authentic. That was why I did it, although I realize that I looked like an addict getting a ‘fix.’

Secondly, the plastic head for a banjo was the greatest improvement ever, and I really don’t think it changed the sound of the really good pre-war banjos. I can only think of the Scruggs tone that would have changed when he started using plastic.

I switched in 1961 and some of guys still tried to use calfskin, and they realized quickly that it wasn’t worth the effort because the skin heads took maintenance on your banjo every day, tightening and untightening the head, which involved removing the resonator, etc etc.

S

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Sonny,

I understand that the Osborne Brothers were the first to record the Darrell Statler song (in 1967) – My Favorite Memory. You did a great job, of course. Merle Haggard recorded it much later.

How did you connect with Statler? Did you record any other songs of his?

Thanks for taking my question.

Tom McCreight

Tom, thank you for your question and I appreciate your involvement in our little free-for-all.

My Favorite Memory was not the only Statler song we recorded. The other ones included Up This Hill and Down and When You Wind Down. The Haggard song was not the same as the one we recorded. Teddy Wilburn found the Statler song among the others. He was a genius at just that.

S

If you have something you would like to ask Sonny, be sure to post it in the comments below, or send it to us directly.

Ask Sonny Anything… where is that biography you promised?

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Good morning Chief,

I hope you get this. When I got off the bus last week we were in 1996, I turned around and you boys were gone. Very funny.

Fortunately we have dial-up internet. I’m out front here at Bean Blossom…reading about this guy named Theodore Kaczynski that they finally caught about 2 weeks ago. The good news is, it’s safer to open your mail now.

I’m waiting…

T.

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Hey Sonny! I’ve got two questions: I know you’ve not picked a banjo in years because of the shoulder issues, but if you were to just play one song, what would it be? Secondly, Doyle Lawson announced his retirement recently and I wondered if you have any memorable experiences with him over the years. Thanks for humoring our questions!

Michael O
Greensboro, NC

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Hey Mikey!!!!

If I could play one more tune, it would be in the key of G and the title would be No Mother or Dad.

Bobby and I always wanted to sing and play with Doyle, but when he was working with other bands, before Quicksilver burst on the scene, we tried but he was too expensive. Not to imply that he was too expensive, he was for us. Man, the few times we sang together, he was so good, and he had the great thing going with the guitar.

Back in the day, before the Opry, Decca records, and all that, we had been to Nashville to record and were on the way back to Dayton. this would be about late 1957, early 1958. Dayton disc jockey Les Bodine was with us. We stopped in Louisville for gas and the guy pumping gas told us our car had a muffler which was dragging, and did we want him to wire it up so it wouldn’t drag. We said yes and he fixed it. We went on our merry way. Years later we were reminded that the guy who fixed our car was the leader of the band known as QUICKSILVER… ’twas none other than….The great Doyle Lawson.

S

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Good afternoon, Mr. Osborne. I was just listening to a few recordings that Johnnie and Jack made with your clawhammer instructor, Grandpa Jones. Were the Osborne Brothers influenced by the trio harmony of the Tennessee Mountain Boys? Did you ever rub elbows with Johnnie and Jack before Mr. Anglin died?

Thank you for this wonderful series, not to mention all of your contributions to the music we descendants of hillbillies and briarhoppers cherish so much.

BK

BK…thank you for coming our way today….Ha, that rhymes.

When I joined Bill Monroe’s band as a legitimate Blue Grass Boy I was a very green kid of 14, and I guess I didn’t belong. I was treated as an outcast, in that no one would talk to me. At the Opry I just stood around. Bill was off doing what he was doing, Jimmy and Charlie didn’t want to be seen with a child, everyone except George Morgan, Jack Anglin, and Hank Williams. I reckon they felt sorry for a kid and went out of their way to speak, if nothing else. George and I were sitting on the stage years later and Billy Grammer walked by. (Note: George had an eye problem that couldn’t be corrected) So Billy stopped and held his watch high and to the right and said, “Hey George, what time is it?” Then broke out in a laugh and proceeded on his way. George was hurt and said, “He didn’t have to do that.” Incidentally, it is my understanding that Billy Grammer was blind when he crossed over.

Grady Martin told a Hank Williams story that he swore to be true. Grady played fiddle for the Hank Williams band for a spell. They were filming the Kate Smith network show…Hank was rehearsing his song, Milton Berle who was also on the show was on the side of the stage, upstaging Hank. Hank stopped, traips’d over to Berle and politely said, “Now Uncle Milty, I do appreciate your talent but if you don’t get your big ass off the stage while I’m on, I’m gonna wrap the neck of this D28 Martin Guitar around your f……. neck!” Uncle Milty left the stage area.

Note: (the word ‘traips’d’ is a Judy-word from the ’60s)

S

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Sonny,

I remember a few years ago when you’d post on the Banjo Hangout forums that you were working on an autobiography of your life and times in music. I’m wondering if you’re still working on it, and if you are, I’d be the first one to buy!

– Corey

Hi Corey. Thank you for joining us.

My book. Scott Street, RHS, started the book idea and asked me if it was something I would be interested in if he agreed to do all the work, and all I would have to do was allow him to interview me. I told him to have at it, and did he ever. He spent hundreds of hours and many thousand miles on his car, driving all over doing interviews. After Scott’s untimely death, Bill Evans agreed to finish the book, and all the material from Scott went to Bill. It just so happened that Bill’s wife was diagnosed with Leukemia and Bill, being the sole caregiver, did not have the time to work on the book. After about a year, he decided he couldn’t finish it and it was subsequently awarded to Daniel Mullins, and it sat in his basement for a year, at which time I gave up on the idea and asked my attorney, Steve Martin, if he would get the material and hold it for me, and he agreed to do that and, dear friends, that’s where it will remain until Judy, my wife, or one of our heirs sees fit to go get it. While I think it will be an interesting read for some people, I think where it winds up is where it needs to be. Would you say I’ve lost interest?

S

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Hey Sonny, I was wondering if you were to listen to one group of your choosing right now who would it be? Also other than yourself, who would you say is the best banjo player? Lastly, what do you think of your Granada compared to some other banjos?

– PhillipH

Hello Phillip, thank you for your time.

Due to the COVID pandemic, I have no idea who is playing with whom and so I honestly can’t answer that. I did hear a few Facebook tunes recorded by Aynsley Porchak, Lincoln Hensley, and Dan Boner on a thing they call Tone Tuesday. They really played some good music, but they’re not a band. I enjoy listening to them.

So far as bands existing before, I would have to say The Del McCoury Band, and The Grascals (Terry Eldredge and Jamie Johnson era). Actually the best banjo player on the planet is Jens Kruger, but due to the fact that no one can understand what he’s doing, I would have to say the best traditional 5-string banjo player is Rob McCoury. My reasoning is that Rob does his own thing and doesn’t lean on anything for his material.

You asked about my Granada, and I would have to say that, for me, there is no comparison to any instrument I ever touched. In order to get the best out of an instrument, you two have to be friends. In my opinion, Earl and Bluegrass Breakdown, Foggy Mountain Breakdown, Dear Old Dixie, Randy Lynn Rag…Earl seemed like he was mad at the banjo, and his banjo sounded like it was mad at him. The RB-3 that I owned for many years (the banjo Aaron McDaris has now)…. while I had that banjo it was a constant battle, and while Aaron has had it, it seems to have settled down and found a home with Aaron. But I didn’t like it much, and it surely didn’t like me. But then the Granada felt right at home from the very beginning. Love at first sight on both sides. And if you listen to the recordings that it made for me, I would beg you to find a better tone. That banjo knew it was home and knew that the guy that was playing it, loved it dearly. And the two together, in my opinion, created the best tone ever recorded with a 5-string banjo. I reckon that answers your question.

If there are any doubts, please listen to the Essential Bluegrass album that we recorded with Mac Wiseman, and specifically the banjo break on Shackles and Chains. Banjo tone doesn’t get any better. As dash-2 sits in my living room, the love affair continues.

S

If you have something you would like to ask Sonny, be sure to post it in the comments below, or send it to us directly.

Ask Sonny Anything… what made Merle Haggard laugh?

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Hi Sonny:

I think the year was 1995 or ’96 and you were playing a carnival in Clear Springs, MD, and the rain interrupted your show for some time and you, Bobby, and the band went to your bus parked just off the stage area. I came over and stood against the bus to shield myself somewhat from the rain. You were standing in the door and we exchanged some conversation and you invited me to come on board out of the rain. We had a conversation about several things pertaining to bluegrass that night, and finally you were able to finish the performance. You were gracious as a host and to let me in out of the rain.

I think Terry Eldredge was in your band then. Terry and I have become friends down through the years, and I really love his singing and his down home personality. I’m just a bit younger than you, (just turned 81 in November) but still remember that night and the great music, one of the many times I caught an Osborne Brothers performance.

Dick Beckley

Hey Dick. Great to share a moment of your time. Let’s see what you have for us today. I remember doing a fire carnival in Clear Springs and yes, Terry El would have been with us at the time. Terry was definitely one of the most honest, loyal people who ever worked with us. Talent galore…you could not have picked a better friend. He was with us 12 years. Terry Smith, El, and a couple other guys formed a band…they called it The Grascals. Great band. 5 time banjo player of the year, Kristin Scott Benson, has been with that band for over 10 years now. She is one fine banjo player…I’m certainly glad to have had your company…as I remember it poured for over an hour and we did finish our shows that night. Pretty good crowd too.
S

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Sonny, I will always remember the time you took to talk bluegrass with me (a then 20-ish country/bluegrass disc jockey) behind the stage at Sunset Park. It was in 1981 or so and we talked about several bluegrass-related topics, none of which I recall specifically. I do remember how kind you were to talk with me for, what I recall as, a pretty long time. The Sunset Park property is now partially occupied by a shopping center and an elder living community. I know that you and Bobby appeared there annually for 25 years or more and I wonder if you have any specific recollections about Sunset or its owners, Lawrence and Hazel Waltman?

Sincerely,

Ron Baker, Wilmington, DE

Ron. Man have you stirred up some memories. Answer to that is yes. We held the record for number of times we worked there. Over 25, we did it sometimes twice in a season. I loved the place. Always good sound, good crowds, and the majority of the folks knew us and we knew them. Great place to play. Winnie Winston always showed up and gave me a Scruggs string sleeve. I won’t discuss at this time what it contained, but it will become obvious later. Winnie was a banjo player, then became a pretty good steel player. At some point he moved to New Zealand or Australia, can’t remember which.

Del and Jean McCoury and their family came to see us at Sunset Park. Just to the right of the stage was a huge trunk that was left when the monster tree was taken out. The stump would measure at least 4 or 5 feet thick. Del and Jean sat in their lawn chairs and Rhonda, Ronnie, and Robin Floyd sat on that big ole stump. I wonder if my memory coincides with theirs. I wonder if they had any thought or the vaguest idea of just what all lay ahead for that family of the finest folks you would ever want to know.

I remember this guy named Arthur who brought at least 15 books and pictures for each of us to sign. He also had specific pens for us to use. Yep, we signed them all. And Ron, I wonder if you went on to become a country DJ and if you played our records…huh? Too country for bluegrass and too grassy for country. But they sold, why? Can’t say, Thank you LORD!

…Naw Ron boy, you wouldn’t do that, would you. My first time to play at Sunset was in 1952 as a Blue Grass Boy. I also traveled on the Pennsylvania Turnpike. That was my first time to experience a toll road. Did I have a rude awakening…New York City….
S

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Sonny, the music business is tough and it takes a special degree of determination to survive and succeed. Based on your experience, what advice would you give another musician hoping to earn a living making music? We all can’t record a Rocky Top!

John G.

John, thank you for sharing your time with us. Come on in hyer and tell us what you got. Making a living as a musician. First you gotta be good at what you do. Real good. Confidence almost to the point of conceit, but check conceit at the front door. Conceit is a one way ticket to the cellar, and once you’re there it’s a million miles back… kick conceit in he ass and practice till you are blue in the face the keep right on practicing. You can not…CAN NOT PRACTICE ENOUGH. If your craft is that important to you and you are determined to do that for a living. you better get used to practice.
S

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Hey Sonny, Were you able to get the feel for Earl’s boogie-woogie style licks like he played on Foggy Mountain Special, Don’t Get Above Your Raisin’, and even on Heavy Traffic Ahead with Monroe. Those seem really hard for a lot of banjo pickers.
J

Thank you for your time J, but I warn you when Larry backs this 45-foot monster you will have to dodge Terry Herd as he flees to the back. It’s not really that bad J, but I can imagine it any way I want and that’s the way it’ll be for now.

If you listen closely to what Earl did, the notes are exactly the same. It’s just a matter of timing, spacing notes, and phrasing. He used the same break on Blue Yodel #4, and Six White Horses, and a half dozen others that I won’t go into here. I hope this answers your question.
S

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Now to make reference to a subject I delved into earlier. We, the Brothers, played the Memorial Hall in Dayton, Ohio with Merle Haggard and the Strangers. No sooner than I had the bus stopped, Roy Nichols came and knocked on the door and then just walked in. He sat down, or I should say jumped down, into the shotgun seat. He was so nervous his hands were shaking. He said, “Have you got anything to help us? because Merle and I really need some help.”

I went to the back and got string sleeve (the one Winnie Winston gave me, of which I had absolutely no use for). I never touched the stuff. I gave it to Roy and told him, “Be careful, I think this is potent stuff.” Roy looked at me and said, “Oh yeah, we will”.

Now fast-forward about 2 hours…..We had already been on, received the Keys to the City of Dayton from the Mayor, and Merle and the Strangers were on and about 10 minutes into their show. I had gotten my regular chair and sat it right behind Roy, and behind the curtain. Suddenly, Roy put his guitar down, leaned back in his chair, and lit a cigarette. I knew right then that Roy and Merle had not been careful.

About every 20 seconds, Roy would just burst out laughing. While Merle was at the mike singing, and it became Roy’s break time, and there was no Roy. And the great Merle Haggard turned his head and looked at Roy and Roy was sittin’ over there laughing….at nothing….and Merle looked over at Roy and saw him laughing and HE started laughing. And he said, “It’s funny, ain’t it Roy?” and just about doubled over laughing…………………….

That explains Winnie Winston’s Sunset Park Earl Scruggs string sleeve ingredients, of which I knew nothing of. heh heh heh heh

S

If you have something you would like to ask Sonny, be sure to post it in the comments below, or send it to us directly.

Ask Sonny Anything… Jim Mills asks about Don Reno’s barbering

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Howdy folks! Time for this week’s Question and Answer show! Hyar we go…..

S

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Sonny,

A hundred years from now, a young person will be drawn to the sound of bluegrass music, and they will hear that inner voice that tells them “you can do this,” and they will acquire an instrument and begin learning. Inevitably during their journey, that person will discover the Osborne Brothers, and will be mesmerized as they delve into the music you guys made. If you could send a personal note to that person, 100 years in the future, what would it say?

Alan B.

Alan thank you for being part of our search for truthful knowledge, which at any given time you might find one, both, or neither at this location. But we welcome you to….whatever.

100 years from now anyone seeking advice from a 183 year old has been…(or never was)…that feller would be questionable, but lets see hyer… Flatt and Scruggs was in their prime with Bennie Martin about 170 years ago. So that leaves us with an individual who somehow found a note in a bottle of Balvenie scotch somewhere off the coast of Nunavut Canada…and my name as “Bluegrass music” player and singer of note in the year of 2023. So this unfortunate person needs advice from the past. That would be: Bill Monroe- 1940-1947…Flatt and Scruggs-1950-57…Osborne Bros 1963-1979. (this writer is prejudiced…sorry..not!) then practicepracticepracticepracticepractice……….

It is difficult to imagine what advice one would give 100 years in the future, because of the advances in technology by that time, and maybe tv, cds, recording studios, etc will have been obsolete for some time. I’m sure the terminology we use now might be gibberish to these future pickers. You would first have to explain what everything IS ..
S

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This is Jim Mills…and hope you are doing well…I wanted to say I really enjoy reading your “Ask Sonny Anything” column…

That said…And you may have already covered this story on there…If so I apologize for asking…but in 1988…(33 years ago!!!Damn!!!) …Back when I was with Doyle Lawson…and we saw each other nearly every weekend throughout the summer festival season….you told me a story about Don Reno coming up on your motor home at a festival back in the 1970s…it was hot and you guys had a cold AC…while you were both sitting there relaxing and conversing…this long haired hippy guy walks in and sits down…and quickly goes to sleep in the chair…each of you thought he was a friend of the other and so didn’t say anything…when y’all figured out neither of you knew him…Don decided that this fellow was “definitely in need of a hair cut”!!!

Take care Sonny and stay safe and well.

JM

Jimmy Mills (banjo picker supreme and THE authority on vintage banjos) 1970…Watermelon Park, Berryville, VA. Don Reno and I were sitting in our motor home with the ice cold air, blowing on a hot day. Suddenly the door opened and this long haired, obviously inebriated, young man entered and proceeded to sit on a cabinet by the door and immediately passed out…or should I say “fell asleep” in lieu of being protested.

Don and I continued our conversation, solving several world problems per second. Don stopped, and asked me “who is that guy?” I said I thought he was someone who knew you. Don said that he didn’t know him but “he needs a haircut…bad!” With that Reno got up, saying he would be right back. He went next door and got his barber tools.

For you who doesn’t know, Don was a very good barber, so you guessed it, he gave our sleeping intruder one hellacious haircut….Don had all the moves to go with it…you know, stand back and frame his face, then take a little off here, and a bit off there till he got it right.

Oh, I forgot to mention this guy had beautiful long hair reaching below his shoulders. The great cut he got was a very short business man, around the ears job. When Don had him looking good, he gathered his tools and took them back. He came back and we resumed where we left off. The guy slept another 20 minutes, stood up, yawned, and walked out never to be seen again….by us.

I still laugh about it, and hope my wonderful friend Don Reno will smile about it. RIP brother Don.
S

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Thanks for answering….I had a question for your Ask Sonny column. In the ’70s I heard you being interviewed by Hairl Hensley on WSM. At that time, WSM was playing zero bluegrass or anything resembling it. You made the comment to him about them playing Ruby by Buck Owens and Rocky Top by Lynn Anderson, while basically ignoring your and Bobby’s recordings of these songs, which were very superior to the ones they were playing. You were very cordial in your remarks, but you definitely got your point across while I was shouting “Amen” in my car while driving down the road. Just wondered if you recall this incident and would have any comments about it. Thank you sir for taking time to listen.

Cliff Starr

Cliff, it took a while but we finally got to you. Thank you for being a patient guy. We try. I remember the interview with Hairl. He was one of the better WSM people. When I asked him why they didn’t play bluegrass, real bluegrass, he didn’t have an answer. I don’t blame him nor any of the other guys who were under orders from a higher office. I don’t have any way to prove anything I say, just the fact the records were not being played by WSM should have been enough, right? Fact is, when Rocky Top was at its peak every place in town played it every day….not WSM. Well, it kinda made out ok, wouldn’t you say.
S

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Dear Sonny,

I hope you are well. Thank you very much for doing this column. It means a lot to be able to communicate with you in this way. I have been listening to you since I was 1974. I still listen and I still learn.

The Osborne Brothers CMH Classic Collection contains some amazing banjo playing.

Did you tune or capo to C# to record Toy Heart? When you performed it live, did you perform it in the same key?

Your lead and back up playing are wonderful on Toy Heart. Some of the fills in the double tag at the end of the song had me putting back the needle many times! That diminished run is great! It is so cool and yours; and it fits perfectly. And then, to remind folks that you can nail down the Scruggs stuff, you quote some Martha White as a fill. Bravo!

In your great back up playing on slower tunes such tunes as Rank Strangers or A Vision of Mother, and much of your classic country influenced material, you achieve such good long notes on the banjo; the sound of your banjo’s sustain at this tempo is just great. It seems you were aiming for qualities of steel guitar or classic country electric guitar. Who influenced your style in this aspect of your playing? Could you talk a little about what you are focussing on as you play through the part on a slower tune? Earl Scruggs was known for going up on his fingernails to get more sustain from chosen notes. How did you physically approach the playing up the neck?

Thanks very much.

Chris Quinn

Chris, you paid me so many compliments I don’t much know where to start. Beginning is as good as any, I reckon. Toy Heart was recorded in the key of C with the fourth string tuned to C. When we did it live…same key…no capo..straight C. That was a fun song to record. I loved that we got by with the diminished and the “Good Marthy White” tribute to Lester and Earl.

My banjo has better sustain than most others I have played…almost illegal! I liked playing background and always tried to play notes that would make the song and the singer sound better, yet never get in the way, or take away from what was happening at the mic. That should always be on the mind of a musician…never get in the way and play tasty notes. I certainly learned a lot from other instruments, steel, electric guitar, piano…anything I could play on the banjo. I was friends with Earl. Saw him play a lot yet I never saw him use a fingernail…not once.

My mind is always on making the song better. My background almost becomes a behind the scenes solo… my background becomes a song of its own…from beginning to end, written on the spot…sometimes re-written for take 2. Sometimes during a song I hear a note from -2 that is needed at some other place other than where I originally played it, and it needed changed. I hope that explains it, somehow.
S

If you have something you would like to ask Sonny, be sure to post it in the comments below, or send it to us directly.

Ask Sonny Anything… Chubby Wise and his hair lifting fiddle

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Well Chief, I hope you stayed inside this week and enjoyed perusing Marty’s Valentine’s gift. From the sounds of things on the news, it’s a good thing we didn’t venture far from the driveway last week — at least to Texas. Our friends there have really been suffering. Good news though, Larry has the Bluegrass Express time machine all fired up and we’re ready to head out this morning, with the usual crew onboard.

Looks like we’ll be revisiting Mansfield, Ohio, along with memories of Chubby Wise, John Duffey, and a quick stop in 1974, but we’ll kick it off with a short stop over in the early ’80s when Bobby had an issue with a bad finger. This oughta be good.

Let’s go Chief!

T.

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Hi Sonny

Just a little note to say thanks. You autographed an album I bought at one of your concerts in Augusta Georgia back in 1968. I later traded that autographed jacket to a friend that had introduced me to you and your brother’s music with the stipulation that if he ever decided to sell his banjo (mid ’60s Gibson RB-800) I would get get first crack at it. His arthritis got to the point that he could no longer play so he sold it to me…. 50 years later! I was thrilled he remembered and kept his word. Just thought I’d say thanks again!

Jim S.

–

Well Jim, you made it short and sweet and I appreciate that. It seems as though I autographed an album cover to Jim and he traded it to some other guy, and this guy was a banjo player and he had a mid-’60s RB-800, and he promised Jim if he ever got rid of the banjo he would give Jim first crack at it. So, as fate would have it, 50 years later this banjo player grew arthritic and he couldn’t play anymore, and guess what? He offered it to Jim and Jim bought it. And so Jim told me thanks and I wondered what for, so I went back and re-read what Jim had written. I find that I had made a mistake. Lord have mercy! I had autographed an album for Jim in 1958 and later Jim traded that autographed album jacket to a friend who introduced him to the Brothers’ music. And that friend just happened to be the afore-mentioned banjo player.

S

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Heya Sonny, just wondering, did John Duffey ever pop out on stage with you and Bobby and ask to do a song or two with you guys? If so where, and do you recall the songs?

BTW in 1974 I was at Stadler Music when you and Bobby came pulling in one day. You both talked to me. You sat down and I was playing a Lowrey organ, lol. I was 14 years old.

Thanks..Randy P. – Reidsville, NC

Randy, thanks for joining.

I don’t remember the incident that happened at Stadler Music, but we did quite of lot of business there at Stadler’s Music store.

My first Fender twin reverb amp and my Marlen steel guitar all came from that place. I had banjo strings, Bobby had mandolin strings, and Dale Sledd had guitar strings, all from that company. So we did a lot of business there, and anytime we were close, we stopped in.

Randy, you also asked a question about John Duffey. So the answer is, yes. John did come out one time and it seems as though it was Short Creek, KY (which is just below Long Creek, KY) but I might be wrong on that. I think John and his followers classified him as the best high voice in all of bluegrass music, and my brother and his followers were in the midst of owning that title. I think John took exception to that. And of course there’s no way to prove this one way or the other. But Bobby had a better vehicle in WSM, the Grand Ole Opry, a better shot at national television exposure, Decca Records, etc.

John told me on several occasions, that he could sing in our trio and I kept telling him that he could not, because our trio was different from his.

So on this one day, John wandered out on stage and wanted to sing Making Plans with us. I felt bad because I knew that John was not going to fare well in that endeavor. But he insisted, so what were we to do? We went into singing Making Plans. We got to the second line and John was suddenly singing my part and I stopped and I said, “No, John, as I told you before, our trios are different from yours.”

Sometime in the future, if anybody’s interested in knowing the difference in the way we sing and the way they sing, I will be glad to go into detail, but I’m not going to at this point. On this particular day, we realized and he realized, that there was a major difference and we made a big joke of it and the crowd thought it was funny and John finally wandered off the stage.

Now, I want to make a statement that I’m not trying to put John Duffey down at all, because he has millions of fans who believe him to be what HE believes he is. However, I’m not one of them because for over 50 years I stood beside the best.

S

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Sonny, my aunt was married to Louie Osborne, and she always claimed he was kin to you. I was just wondering if that was true. I know she loved your music and introduced me to the Osborne Brothers back in the ’60s. I have enjoyed your music ever since.

James R Moore

James… my wife has done some genealogy on my family, and she says she has not come across a Louie Osborne. Thank you for participating. We appreciate that a great deal.

Don’t be a stranger.

S

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Hello there Sonny! Zach Willier from Edmonton, AB here, I am very fond of the fiddle playing of Chubby Wise, and have studied his playing very much. As a fiddle player myself I picked up of some of his licks here and there. I was just wondering if you have any stories or insights about him. Ever seen him at the Opry? Ever been on the road with him? Anyway thanks for your time and take care!

Zach Willier

Hey Zach from Edmonton beautiful Alberta, Canada.

Zach is a fiddle player and he loves Chubby Wise and he wanted to know if there are any interesting stories about Chubby.

I produced an album on Chubby and he, as many old-timers are, only wanted to play it one time and that’s all. Unfortunately recording doesn’t work that way in modern times. And when Chubby would finish a tune he’d say, “Well boys, that’s about the best I can play it, right there.” And during that tune I noticed a couple of glitches that had to be fixed. And Chubby would say, “Nahhhhh. Just let it go.” So when the album came out, it would have my name as producer, and with the great Chubby Wise doing a couple bad things. that would come back on me as producer…so I started making up excuses about why we had to do it again. I blamed the guitar player who was David Crow for a couple times and I was running out of people to blame and so the last one I blamed it on the engineer, and he stood up and threw both hands in the air as if to say, “What the hell did I do?”

Now here’s the clincher. Chubby played fiddle for Hank Snow for a number of years and sometimes Hank wouldn’t be feelin’ too good. And Chubby is on Hank’s left side and Curt Gibson is on his right side, right up against Hank. As Hank was singing, Chubby went into one of those real long bow things that fiddlers do, and the end of Chubby’s fiddle bow caught on what? Why I’ll tell you where it caught. It caught on Hank’s toupee and lifted the damn thing right off the top of Hank’s head.

I wasn’t there and didn’t see it, but 2 or 3 close friends were and told me it happened. And so, I have to believe it happened.

I’ll close this with, “and that’s the truth if I ever told it.”

S

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Hey Sonny,

Back in the early ’80s, on a February evening, my father-in-law, Pearl Hamilton, put on an evening show at a union hall in Mansfield, Ohio. The Osborne Brothers were on the bill that night along with a couple other local bands. We were reminiscing about the show the other night and my father-in-law recalled that the evening you guys played Bobby was complaining about his finger hurting or being broken from somebody throwing something at him on stage maybe at a previous show that weekend. He recalled you and Bobby both asking people from the stage not to throw anything towards the band. He said a big blizzard came that night and they had just enough people to pay all the bands. I was wondering if you remembered what the circumstances were to that story. Hope you’re doing well.

Thanks,

Chris S.

Chris, welcome in. I’m glad you’re participating and I appreciate that very much.

You mentioned a show that we did in Mansfield, OH and to be quite honest I don’t remember that specific date. You also mentioned that Bobby was complaining about his finger and that someone had thrown something at us from the crowd at some other place and hurt his finger. The only time I ever remember anyone throwing anything, it was in Chillicothe, OH and some clown threw a swizzle stick and hit one of our guys, I think it was the guitar player, right on the nose. Unfortunately, the guy who threw it was treated to a little rough-house by several people … including the guitar player. I don’t remember Bobby ever, in all the time that we worked together, having a problem with his fingers. But you are probably right, and here in my 83rd year I may be losing something. You reckon?

You said that we had just barely enough people to pay everything and that is very encouraging because Mr. Pearl Hamilton did not lose any money.

S

If you have something you would like to ask Sonny, be sure to post it in the comments below, or send it to us directly.

Ask Sonny Anything… has bluegrass music gone too far from its roots?

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Hey Chief, come on out, we’re all ready for another road trip through the pages of time. Take us back to the good ol’ days Sonny. And by the way, you were right. Ol’ Larry backed this monster into the driveway perfectly, just like you said…but I must confess, he had me a little stymied when we flew through the late ’70s straight into the mid ’60s last week. I was watching him carefully and he didn’t appear to change a bit. Time travel on the Bluegrass Express with Larry is strange, he never seems to age. He looks the same today as he did then. What’s up with that?
T.

So, what’s up with the fact that Larry … can I say this?… he never grows old. But, he told me last week that he could back that bus into a mouse hole. So the fact that he never grows old or he can back that bus into a mouse hole both mean the same thing. So what’s up with that?

My grandmother had a little red tricycle and Daddy’s uncle Will had a Radio Flyer wagon that he got from Western Auto, which there wasn’t one within 350 miles of Thousandsticks but he, John Sandlin and Fred Napper, still pulled that little red wagon up and down the creek. And me and Bobby, just little boys at the time, jumped out into the creek and followed them and after that…. So, what’s up with that Terry?

You know, this reminds me a great deal of the Louis L’Amour books that involved the Sacketts. Years ago Raymond Huffmaster got me into reading 27 of L’Amour’s books. What I meant by this reminding me of those books, is that one of the Sacketts who lived in NH would hear that another Sackett who lived in Fort Forth, TX was in trouble. They rode horses, yet one would reach the other the next day. So, Larry can get the bus started and out of his driveway, and immediately we can be in Grass Valley, CA or we can be in Tokyo, Japan or Miami, FL etc etc etc.

You know, going back to Grass Valley, CA and we’re onstage and I’m playing the guitar and as I remember, I was playing You Are My Flower. Suddenly, during one of the breaks, I started playing The Wildwood Flower and Bobby didn’t know that I had changed songs and went to singing The Wildwood Flower which he didn’t know the words to. And that little ordeal went viral on Facebook.
S

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Sonny:

You may or may not remember me. I played mandolin for the Goins Brothers throughout the ’90s, and the night before I got married you gave me a father/talk, I think it was at Paradise Lake in Ohio (still married to that gal, btw). I remember one time a fella asked you to sign a $2 bill and you refused. Melvin asked you why you didn’t touch it and you said they were bad luck. Melvin grumped, “bad luck if you don’t have any.” Just wondered why the thing with two-dollar bills.

John Keith

I remember you, John, playing mandolin with the Goins Brothers, Melvin and Ray. I also remember giving you a little heads-up the night before you got married, and yes that was at the great Paradise Lake in the great state of Ohio. And you say you’re still married to that same gal, and brother I’ve got news for you…I consider myself an expert on the subject because I married a womern from Ohio in 1958 and I’m still married to her, 63 years later. And she’s in the other room yellin’ and screamin’ at me, the same as yours is at you!!!! Or will be, shortly.

Now to get on to the $2 bill subject. I was asked to autograph more than one $2 bill over the years, which I refused to do. It just seems that every time I saw one of those damn things something bad happened. So I just assumed, for the rest of my life, they were just bad luck, and I can understand why Melvin would have said, grumpily, “Bad luck if you don’t have any!”

To say that Melvin was frugal, would be a complete stretch of the imagination, in fact to the breaking point.

I first met Melvin and Ray in Bluefield, WV when I was 11 yr old. Ray had an RB-3 wreath pattern Mastertone borrowed. That was the first REAL Mastertone that I had ever seen.

Nicer men were never born. (Borned …. Charlie Louvin)

S

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Hi Sonny,

The Osborne Brothers seemed to push boundaries musically without leaving the core sound of bluegrass. Is that still a possibility in today’s bluegrass scene or have we gone too far as a genre to keep a foot in tradition while reaching the next musical frontier within the acoustic music spectrum simultaneously? If it is possible, where would we draw the line? If not, how will the music continue to grow if we curtail innovation?

Just Pondering,

Greg J.

Hey, Greg. Thank you for your time and participation. You asked whether we bluegrass people have taken it too far, and I say yes and no.

You are correct in saying that we stepped way out of the boundaries but I’ve always been of the notion that if you have something that can’t be duplicated, take advantage of it. And that is what we did.

My opinion was that we had Bobby’s voice, and our trio starting with Benny Birchfield, Dale Sledd, Ronnie Reno, Paul Brewster, Terry Eldredge, Terry Smith, and Darryl Moseley. None of which could be duplicated, in my opinion, and also in the opinion of the CMA awards people. The people who are playing bluegrass music today that would know something about the old way of doing it would be Jens Kruger, Sam Bush, Tony Trischka, and a few others that could play No Mother or Dad just like ole Earl.

Several others are either not good enough or too good to go back and play the original 1950-1954 bluegrass music, in my opinion.
When you hear a banjo player playing notes that don’t mean anything, that means he ‘doesn’t get it.’ Several years ago, I was sitting backstage at the IBMA awards show and this fellow came up behind me and began playing No Mother or Dad. That guy was Béla Fleck. He ‘gets it.’

Aaron, Kenny, Lincoln, Derek, and others that I could go on for half a page, they understand what it takes to play that way and why.
So to get back to your original question… “Have we gone too far?” Yes, as a matter of fact, I think we probably went too far but the bottom line is success and selling a product, which we did as did a few others. If you want to call that ‘too far’ so be it.
S

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Hi Sonny, just wondered if you ever stayed at the Rocky Top Motel and in Gatlinburg owned by Boudleaux Bryant? I’m 62 and remember him there sometime when we stayed there when I was a child.

Thanks, Tommy

Tommy, thank you for your time. I appreciate it. You asked about the Rocky Top Motel in Gatlinburg. The Bryants retired from TN and moved the whole operation to Gatlinburg. Boudleaux and Felice bought two motels and joined them, and that became the Rocky Top Motel. Why did they call it the Rocky Top Motel? Because Rocky Top the song was written right down the street and it became one of their most profitable and most popular songs. A state song, the University of Tennessee fight song, and right up there with Foggy Mountain Breakdown and Blue Moon of Kentucky being one of the most popular bluegrass songs in history.

And no, we never stayed at the Rocky Top Motel. The Bryants lived a short distance from there, and they had an apartment above their garage, which is where me and her of 63 years stayed. It helps to have friends in higher places. Yuck Yuck
S

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Sonny, having grown up in the Pacific Northwest, I wasn’t afforded the opportunity to see as many touring bluegrass bands as east coasters. Make’s me rather jealous. I will say, though, whenever a band like the Osborne Brothers came through, the bluegrass fans out here didn’t take it for granted. All the shows I’ve been able to attend over the years were filled with highly enthusiastically appreciative bluegrass fans. So my question is simple: You’ve toured all over the world, how did the warmth of the crowds out here compare with the many places you’ve performed?

Kory T.

Kory T…..So Kory, what does the T stand for?

Man, the Pacific Northwest is a long bus ride from here. But we made that trip more than once to Portland, Seattle, and on up into British Columbia and Alberta.

You are correct when you say the crowds were large, but it was kinda funny, because although they enjoyed the music that we did they were more concerned with how we looked, because they stared at us most of the time we were there. It reminded me a lot of riding through Hyden, KY in the ’50s. They almost lined the streets to see a strange car drive through town. It also reminded me that we listened to the Grand Ole Opry on radio and we heard Eddy Arnold, Bill Monroe, Roy Acuff, etc and wondered what they actually looked like.

My dad thought Bill Monroe would be a little bitty guy, but he turned out to be 6-4 and 275 lbs. That was when everything at the Grand Ole Opry was a myth. Too bad it’s not like that anymore. Now we know what size shoes everybody wears. So goes the greatest days of the greatest country show that ever existed…the Grand Ole Opry.

Halifax, Nova Scotia, and Muncton, New Brunswick the crowds were large and appreciative. But Munich and Berlin, Germany and Tokyo, Japan and Sweden….all those places, the crowds were good. They would line up for several blocks to get autographs after our shows.

So you asked how the crowds compared elsewhere in the world with the crowds in the Pacific Northwest. Well, I’m fixin’ to tell you.

In the eastern part of the United States, there were more bluegrass festivals and the crowds were larger. This is where we played most. These crowds saw us more often, and knew what to expect from us, songwise. The appreciation level was still pretty good. Then in the western part of the United States, which includes the great Northwest, where we didn’t appear on a regular basis, and although the crowds were slightly smaller, the appreciation level for our music was actually higher.

Bands like Doyle Lawson, the Seldom Scene, Rhonda Vincent, and some group of brothers would bring the house down no matter where they were playing.
S

If you have something you would like to ask Sonny, be sure to post it in the comments below, or send it to us directly.

Ask Sonny Anything… on Tony Rice, Merle Travis, and the goatee

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Good morning Chief. What a strange and sad week we’ve all had, both here in Nashville with the bombing, as well as the larger worldwide music community with the loss of Tony Rice. You had several questions about him, which we’ve narrowed down to the first one contributed by Charles Cornett.

Terry Herd

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One of these days I’m going to retell for the umpteenth time, when I played America The Beautiful at IBMA, alone. For the second time in my life I needed a Divine intervention that night, and received it. I don’t want to bore you with it, but I just like to tell it, I guess so you won’t forget it. OK, maybe some of you, or all for that matter, think I’m a dumbass, but I believe! I love to tell the story!

s

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Sonny, we are all reminiscing and recognizing the passing of Tony Rice this week. While a million or so second generation bluegrass players have talked about his influence, how did Tony Rice affect the first generation of stars? For example, did your guitar players begin to include TR style licks after he emerged so prominently? Did you ever “kick a Tony Rice lick” off one of your songs? How about your own guitar playing? Thanks for considering.

Charles C.

Charles…how ’bout going through this day without reminding me of my guitar playing. I checked with the authorities on such matters….I’m listed as the worst guitar player for this time period. Well first off, we never had a guitar player who did the things Tony did. Ours was strictly rhythm and a few runs here and there. Dale Sledd could play some Merle Travis things. Steve Thomas was the closest musician we had who could play that style guitar, but he was our fiddle player. Robert Bowling knew about a million chords which would have fit in with a jazz band….

You asked what the first generation thought of Tony. See, they had already gotten a taste of that style from Clarence White, but I don’t know, nor did I ever hear, anyone say a cross word concerning Tony, about his personality or guitar playing. Me, personally, I thought the world of the guy. I didn’t know him all that well, but he was always the same. I recorded on a Tony Trischka album that Tony Rice, Béla, Tony T, Blaine Sprouse, Sam Bush, and I were present. With that lineup, you ask yourself, what in the hell were you (me) doing there. My answer is, I don’t know. I was happy to be there if just to get my name associated with that group of people. I can tell you this. I came away with a much deeper respect for all, Tony Rice especially, for how calm he was while playing some very unplayable things on the guitar.

I saw Clarence White play once in Newport, Rhode Island and was carried away by the fact that his guitar had no position markers. Tony acquired that guitar after Clarence’s untimely death…it remained the same with no position markers. Tony played it with the same confident air displayed by his predecessor. My opinion…Mr. White, Mr Rice…what can I say, they had nor have no equal. For this day, and in my opinion which I have stated on several occasions, Josh Williams is in that category….along with several others. They play in any key, and what pops into their head, miraculously and immediately comes out of the guitar. Amazing. If I’m not mistaken, and I stand corrected if I’m wrong, but folks, Josh closes his eyes when he plays. REST IN PEACE DAVID ANTHONY RICE. REST IN PEACE MY BROTHER.

S

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Hi Sonny,

In 1972, the Osborne Brothers recorded the Paul Craft song, Midnight Flyer, which was a hit on Billboard’s country charts. Two years later,the Eagles covered your version of the song on their On the Border album. Bernie Leadon must have liked your banjo playing so much that it sounds like he tripled his banjo part. I’m curious to know how you felt about the Eagles doing one of your songs. I’m pretty sure that Paul Craft didn’t mind the extra mailbox money.

Orin Friesen

Orin….It’s been a very long time since we’ve seen one another. So good to hear from you.

Midnight Flyer was a very good record for us. Yes, Paul Craft wrote it and Rocky Top Music, a publishing company owned by Bobby and I, Published The Flyer. We sold about 60K and thought, man that’s pretty good for a bluegrass song…so Bernie Leaden told me, they, The Eagles, were getting songs together for that album, and had run out of ideas. He mentioned The Flyer to them, he played it and they liked it, or was just tired of looking, but regardless of the how it occurred, The Eagles recorded it and we had 100% publishing.

I saw Bernie at Banjo Thon and he told me The Eagles had recorded Midnight Flyer. Bernie is one of the really good guys..and a pretty good banjo player. I thought he was just playing around. But when those checks started coming in, I knew he wasn’t joking. I think they sold upwards of 24 million. That’s a whole lotta albums folks.

How did we feel about it? Well, to hear them saying the words of the song, one must remember that they were one of the biggest rock groups in the world, and they were singing Midnight Flyer, a song written by my friend Paul Craft, and recorded by the Osborne Brothers. We were barely over Rocky Top, (if one ever gets over something like that) Georgia Pineywoods, Tennessee Hound Dog and then along comes The Eagles doing Midnight Flyer and 24 plus Million. How did we feel? GIT AWAY’M HYER!!!!!!

S

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Hi Sonny,

Here’s something I’ve wondered about for quite sometime. Back in the early days of The Osborne Brothers, you sported a beard. It reminded me of a jazz musician or a beatnik. I can’t think of any other bluegrass musician that sported any facial hair during that period. Did you ever catch any grief for wearing that goatee in the ’60s?

I wonder if you remember playing a little show back in 1984 near Millington, TN called the Lucy Opry. I was just a few months into a 20 year career in the US Navy at the time. I watched many of your shows in Renfro Valley, KY. It’s only a few miles from where I was raised, Orlando, KY. Many thanks for the great music and inspiration!

Martin T.
Kennesaw, GA

Martin T… thank you for the loan of a bit of your time, and letting us hear what’s on your mind. Hey man, thank you for serving our country in the US Navy. Bobby was a Marine during the Korean Conflict….that’s what they called it.

My Goatee… The day we took the picture for the Cutting Grass album that Bobby, and I with Benny Birchfield recorded for MGM in 1963. I was on the way home from a club we played that night. I was driving a ’63 Corvair Greenbrier vehicle. Too fast around a curve that was too much for the van. I turned it over three times cutting my chin pretty bad. I couldn’t shave for a few weeks. During that time we were to go to Nashville to record for Decca and take pictures for an upcoming Decca album. Doyle Wilburn saw my growth and asked if I was going to leave it there during the photo shoot. I couldn’t shave so it stayed, and has remained to this day. Yeah, I took some heat for looking like a Beatnick but, a line I learned from Charlie Pride, “If you’re not one, it shouldn’t bother you…” Thank you Charlie!

I remember the Lucy Opry. Not much comes to mind about it, but yes, Millington and Lucy.

S

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Hi Sonny! I saw you playing a Stelling banjo a few times on video. Was that one Geoff lent you, or was it yours? I know you are Gibson Granada thru and thru, but what did you think of it? I have a Staghorn I bought from Geoff in 1975, and have always thought it sounded great. I am 79 now and losing it, but the banjo still sounds good.

Thanks,
Paul Mc

Paul… thank you, so good to hear from you. I hope you are well and staying safe. I got you by 4 years. I’m 83 and my better days are back there somewhere too.

The Stelling. I made a deal with Geoff, if he would make a banjo for me when I had to fly or leave the USA, I would take it and play it then. Actually, I think Geoff made the deal. Get that right. While he was still in San Diego, had dinner with them. Stelling is one of the good guys, folks. Straight shooter. He made the banjo, called it a SON FLOWER. Great banjo.

I played it on a video I did from Stockholm, Sweden that has been viewed by several millions. (To me, that’s really something.) My problem with the banjo was that I had trouble keeping it in tune. That was probably the first appearance of KRAKO. Anyhow, I took it back to Geoff, he and several more people tried to fix it, to no avail. I think it was finally determined that the fingerboard was the problem. Geoff paid me for my endorsement, fixed it, and sold the banjo to Wayne Rice in San Diego, who has had it for nearly 40 years and he tells me he has not had a tuning problem. That being the case, he has one great banjo. Stelling Son Flower. One of a kind.

S

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Hi Sonny, did you ever have the chance to work with Merle Travis?

Yes, worked on shows with Merle. Good old country boy from Kentucky. Great song writer. 16 Tons: “You load 16 ton and whada you get, another day older and deeper in debt, Saint Peter don’t you call me cause I cain’t go. I owe my soul to the company store!” Nine Pound Hammer, Re Enlisment Blues….and dozens more.

He was in the movie From Here To Eternity. But I bet you didn’t know this little tidbit. We were on a show with Merle in Asheville, NC. Between shows I was sitting in my dressing room when a knock came on the door. It was Merle. I said howdy and all that. He asked to see my banjo…he actually said, “Where’s yi banjer?” I gave it to him and he proceeded to play some good claw hammer. He was good. I mean really good. He played it for at least 30 minutes. He put it back in the case, thanked me, and said, “I love a banjer.”

We talked a few minutes and he left. Several weeks later, at the Opry House, he came in dressing room number 2, we talked about 5 minutes. He had a manila envelope, out of which he took a picture of Merle and me. (I know, it’s supposed to be Merle and I) He had signed it…Now get this…”To Sonny, the ugliest man on the Opry, ‘cept me”…Merle Travis!

S

If you have something you would like to ask Sonny, be sure to post it in the comments below, or send it to us directly.

Ask Sonny Anything… tell us about your Guitjo getting stolen

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Good morning Chief and welcome to Time Machine Day! Enjoy the trip and don’t forget to come back…we need your answers to these questions!

Terry

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Red Allen story… When we worked at The Wheeling Jamboree in 1957, The Louvin Brothers had voluntarily quit the Opry and come to WWVA for a spell. We most always did a Midnight spot on WWVA, and then hurry to a restaurant called Clyde’s Fine Day. It was about 20 miles from Wheeling. Red, always looking for something, went in and told us to pay careful attention. An older lady was waitress at this time. Red called her Mom. We went in and he asked for MOM.…. “Guess what Mom, today is my birthday.” She proceeded to send out a great looking steak for Red, and they sang Happy Birthday to Red. Was it his birthday, no of course not but he got a free steak. Ira and Charlie, not used to such, just smiled and shook their heads. When the steak arrived, it had a sprig of parsley on the plate. Red said “What in the hell is this damn grass?” So he took his fork and hooked the parsley just right, proceeded to flip the parsley three tables over. It landed squarely in this older gentleman’s plate. He just stared at it…like where did this parsley come from. You had to be there I reckon!

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Hey Sonny! Quick question…with the back-and-forth discussion as to who is the “father” of bluegrass, what do you say? Did bluegrass really “start” when Earl joined the Blue Grass Boys?

Michael O.

Michael….thank you for being here. Frankly, I can’t see what difference it makes one way or the other. But, obviously it does matter to a great many. So, here are my thoughts on the matter. Bill Monroe had been to the Opry 6 years before Earl came into the band. Bill Monroe and his Blue Grass Boys. The music he played was surely Bluegrass Music, although it was not known as bluegrass music until much later. The first person I heard use that term was Frank Wakefield in Dayton, Ohio…about 1949. He was talking to Dorcey Harvey. As best I can remember his words, he was asking Dorcey to “Come on over and let’s play some grass.” It just kinda mushroomed after that. And in not too distant time it was called bluegrass. So that makes Bill the originator of that style music.

I know Flatt nor Scruggs wanted the music they played to be called bluegrass. Bill knew what he wanted also. He offered the job to Don Reno first, before he knew of Earl. Don couldn’t take the job because the military had called him to service. (They made Don an offer he could not refuse). Jim Shumate was playing fiddle with Bill at the time and he mentioned Earl to Bill. They got Earl an audition with Bill and Earl got the job. This definitely tells me Bill knew what he wanted his style of Hillbilly Music to sound like. Three finger banjo.

S

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Hey Sonny, There seems to be an interesting story behind the theft of your Greg Rich built Guitjo, and how you came to reacquire said instrument. I wonder if you could fill us all in on the details. Thanks, Dan Kintner, National Banjo Association founder.

Dan K.

Howdy Dan’l…welcome. The Guitjo was left on our bus. On our old silver eagle, beside the driver was a small window. Big enough for a small child (Lincoln Hensley) could go through and open the door. I was first to the bus and saw that we had been invaded. I called the police and the detective immediately said because I had entered the bus, the scene had been compromised and there was not much they could do. True? Maybe. Not true? Maybe.

Several days later a lady from CMH records called and asked me if I had anything stolen in the past few days. I said yes. She asked for a description of the item stolen. I described Bobby’s rings, and the Guitjo. She stopped me and told me that that instrument had been found in Columbus, Georgia. I was going after it one way or the other. I didn’t know what to expect…whether it was a scam, a hold up, or what.

Larry Perkins heard of the incident and offered to go with me, saying something like “I’ve had experience on handling situations like this!” I couldn’t jeopardize Larry, so I thanked him, loaded every “friend” I had and took off for Columbus, Georgia. I got there about midnight, found a closed Sears store in a shopping center and backed my car right up to the front entrance. (So no one could get behind me.) Called the guy and told him where I was.

Now to backtrack a bit. How did the dude that had the Guitjo, get it? A friend of his brought it to his house and he saw my name on it, at which time he ran a search on me and found that I recorded for the CMH label. He then placed a call to them and asked if they could find out if I had had an instrument stolen recently. Now back to the Sears store. He brought the Guitjo to the store, I identified it, and I was ready to get the hell out of Dodge. He came back from his car and I thought, ‘Uh Oh, here it comes.’ Was I scared a little bit? Yep. When he got to my car He said, “Hey, I write some songs, would you take this tape and listen to them. Maybe record one!!!!”

s

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Since you’ve been playing professionally since you were 14 years old, you’ve probably seen it all during different time periods in your life. From my perspective most first generation players were revered their entire lives, gray hair or not. I’m not sure that is still true anymore for musicians as they age. Did you and Bobby ever run into a situation where you felt you were passed by because you were getting a little older? I always thought the Osborne Brothers were superb your entire careers.

L. J. Cunningham

L J…good to hear from you. The only time in my professional career that I had that feeling was at The Grand Ole Opry after Hal Durham (1996) retired. He treated Opry people like they were special, and they were. Each act had something which was completely different from anyone else. Dissect 90% of every act at the Opry, you’ll find them special – until the mid to late ’90s when Hal was replaced by Bob Whitaker. With that move all the perks, and prestige for that matter, of being an Opry member disappeared. Especially for the people who had been there for a long time. Up until that change if you were in town, you automatically were on. After the change I felt the Opry played favorites. At times Mr. Whitaker would have guests no one had ever heard or knew… taking a spot from an artist who helped build the Opry. This might not have been all Whitaker’s fault…but, with the power of leadership goes win or lose…accolade or blame.

Also, about that time, they hired Pete Fisher…he finished it off. Whether planned or not, the artists who were members stopped drawing crowds. The name…Grand Ole Opry became the draw. The legendary name replaced the artists. Now, they can have anyone on the show, (and they do, with regularity) and the seats are filled, I reckon. I haven’t been there since I retired. The Opry I knew is gone, but my goodness, what a great time it was. To walk down the hall and see Marty Robbins, Carl Smith, Roy Acuff, Bill Monroe, Bobby Osborne or his Brother. Then you might see Robert Duvall, Andy Griffith, Ann Margaret, or Elvis Presley, Pat and Richard Nixon……

S

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Sonny,

You receive countless questions about technique, but I’m hoping you could talk a little about style. Starting with you, there are only a handful of players I can instantly recognize, Sammy Shelor, Bela Fleck, Jens Kruger, Ron Block, J.D. Crowe and of course Earl (among others) for example. To my ear, it’s their style that makes them such standouts. Is style something that is intentionally created, or eventually emerges on its own as a player matures?

Ben W.

Ben….Man, I’m glad you loaned us some of your time. Thank you. In my case, I was so deep into Earl you wouldn’t believe. Earl and Rudy Lyle (before 1954). I’m not sure I know what style, in this case, really means. I actually think style and attitude might be the same thing, in my way of thinking.

I could listen to Earl on the radio and almost tell you what he had for lunch. (I said almost) Fact is, I could hear him play and tell what mood he was in. That’s attitude, isn’t it? Interest in what the instrument can do, your attitude or creativity is what you can make it do. Never tested, but I certainly believe this…(Not the smartest chicken in the coop might explain my belief) Until, 1957 when he recorded Randy Lynn Rag, and missed a part in the chorus. They didn’t have to let that go, it could have been fixed or recorded again. Sorta told me he had lost interest, and right then I thought I had better do something else. Which I did and that evolved into what I played the rest of my career.

I trained myself to play anything I could hear. If I could hear it, I could play it!!! Now, the names you mentioned…I couldn’t tell you one from the other but they are, and were great, wonderful, banjo players. Cream of the crop, but see, I kinda had my own thing going and I truly didn’t want to hear anyone else, or know what they were doing. Big headed? Conceited? You’re free to think that if you choose, but I will tell you neither of those attitudes exist within me. They just don’t.

Right now…I think I can tell Derek Vaden from anyone when he plays what he hears in his head….Lincoln Hensley, likewise! Robin Floyd McCoury. He is probably the most originally oriented banjo player out there right now. What he plays is his. But, those other two are closing the gap on you, Rob. You better get a move on son, look over your shoulder, they might be closing the gap quicker than….never mind. You’re still the best in my opinion.

S

If you have something you would like to ask Sonny, be sure to post it in the comments below, or send it to us directly

Ask Sonny Anything… tell us about Tater Tate

Posted on by

Good morning Chief! I hope all finds you well and staying safe in these perilous times. In going through the many questions your fans sent this week, I’m continually reminded of the friendships, love, and respect you’ve built in your travels. It should warm your heart knowing the admiration we all hold for your contribution, will continue for decades to come – even by those who never saw you perform and/or weren’t even alive during the time you were performing. I think that speaks volumes, not only to the value of your work but your commitment to excellence. Enjoy these questions Sonny, as much as our readers have clearly enjoyed the music you’ve given all of us.

Terry Herd

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Hello Sonny. In my opinion, one of the most underrated fiddle players in the history of bluegrass music was Tater Tate. I’ve heard that he was a great singer, as well. What can you say about Tater’s playing and singing? Also, what were some of your experiences with him?

Eli P.

Eli…Thank you for joining in. You wanted to talk about Clarence Tater Tate. First off, I don’t know how he got that “Tater” nickname, but started hearing about him in the ’50s. He was working with The Bailey Brothers in Knoxville. BAILEY…CHARLIE AND DAN. I first met him in Nashville in the ’70s. After the Flatt/Scruggs split, he was playing bass with Lester….You can’t mark this down as fact…I don’t actually remember the first time I actually met him, personally. That seems about right though. Later he played fiddle or bass with Bill…actually he did whatever Bill needed and/or wanted.

Tate story, told to me by Tater on a trip to Germany and Switzerland. Approximately 1987. This happened one night in Nashville. Three o’clock in the morning. Tate is home in bed asleep when the telephone rings. He stumbles awake…Hello! Ah…Tater…(It was Mr. Bill.) what’s wrong Bill? He thought Bill had fallen. “Ah…Do you know where my razor is?” Tate, says..”I reckon it’s in the bathroom.” Bill..”Could you come over here and see if you can find it for me?” Tate…”Right now?” Bill…”Yeah, I need it.” Tate…”well, I’ll be there in about 45 minutes.” Tate lived in Hendersonville, Monroe on a farm between Goodlettsville and Gallatin. Tater got up and went to Bill’s house…went in and went straight to the bathroom, opened the medicine cabinet, and there in plain sight was????? You guessed it, Bill’s razor. Tater took the razor, handed it to Bill. Bill…”Ah..where was it? Boy I looked all over this house for it! Where’d you say it was..in the bathroom medicine cabinet? Boy I’m glad you found it, I thought sure I’d lost it!” I asked Tate what he did then. He said he went home and got back in the bed.

Tater was a very good fiddle player. Played clear, clean, true notes. He played louder than most. He told me he had lost some hearing. True? I reckon. Why else would he volunteer that information. Clarence Tate was one of the finest gentlemen you would ever want to meet! S

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Hey Sonny,

I was listening to a transcribed radio program, with advertisements from 1974. A few minutes into it, the first of the advertisements came on and it was by a favorite “country music group,” the Osborne Brothers. It was for Red Man chewing tobacco. Definitely good banjo, good music, good harmonies, and a good pitch by Bobby for Red Man chew. I know Bill Monroe and Grandpa Jones did Dr. Peppers commercials, but I just wondered how the Red Man chew gig came about.

Jim R.

Jim…thank you for taking the time to join in. We had an agent in New York, Geoff Berne, who got those commercial accounts for us, and also booked our orchestra dates. We did the Big Red chewing tobacco and one for the Chevrolet Nova automobile. They were done in New York, and that of course meant first class air…the companies paid our flight tickets..first class. I took the RB 3 banjo with me and it had a ticket for the seat beside me…yep, you heard right. It had its seat belts securely fastened.

Presently a lady came and wanted me to remove the instrument so she could sit there and converse with her friend who had the seat in front of me. She insisted and asked the flight attendant to remove the banjo. I asked for the captain. He came and after I showed the boarding pass for our two seats. The lady got real hot when he told her to move…or he would have her moved…….!

s

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Dear Sonny,

First, God bless you and Merry Christmas!

I was listening to you and Bobby from the day I was born (and probably even before). I have since listened to your albums multiple times and watched as many videos as I could online. I am a newbie to playing banjo and enjoy the heck out of it.

My question is, how can anyone not like banjo? It makes me happy, it makes me smile. You have said that you played a few other instruments, as do I, but nothing brings me as much joy. How can anyone NOT like banjo?

Thanks

Jerry

Jerry…. Thanks for spending some of your time with us.

Your question about ‘”how can anyone not like the banjo?”…. I’ve got a little story to tell you. We, the Brother and I, were playing a state fair in NC, I believe it was Raleigh (Dale Sledd called it ‘Rowly’). We were on the stage doing a sound check in the afternoon, in preparation for the show that night. It’s a huge auditorium and people are milling around in the back of the auditorium, and I’m at the microphone and it is turned on. At the same instant, a group of young people, white and black, are strolling across the back of the auditorium and at the same time I hit the 1st, 3rd, and 5th strings on the banjo into this hot mike. That group of about 8 kids, teenagers, stopped dead in their tracks and looked toward the stage and as fast as I could say, “they got out of Dodge”…they were out of Dodge! They ran at the sound of the banjo. So to say that some people are irritated by the sound of the banjo, that would be correct.

The banjo was my living for over 50 years and it did me quite well. However, the instrument that makes me most happy is one that I can’t play. That is the piano. I have a piano and my wife bought me an electric keyboard, and I’ve tried…I had Derek Deekins, a well-known fiddle player, come to the house and he being a very good piano player also…he tried to teach me. As I remember, he left in the middle of the first lesson…swiftly shaking his head in disgust.

So, back to the original answer…I love the banjo, always have, and it makes me happiest when Judy goes to the bank every Monday. But I would have loved it a great deal, if I could have learned how to play the piano. But, like the clawhammer banjo that Grandpa Jones tried so hard to teach me, and could not, I would imagine that Derek Deekins felt the same way as Grandpa — who didn’t speak to me for over a year. So my calling was the banjo, and it treated me nicely. Even gave me one of its best….a 1934 Granada.

S

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Sonny,

To say you are a great banjo player is an understatement to the level of talent and professionalism you attained in your day, but I’m wondering at what point in your journey you crossed over from being merely good — to being great? And moreover, what is the difference between a good musician and a great musician?

Thank you for the years of enjoyment and…well, for being “great.”

Bill W.

Bill.

I appreciate your kind words a lot more than you will ever know. Things like that make old 83-yr old retired people feel good.

To say I am a great banjo player is an understatement to the level of talent and professionalism I attained in my day. Now…Bill, you said that…I didn’t. But you are wondering at what point in my journey I crossed over from being merely good to being great. Again, that’s your words not mine, because I don’t look at it the same as you.

There was a point in 1957 when Earl recorded Randy Lynn Rag and made a noticeable mistake and they let it go on record like that. At that time, I was really wrapped up in Earl Scruggs and Rudy Lyle. So much that when I heard that record I realized that I needed to do something else if I was going to make this a life’s work. And so I started listening to every other kind of music and instrumentations that I could find, and then try to transpose what I heard to the banjo. In a couple of years of doing this, I had created a little thing of my own. And whether that was the decisive point, I can’t say yay or nay. I just know that it changed my way of looking at the banjo.

And you ask what is the difference between a good musician and a great musician. So if you can visualize a line of music….a good musician learns to play the crust of what he hears. A great one is one who digs down under that crust and hears all the little nuances, and complete notes and slides, etc. To me, that’s a great musician and the difference between great and good. Nothing wrong with good, but it’s a great deal like 1st place and 2nd place.

S

If you have something you would like to ask Sonny, be sure to post it in the comments below, or send it to us directly.

Ask Sonny Anything… tell us about recording with Ira Louvin

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Ask Sonny Anything is a recurring feature where our readers pose questions to the great Sonny Osborne, one half of the iconic Osborne Brothers who redefined bluegrass music in the 1960s, and noted banjo maven and collector of fine prewar instruments. Everyone is encouraged to pose queries of your own each week in the comments, about his history in the music, his wealth of banjo knowledge, or regarding any life advice you might be needing.

All you’ns guys and gals keep telling me, and Terry and John, that you look forward to this thing every week. Man, you don’t realize how much I love doing this little thing. It’s like waking up to another world for me to spend these days in, and you all are helping. Now, a word about The Real Deal Bluegrass Music. I have heard it the last several weeks. Lieutenant Professor Dan Boner, (ETSU) guitar, vocal, bass. Anysley Porchak, fiddle, beyond words, and Lincoln Hensley banjo and guitar. Playing Krako K1 and occasionally 1966 Gold Vega, (Roll Muddy River). They’re doing a thing every Tuesday. Sounds like the ’50s again. s

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Sonny,

I look forward to your column every week. I have been a big fan of the ‘brothers’ since I was a kid, and remember seeing you at the first festival we went to which was in Berryville, VA. Watermelon Park in 1970. Such an experience for a family from Maine striking out to the ‘wilds’ of Virginia. Can it be 50 years ago already??

I have always been a huge fan of the Louvin Brothers, thanks to my parents constantly playing their albums. I would go to sleep by Alabama or Nobody’s Darling but Mine, among so many others. Oh those vocals!! Then dad would slap on your rendition of Kentucky. Wow!!

My question is about the recording Ira Louvin did with you. I believe the album was Yesterday, Today and The Osborne Brothers and the song was Give This Message To Your Heart. Will you talk about that recording? What it was like to have Ira in the studio with you? Anything you could share about that experience would be wonderful. Did you do any other recordings with Ira?

Thanks from a Yankee gal.

RB, Maine

Hey there Yankee gal RB from Maine….Charlie and Ira were as good as it gets. We patterned our harmonies from their ideas. The way they switched and changed parts was something to hear and try to understand. Then we found a way to add that idea to our thing, and it worked wonders.

The Ira story is typical of Ira…we were rehearsing to record at a 6:00 p.m. session. We didn’t have a third guy…Red Allen would not sign a release so we couldn’t record for a year after he left. Nice guy, huh? We had Johnny Dacus playing the guitar and singing the third part, but when we left Dayton for Nashville to record for MGM, Johnny had left town, and we didn’t see him again for two years. He never mentioned a reason for his sudden departure and we didn’t either. So, we went to Nashville and the FAMOUS RED ALLEN ONE YEAR DELAY was a week or so from coming to the end of our experience with Red Allen. Bobby’s and mine were the only names to ever appear on another contract. The Red Allen era was officially over. Thankfully!

Back to the Ira story. He was in the office and heard us going over some duet songs the we had chosen to do. He came into the studio and mentioned that he had a great song for our harmony. We relayed the above predicament and he offered to sing it with us if we wanted to do the song. The song was Give This Message To Your Heart. They (THE LOUVINS) were supposed to leave at 5:00 p.m. for South Dakota. He asked if we would do his song first on the session, of course we said YES. (In harmony I bet).

Anyhow, I asked Ira what part he wanted. His reply was, “Just do your normal part and I’ll do the other one.” I’ll bet no one can tell where his part is. One half line he would be under my part and the other half would be over Bobby. Absolute genius…He got to the session and we started on time. 6:00 p.m.. Our positioning was the same. Bobby and I facing one another and Ira to my right seeing both of us. If my memory serves me right, we went through it twice and he said he had to run, and we had a masterpiece…why do I place it that high? How often would we ever get the opportunity to sing with one of our HERO people. Never happened again…that’s how often! That was 1959.
s

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Sonny, Could you comment on Allen Shelton’s style of picking? Did you know him personally? Any other tidbits about him would be welcome! Thanks.

Sam G.

Sam. Thank you for joining us today. Good question about a friend. Allen Shelton was truly an original, I first met him when I was 14 or 15. He had two things against him. Strictly my opinion of course. NUMBER One was his choice of banjo. A Gibson RB-250 was not good enough to produce what Allen put into it, wanted, and needed to hear back. I don’t know the answer, nor do I know his thoughts. I didn’t ask and he never offered. Obviously he heard something that I didn’t. He should have gotten far more recognition than he did. He deserved far more than he received.

SHELTON STORY….of which there are many. One night at the Opry he asked if he could use my banjo. I said absolutely, and he did. He explained that he had been working on his banjo and when he left for the Opry he picked up the wrong case, which contained banjo parts, etc. Jim and Jesse were leaving right after the show and I told him to stay there 30 minutes and I would bring a banjo for him to play next day, and I could be back by the time they were ready to leave and he wouldn’t have to drive to Gallatin, which I sensed he didn’t want to do anyhow. He did, and I did. Brought double 00 or a new Chief. I can’t tell you more about the missing banjo.

The second reason Allen is not held in higher esteem is because the material Jim and Jesse played was not conducive to the style banjo Allen played. More so, the mandolin style Jesse played. Jesse wrote a lot of their material. They kinda fought with one another. (Not Allen and Jesse, the mandolin and banjo) Allen was always far back in the mix on their records.

ALLEN SHELTON was one of the nicer gentlemen I have ever known. You want to know who loved Allen’s playing… Marty Robins. Marty notoriously did not like the banjo. But he and I were great friends. He told me one night, “That ole red headed boy that plays for Jim and Jesse can flat play!” I wish Marty had hired him.

s

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Sonny,

You’ve had some of the best singers in your band over the years such as Paul Brewster, Terry Eldridge, Ronnie Reno, and so many others.

Can you tell us how you and Bobby found them or did they seek you all out? They were all an important part of the incredible harmonies you all had.

Thanks for your time!

Sean M.

Sean M. Man you have hit on one of my favorite subjects. Benny Birchfield, Dale Sledd, Ronnie Reno, Paul Brewster, Terry Eldredge, Terry Smith, and Daryl Mosely. You couldn’t ask for any better than that group of harmony singers and guitar pickers. They were the best for and what we were trying to accomplish. In the end, we did everything we set out to do. These guys helped push us and they made us sound as good as we could sound.

To be quite honest with you, for the most part they found us. Each time we needed someone, one showed up and wanted the job. With one exception it happened this way. And, get this, each of them needed no rehearsing. They knew the lyrics to every song and they knew the harmony part they were required to do. Absolutely amazing. That’s not the way it’s supposed to happen, but it did.

I left one guy out, Robby Osborne, Bobby’s oldest son. Rob, at one time or another played electric bass, guitar, sang the third part, then we wanted him to play snare drum…that’s right “just” snare.

By adding the drum, we knew we would catch hell and we wanted to tread lightly in the beginning. Well, as time moved right along, we worked several country package shows with George Jones. Drummer for George’s band…The Jones Boys…was a great little guy named Freddie…forgive me, I don’t remember his last name. Rob is left handed and so was Freddie so naturally they became good friends. Clinton, South Carolina. Rob came to me and asked if he could play the full set on the show. I asked if he had cleared it with his Dad. He said Bobby was all in, so I told him to go ahead but DO NOT MESS UP. (I cleaned that up a little bit right there) He promised he would not, and that day he became the best Bluegrass Drummer EVER. He might have been the only one at the time.

Robby Osborne convinced me, over time, that he could do just about anything. He could too. Owned and piloted his airplane, layed brick, built a recording studio, built our on-stage sound system, Built an EMT Echo Plate..I tell you, he can do anything. Anything he sets his mind to do, Boy can do it.
s

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Hello Sonny, Zach From Edmonton Alberta CA, hope you’re doing well! I know back in the day the Osborne Brothers were played on radio stations known for country music and not bluegrass, by disc jockeys who didn’t know better. They played you boys because of the steel guitar (and perhaps drums) heard, but I wanted to ask you if given the chance would you and Bobby have switched to country music solely instead of the bluegrass/country mix you both were known for?

Thanks Sonny, take care!

Zack W.

Hey there Zack W…Welcome in h’yer. Hello to you in Edmonton. My first Chinese food was with Blaine Sprouse and JD Brock. In Edmonton. Back yonder in the ’80s. My favorite TV show is Heartland which is filmed in High River Alberta. Beautiful Alberta Canada. I love it.

Zack, I thought about the country thing quite a bit. But to do it successfully we would have to abandon the banjo completely. Then rely on Bobby’s vocal and the strength of our harmony. I wasn’t sure that we could have been as successful doing all country as we were a bluegrass band ‘gone country.’ That would have been fun to try, but by doing so our bluegrass fans would have abandoned us completely, and we were afraid of that very thing happening. And, we were selling records, drawing large enough crowds, so we did ok. I bet Bobby would agree with our decision….just keep on keeping on.
s

If you have something you would like to ask Sonny, be sure to post it in the comments below, or send it to us directly.

Ask Sonny Anything… why did Bill Monroe scratch up his mandolin so bad?

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Ask Sonny Anything is a recurring feature where our readers pose questions to the great Sonny Osborne, one half of the iconic Osborne Brothers who redefined bluegrass music in the 1960s, and noted banjo maven and collector of fine prewar instruments. Everyone is encouraged to pose queries of your own each week in the comments, about his history in the music, his wealth of banjo knowledge, or regarding any life advice you might be needing.

Sonny my dad is Boyce Edwards. I am the youngest of his daughters. I remember him playing fiddle with you and Bobby. My question is do you know of any songs that you guys recorded with him playing the fiddle? I love all your guy’s music. And people don’t believe me when I say I know you all…lol. But I’m trying to get any albums that he’s playing on while he was playing in different bands. And I remember him saying with you and Sonny the most. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Judy H.

Judy….Nice name. My wife has the same one. Welcome to our weakly get together. A good time is had by all…mostly! We do try.

To get to your question. Boyce Edwards played the fiddle with us when his work would permit. On some weekends he would go with us when we played the WWVA Jamboree in Wheeling, WVA. Sometimes, his Brother Billy would also go and play bass. At those times, we would appear to have a full band. {;-0> Which was a joke within itself…We just barely could afford us…what was it Roger Miller said..’We were so broke we could barely pay attention!’

When we recorded it was always during the week and in Nashville. We would be gone for most of a week so that would eliminate Boyce doing any recording with us. I remember those two so well.

Did you know that your uncle Bill was terrified of tunnels? He would hide his face if you went through one. And, did Boyce ever tell you about the time on the stage of The Worlds Original Jamboree which is how they would do their publicity for the WWVA Jamboree. Sounds pretty good.

My mind just wandered…but I’m back now…Bobby, Red, and I are singing Precious Memories, a Gospel song, and we heard this cracking noise. It came from our right, in the neighborhood of where your Dad (Boyce) would be standing. He had dropped his fiddle bow and was on the way, bending over, to pick it up. If you can visualize this, he was in the process of picking the fiddle bow up from the floor and was looking up at us and at the same time his hand was feeling all over a 12 inch area of the stage of The Worlds Original……! You get the idea I reckon. One of the funniest things to ever happen. If you knew Boyce, he was one of the nicest people you would ever meet…but, if you asked him anything you had better be ready for a direct answer. We thought the world of Boyce and Bill Edwards.

S

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Sonny, much attention and admiration, and rightly so has been given to Bobby’s wonderful voice. However, you had a very good voice too. Sometimes I think fans overlook that and mostly focus on you as a banjo player; which is understandable because you are one of the greats.

My question: what was the highest and hardest notes you had to sing to give Bobby the harmony he needed? I have heard you hit many F and F# notes. Did you ever have to sing higher? G, G#? Anything you can tell us about you as a singer would be appreciated.

Neil – Cleveland, NC

Neil…Wow, you came right on in there didn’t you. The highest notes I was required to hit would be on the ending of Sweet Thing…The third note, second line of the bridge of Take This Hammer…(Note: I sang the high, tenor on the first two lines of the bridge) and quite possibly an A flat or A note on Never Grow Old. Maybe a note on Give This Message To Your Heart.

Man, you bring up a good subject here because, you made me think about it some, That’s something we never talked about. Where best we could play it, is where we sang it, so I’m not sure there was a limit. It was just where we sang it and my job was to sing my harmony note, as was EL, Smitty, Daryl, Paul Brewster, Dale, Benny and Ronnie to sing their note. Of course, when we grew older it became more of an issue that when we were 40 years old.

S

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Hi Sonny,

I’ve been going to Bean Blossom (June & September) for 29 consecutive years. I remember when Bill (Monroe) would make Dana Cupp do the MC work. It seemed Dana was always looking at his watch, but Bill didn’t care!! Did Dana ever share any stories when he did the MC work?

What memory of Bean Blossom or Bill sticks out in your mind?

I enjoy your column and hold the Osborne Brothers as one of the tops in bluegrass. I’m happy to say I’ve enjoyed several shows 🙂

Thanks for your time,

Randy P.

Randy… glad to hear from you. I appreciate your presence. Thank you for participating.

You asked about something that would have occurred while Dana was doing MC work. I don’t remember Dana saying anything that would have happened during his time doing that job, other than doing it free. Saving Birch an MC fee. However, there was a Terry Smith thing that happened that was quite funny, at least it was when it happened. I wasn’t there but I knew Bill, and the Monroe’s pretty well.

So Terry and Archie Martin were supposed to bring the mules pulling a wagon by the stage while Bill sang The Mule Skinner Blues. Very thoughtful added thingy. They did their chore on the first show but surely he wouldn’t do the Mule thing on the second go ’round. But he did. So they were out by the park entrance and heard Bill do The Mule. They hurried and got the wagon hooked up, but by the time they got to the stage with the wagon, Bill was singing “There’s an Old, Old House,” so here comes young Terry Smith and Archie Martin herding the Mules and wagon by the stage. The story goes that he didn’t say a word about the wagon or Mules, that was completely out of character for Bill…truth be known I would bet a few greenbacks that someone got chastised for doing their job, or the lack of….!

I’m fortunate to have known Bill, and several parts of his family, although I was a 14 year old child who certainly didn’t belong there, musically or mentally. But I was. I will never know why the good Lord put me in that position, but he did.

S

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Sonny, Back when you worked for Bill Monroe, you were playing in Kingsport, TN. You said you went out back and Mr. Monroe was scratching his mandolin all over. What did he use to do this with and why was he doing that?

Mark K.

Hey Mark…Thanks for joining us. Sit right over there by the fire and tell me your story…(ask me anything) by golly!

There are conflicting stories about this incident. I remember Jimmy Martin, and perhaps Charlie Cline, and going to eat between shows. We were playing at a theater in Grundy, Virginia. When we got back we heard this scraping noise as we got closer to the back stage area. Bill was scraping the front of the mandolin with a small knife. Neither of us had the nerve to ask him what he was doing, but that’s the story of what I saw.

Some have said they saw him using a bottle cap, piece of glass, etc. Everything short of a shotgun with bird shot in it. I can only tell you what I saw. If Frog or Charlie were here they would tell you the same…or maybe they wouldn’t. That would depend.

Sometime later, in my house in Dayton, Ohio, I heard Bill tell my Dad, who had nerve enough to ask; “Why did you scrape the finish off your mandolin and take the Gibson name out of the peg head.” Bill said, and I quote: “I did it to keep people from asking to let them see, hold, and/or play it. Now what they see is an ugly THE Mandolin. People don’t want to see it no more.” End of quote and story. I know this is true because I was standing right beside them, in our dining room, on our farm, on Olt Road, off Dayton Farmersville Road, which is off Germantown Pike…a few miles West of Dayton. That happened!

Fast forward to 1980s. I bought my Granada banjo from Tom McKinney for a staggering $5,000. It was quickly being called he best of the best, and people wanted to see, hold, and play it, but other than tear my inlay or the peg head up with a pocket knife, I just insulted several people and said no. Politely I might add. Folks don’t ask a mechanic to see his tools, or a carpenter his golden hammer. I looked at it as my work tool. Now, end of story.

S

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Sonny, I know Carlton Haney was quite a personality!

Could you tell some favorite stories about yours and Bobby’s interactions with him?

Sammy D

Sammy. Have you got several days? First though, thank you for participating in our free for all. Without all you guys and girls, this wouldn’t happen. I appreciate that. I love doing it…you probably know that. Thanks to Terry and John.

Carlton Haney… Interesting man. My friend. Weird ideas. Some good, some not so good. He was using his brain in the God given sense it was given. Aren’t we, as musicians, given the same thing? In our world it’s called talent. Some ideas (called licks) work and some do not.

If not for Carlton Haney, the time period from about 1960 to the late ’80s would have been many more hungry days for us without the bluegrass festivals, ‘twould have been a different era than it was. So, like Earl, Rudy, Benny, Monroe, and more who used their “talent” to create something, so did Carlton. He booked The Brothers at Luray Virginia, Maybe 1962-63…and between shows we went to a restaurant and Carlton sat there and told us of his idea of booking every bluegrass band and have it happen at Berryville, or Culpeper…We laughed at his plan, told him that they would kill one another.

In those days there was jealousy galore between bands…the haves and the have nots. The haves were few and far between. BUT THEN…Friday, September 3-4-5, 1965, Fincastle, Virginia…The first Bluegrass Festival happened and Carlton was the dude that made it happen. We didn’t play the first one, we were playing in Texas, although we were on the list of entertainers scheduled to appear.

So, we, as musicians who create music, the same happened with the festival. We create, others replicate. Carlton Haney created, and VOILA, within a few summers there was a festival everywhere. We have worked huge festivals in Japan, Germany, Switzerland, Sweden, Beautiful Canada and more. The Carlton Haney idea gave us all a lucrative business in which we could survive, and the more creative would thrive. Thank you Lord, please take care of Carlton. Amen.

Hey, Enough for now. If you want to hear more Carlton, let us know. I’ll talk.

S

If you have something you would like to ask Sonny, be sure to post it in the comments below, or send it to us directly.

Ask Sonny Anything… Jimmy said what?

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Ask Sonny Anything is a recurring feature where our readers pose questions to the great Sonny Osborne, one half of the iconic Osborne Brothers who redefined bluegrass music in the 1960s, and noted banjo maven and collector of fine prewar instruments. Everyone is encouraged to pose queries of your own each week in the comments, about his history in the music, his wealth of banjo knowledge, or regarding any life advice you might be needing.

I want to thank my friends Aynsley Porchak and Lincoln Hensley for recording a couple tunes for me. Pretty Little Indian and then my all time favorite song and fiddle intro and break, played originally by Tommy Jackson on the Bobby Helms Fraulein. Aynsley is a fiddle player who has yet to get her proper recognition… meaning, SHE CAN PLAY with and above the best. The recording they put together for me contained the complete FRAULEIN, not just the intro, I’m talking all of it. It is so good. You can hear it on Facebook. Several places…The Chief Banjo, Mud Bone, Lincoln Hensley, and public pages. I’ll bet you 30 cents you’ll agree that she can play… good as any, better than most. Thank you children! So, did I ever tell you young folk just how much I enjoy doing this little ole thing? I absolutely love it. I know you chillren don’t understand half what I try to tell you, but lawd how moicy, it’s fun to just sit here and ramble…sometimes.

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I’ve been reading all the articles you’ve been posting here, and I am truly enjoying the stories, memories, etc. You mentioned Josh Williams in this article, and I really like what he does with Rhonda Vincent and his solo work. What other younger/newer pickers or bands have you listened to that you feel keep to the roots of the music while providing the originality you also mention wanting to see in music? On the flip side of that, are there more popular groups today that you think have strayed too far to still be considered bluegrass?

Thanks, Drew from WV

Drew from WV, thank you. I’ll try to answer this as best as I can. Of course Josh Williams, Aaron McDaris, Ron Stewart, (if he would ever settle in on one instrument would be one great player) Lincoln Hensley, Brandon Hinson, Aynsley Porchak. Bands?… it does no good to listen. Disc Jockeys of today seem to get right on off by not saying the name of a band… or they talk over the intro. As if to say..”This part of the record is not good and my voice is much more important than the musician who played this worthless intro!” That really upsets me no end when they play something by new groups and don’t tell who they are.

For instance. My favorite record of all time is by Bobby Helms. Came out in 1956. Stayed on the national chart for almost a year. So, my point is this. If one of our brilliant RECORD PLAYER PERSONS were to get hold of that record we would never know that intro was Tommy Jackson. Chubby Wise intro to Blue Moon Of Kentucky, Benny Martin I’ll Go Steppin’ Too, My precious Up This Hill and Down.. Am I making any sense???

If I were to listen it would be Doyle Lawson, Rhonda Vincent, Paul Williams, Sammy Shelor’s Lonesome River Band, Del McCoury, Larry Stephenson Band. And hey, I know I’m leaving some out but it’s not intentional, probably because I’m closing in on 83 years old. So, I’m lost in the ’50s tonight cause I Like That Old Time Rocky Road Blues. I better quit whilst behind…
s

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Sonny,

I grew up in northern Virginia in the ’70s and got introduced to traditional bluegrass at a young age. I remember the Osborne Brothers and the Country Gentleman playing at the Prince William County Fair. I don’t think we ever missed a show. But I had two questions. Do you remember playing at, I think it was the University of Maryland, and they had a rotating stage? I remember sitting there and the sound following the stage? And did you know or know of Johnnie Whisnant? I think he was also known as half pint. I know he played with Carl Story and Jimmy Martin at some time. I took lessons from him in the late ’70s.

Buddy

Buddy…thank you for reminding me of Johnnie. I met him once in 1954. WROL Radio station in Knoxville,  Tennessee where Bobby and I were working. We were really trying to work ‘twould be a more correct way to put. There was an all night restaurant, Blue Circle I think… they served those little cheap hamburgers… 12 cents each… if I remember right. Roger Miller coined this phrase later… but Bobby and I were so broke we couldn’t pay attention. I’m sure I would have starved to death had it not been for Blue Circle, Golden Sun, and The Gilbert Hotel. Yeah, look at me now and you probably wonder…HIM, STARVE? Well there was a time period before The Grand Ole Opry, Rocky Top, Decca Records, etc. I was so broke… 1953 I had a banjo neck ran over in a parking lot… I mentioned this to Johnny Whisnant and he offered me $25 for it, and I took it. Get this… I laugh about it now but at the time it wasn’t funny… he took the banjo with the broken neck… a Gibson RB 100… was going home to get the money… I never saw Johnny again. I don’t know of him working with Jimmy or Carl. When I heard he had passed from this life, I was reminded…”Hey he never paid me the $25.00!” Oh well….
s

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Sonny, I’ve always been impressed at how well the Osborne Brothers recordings were done, especially those with vocals. You have stated the majority were all done live, as I recall, with few overdubs. Could you perhaps give us the standard set-up in the studio, from mic-ing to positioning, barriers, click tracks (if at all), sidemen, etc. There is no detail that is insignificant to my mind. Finally, thanks so much for the music. The Osborne Brothers have made my life better.

Chris B.

Hey there, Chris B… you know if you were to run those two things together, you would become “CHRISB.” Another feeble try at humor!

Where do I start…. we three stood in a tight little circle. If you can imagine a triangle with the points at the North, South, and East. We had Bobby at North, Me at South, and third part at East. South and East and slightly angled so we can see Bobby at all times. 99% of the time, I also played the banjo, and Bobby played the mandolin. The third part didn’t play an instrument. We always sang on separate Neuman U87 Mics. I played the banjo on another one and Bobby played the mandolin on yet another one (5 U87s). 5 feet to my right is Grady Martin, seated. 5 feet in front of him is Ray Edenton seated, rhythm guitar. 10 feet to his right (north) and 6 feet east is Hal Rugg, the steel guitar player. Directly in front of Hal, about 10 feet, is Pig Robins, greatest piano player. About 10 feet behind Pig, and 10 feet behind Bobby is the bass man, to his right is the fiddle. Straight North and on a riser is the drums.

My suggestion is for you to mark this out on a paper and you will get a better idea. That’s the first time I ever did that. Kinda fun. I could picture all those people doing their thing better than anyone else on the planet, and it showed, in my opinion. And here I am amongst at least 5 of the best who ever did what they are doing! HOLY McWOW! Who? you ask? Well there’s Bobby, Grady, Ray, Hal, Pig. And in the control room is only Owen Bradley…. probably the greatest to ever be in this town. And I’m thinking……”How and why in the hell am I here!”
s

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Sonny:

I have always been curious about the economics of playing bluegrass full time in a touring band, especially in the earlier days. Since travel is so expensive, what did you and Bobby do to keep costs down? Were the steaks you ate “the ground up kind?” Did you ever stay with friends, family, or fans? Did you ever have to sleep in your car? Did you get to shower more than once a week? I’ve heard some grim stories about tour buses and how they are less glamorous once you get inside them. I also know from personal experience that sometimes promoters forget that musicians need food, water, and shelter just like normal human beings.

Thanks,
Mike E

Mike thank you for the nearly impossible question to answer. The economics of bluegrass music. Brother, I can tell you from experience, and how luck and your choices stand between you and sleeping in a car, or missing a couple meals. Hey, listen in the early days I called my parents on more than a few occasions. Finally, at three in the morning my Dad would answer the phone and when he found out who it was he merely said, “How much and where are you?” He never turned me down. They had so much faith in us. Tough to be in that predicament but Bobby and I had it rough until perhaps 1963. Stupidity and poor management, bad choices got us there. We were driving taxi cabs in Dayton, Ohio, working 16 – 18 hours a day, when I found out that we were going to be made members of the Grand Ole Opry… That was about on Wednesday. They wanted us there that coming Friday and Saturday. We thought that was when life would get easy, but Hello! That’s when the real work began. More money, yeah. But gone to places we had only heard of. Bobby’s son Wynn kept track of every date we worked from 1963 to 1978. 183.5 days per year.
s

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Hey Sonny. I have a question about a live show you and Bobby did with Jimmy Martin. It was July 8, 1972 at Watermelon Park in Virginia. When y’all were doing Save It, Save It, it sounded like Jimmy changed a line in it. The original line being “If you don’t stop you’ll flub your dub,” but in this live recording it sounds like Jimmy says “if you don’t stop you’ll f… it up.” Just wanted to hear from you on that.

Thanks, Briley B.

Briley. Thank you for reminding me of this little incident. I thought I had gotten it from my mind completely, but I realize that will never happen. I know exactly what you are making reference to, however. Red Allen and Jimmy Martin had this thing of wanting, or needing to do or say vulgar language on stage, on mic, in front of hundreds, sometimes thousands of people. Red made his final exit from our stage at Camp Springs, NC after I had warned him to not do it. I politely asked him to leave the stage. Jimmy did his little thing on that song. He sang the correct words but the song was written by Rufus Shoffner and the word was supposed to be be said like “You’ll flub your dud.” Don’t ask me what it means. But Jimmy insisted on saying it in two syllables… like “Fluh-hup your dub.” Use your imagination on how he made it come out. I just don’t see the need to want to show your ugly side with a portion of people in the audience with children, or just flat out don’t want to hear it.
s

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Hi Sonny. Long time lover of your playing. Your backup playing is the best, in my opinion. Just watched a video of you and the band playing El Rondo and Sledd Riding. I’ve always loved Siempre, but had never heard El Rondo before. I also can’t find it on any of my many Osborne Brother albums. I do have a tab from a booklet that came with a Homespun dvd that I have named El Randa. My questions are which is the correct spelling and have you ever recorded the tune? Thanks again for all you done and this column.

Lloyd F.

Lloyd…Thank you for your time and effort. The correct spelling is El Randa. I was told it meant “The Pickpocket.” However, since then I have been led to believe it to mean…”The Happy Go Lucky Thief.” Pretty much the same thing, huh? I reckon I can accept that. I did record it but I can’t tell you the album title. I’ll look it up and tell you. I wrote El Randa. Obviously I believe it’s a great tune.
s

If you have something you would like to ask Sonny, be sure to post it in the comments below, or send it to us directly.

The Chief with two of his best pals – J.D. Crowe, Kenny Ingram, Sonny Osborne

Ask Sonny Anything… Leave those knobs alone!

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Ask Sonny Anything is a recurring feature where our readers pose questions to the great Sonny Osborne, one half of the iconic Osborne Brothers who redefined bluegrass music in the 1960s, and noted banjo maven and collector of fine prewar instruments. Everyone is encouraged to pose queries of your own each week in the comments, about his history in the music, his wealth of banjo knowledge, or regarding any life advice you might be needing.

Sonny, I hope this finds you doing better/well! As we get older falls are one of the most dangerous things!

I saw your show at Sunset Park, PA many years ago and it was great! There was another place near there called New River Ranch at Rising Sun, MD. I was wondering if you ever played there? Now as you know Sunset Park [Mr. Lawrence Waltman] did not allow alcohol period! New River Ranch, did and was a whole different story! That place was rowdy! My father played in the “house band” at both places.

Dale Q.

Dale. Thank you so much for the donation of your time, and now you have me wondering who was your Dad. I betcha I knew him. Several more friends will be along presently so leave room for them over there.

During the day, Bobby and I played Sunset Park more than 30 times. We were very familiar with Lawrence’s “No alcohol” rule, which was violated regularly, not by The Brothers and our bands. We valued being able to play there as often as we did. It seems as though Lawrence told me that we were near the top of the list of non-local bands who had played there over the years.

I remember the first time. It was in 1952 as a member of Bill Monroe’s Blue Grass boys. That was also my first time to ride on “The Pennsylvania Turnpike.” Not only had I not heard of such a thing as a turnpike, to actually be on it was worthy of a letter to my Mom and Dad telling them of my experience.

I’m also familiar with New River Ranch. Yes, they did allow alcohol which was responsible for some of the most bizarre moments from the stage and definitely a couple of the rowdiest fights I’ve ever witnessed. On one occasion, Big Jim Webb, a well known steel player, ran up to me and told me that he had just left a drunk stuck in the mud. The rain and the river running right by the park both contributed to the mud, and…Big Jim was 6’7″ and weighed about 300. Big man! I saw Jimmy (Frog) Martin and LE White swim in that river.
s

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Hey Sonny,

Really enjoy your banjo playing, I’ve always been a fan of the Osborne Brothers since I first saw you all in the early ’80s, to me you’re the Cadillac of banjo pickers. I was wondering what you thought about J.D Crowe? Did you all work a lot of festivals together?

Thanks
Preston r.

Preston welcome. If you can find room over there by the far, tell me what you want to know. JD Crowe? One of my truly close, best friends. However I’ve known of JD since I was 13 years old… of course you know that he is 2 months and 2 days older than I…I’ve made that perfectly clear over the years, haven’t I?

Gibson created 3 banjos in 1934 that were superior to all others. Serial numbers 9584-3, 2, and 1. Earl Scruggs acquired number 3 in 1949….He traded the model 75 for -3, the 75 which Don Reno played for the remainder of his career. I bought -2 from Tom McKinney in 1978 for $5000 cash. -2 has been referred to by many folks who would know such things, as the best banjo Gibson ever produced. I had the pleasure of that banjo being my companion until the end of my banjo career, November 23, 2003. One is able to hear that banjo’s beautiful voice on the many recordings old 1934 9584-2 accompanied me.

Dave Osborne (no relation) purchased 9584-1 about the same time as I. 1977-78. Once, at Renfro Valley, Dave was there and I played that banjo. It was good but not as good as Earl’s or mine. I credited that to set up, strings, head, etc. and the fact that -3 and -2 had both been played a lot. So, move ahead 40 years. Old “follow the leader CROWE” had the opportunity to join the leaders so he talked Mr Ed Lowe, owner of Lowe’s Vintage Instruments and the aforementioned -1, into a trade for one of his banjos. So JD has 9584-1, 40 years after the issue had been settled. Earl has passed this life, my health has failed me miserably, SO…Congratulations Crowe. You have 9584-1…which proves??? Tom told me that he took -2 to your house in 1970 and offered it to you, but you turned down the best banjo Gibson ….ah, well we’ve covered that, right? Right!

Let us cover another 9584-1… Crowe related subject. 1959, it was rumored…maybe fact…that Earl had put a mahogany neck in his 9584-3. Why? I have NO idea. so JD, not being satisfied with how -1 sounded, and because Earl did it, “Old Follow The Leader” had Frank make a mahogany neck for his Granada. Two others hearing this, rushed right up to Kentucky and Had Frank make mahogany necks for their banjos… Forgetting the fact that Earl had that failed experiment replaced with a curly maple neck…like the original. Leaving at least 3 disgruntled banjo players. Sometimes it pays to be a leader….10/4!!!!

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Hi Sonny,

I bet you remember performing in Michigan at the Charlotte Bluegrass Festival (called the Stringbean Memorial Festival for a few years). A cozy festival at the county fairgrounds — The Brothers played there many summers. You won’t remember me, but I wonder if you remember this occasion. One year in the late ’70s you were there, Saturday night and Sunday afternoon as I recall. I lived just up the road a piece. I missed the Saturday show, but got a call Sunday morning from my friend who was running sound for the festival that year. He asked, “Joel, could you come down and run sound for the Osborne Brothers this afternoon?” I asked why. He said “Well, if Sonny sees me running the board, I think he might kill me.” I said “Oh… Okay,”

I came down and looked for you while your band was tuning up, and said, “Sonny, I’m running the sound for you today. Anything special you want?” And you told me clearly, “Make my banjo mic the loudest thing. Everything else comes down from there.” I said, “Yessir!”

So I turned the knob for your banjo up to 10, and everything else down a notch from there. Monitors the same as the house. Then adjusted the master volume so everybody could hear you. I will never forget it. You gave me the biggest grin a human can grin, and a big thumbs up. And you boys sounded great!

I am not a professional sound man, but I have played many times on stage at these smaller bluegrass festivals. Job one is play your best. Job two is to work the mics. Job three? Tell the soundman to keep his cotton pickin’ hands off the knobs once they’re set right.

Bless you, Mr. Osborne, for your wise words.

Joel M.

Joel…Come on in and sit beside Preston. We got room.

Hey, I remember well the times we performed at the Fairgrounds in Charlotte, Michigan. One of the many really good places to play. And, I enjoyed it for the most part but as usual we had problems with the sound. I never understood, the guy running it seemed to be qualified to do it, but it just didn’t happen. See, what he did wrong was try to readjust our mics once we had them set. They call that riding gain.

What that means is when an act is on stage they try to continually set everyone’s level to how he hears it. Only thing when a sound guy does that for experienced road musicians they throw all our practice and self mixing skills right on out the window. For a good road band nothing, repeat…NOTHING can be more frustrating. So that’s what must have happened there, that day. So you enter the fray and come to the rescue, saving the day and making for the fans who were there a pleasant and hopefully good sounding show on behalf of the Osborne Brothers. It doesn’t take much effort….just ask what they want, go to the board and set it how they want it, and we’re all happy.

I don’t remember that actual incident but it happened more than once…many times over the years. Speaking of Charlotte, MI, would you happen to have been there the day some old boy went La La and rode a motorcycle through everyone’s camp sites? He was so messed up on some drug-related substance it was not funny. It took 5 police officers to finally subdue him. They had to handcuff his hands and feet behind his back and carry him away as you would a basket. Never forget that one.
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Hey Sonny! I really enjoy your column each week, and our opinions of this music we love and call BLUEGRASS, are mirror images!! My questions may revive a memory or two from the “glory days” of the Camp Springs, NC festivals. There was a performer, fairly local to the area, who often worked those festivals in the early/mid ’70s. His name was Roby Huffman and although no one was quite equal to Bobby Osborne when it came to singing, in his best days, Roby was pretty darned close. And of course, he did a bunch of songs by the Osborne Brothers. I have heard it said that you had a clause in your contract that you would not follow Roby Huffman at Camp Springs. Is there any truth to that? Do you have any memories of Roby? Thanks!

Lynwood L.

Hey Lynwood, welcome back. Been a while. Don’t stay gone so long…

I knew Roby… South Carolina guy I believe. This is a touchy situation in that Roby actually thought he was equal to Bobby. Once in Withlacoochee, Florida, a great festival run by Lonnie Knight, Roby was on and we were on the way to the stage when Roby saw us. He made the mistake of telling the audience that he was going to sing Ruby and that he thought it was as good as our record. An he proceeded to sing Ruby. Not half bad, but that made it only half good, Eh?

I knew it was a mistake on Roby’s part because he didn’t know my brother like I did. And, obviously he didn’t know Mr. Lonnie Knight very well either. When we went on Bobby went straight to the mic and as Roby was walking from the stage Bobby stopped him and told him to wait right there and he would “show you how it really goes!” After the show Lonnie called me over, paid me, and apologized for allowing that to happen and assured me that Roby would never be there again. I felt sorry for all that happened but Roby should have known better.
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Sonny, I’m curious about the 6 string banjo. More specifically, what came first, the chicken or the egg? Did you have a certain song that you wanted to play and thought the 6 string would make it sound better, or did you get the banjo and look for ways to incorporate it into songs?

Dan M.

Dan…. thank you for your time. The 6 string banjo was an idea I had for years before it actually became a reality. There’s a note that a regular banjo tuned in G just doesn’t have. So I took my problem to a friend at the time and explained it. C.E. Ward listened closely to what I was suggesting that he build for me. A neck with exactly the identical inlay pattern of the banjo I wanted the 6 string neck for. He built it just exactly to my specifications. He called and said it was ready, we stopped in Charlotte and picked it up late one Saturday night. I took it home and with Dale Sledd’s help, we installed it on my banjo. You asked why I wanted the same inlay as the five string neck, so if I couldn’t play it I could reinstall the five string neck and no one would be the wiser. It worked like a charm.

I recorded Listening to the Rain two days later. I could play it just fine. That was 1970 and I used it until 1976.

Was it the first of it’s kind? Yes. So to answer your question, the idea came first. Then I made it work. Hardest thing was to keep from hitting that extra bass string. Just a matter of adjustment though. Several other guys tried it, JD Crowe was one, Rual Yarborough another. Obviously they didn’t think it rewarding enough. Fun being the first to do something though. Then see other guys try to do it too. 10/4. Such is life.
s

If you have something you would like to ask Sonny, be sure to post it in the comments below, or send it to us directly.

Ask Sonny Anything… the future of bluegrass?

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Ask Sonny Anything is a recurring feature where our readers pose questions to the great Sonny Osborne, one half of the iconic Osborne Brothers who redefined bluegrass music in the 1960s, and noted banjo maven and collector of fine prewar instruments. Everyone is encouraged to pose queries of your own each week in the comments, about his history in the music, his wealth of banjo knowledge, or regarding any life advice you might be needing.

But first a personal note from Sonny…

I had a letter from one of my best friends on this planet, Bill Emerson. He told me that he reads “Ask Sonny Anything” every week, which impressed me and caused my hat not to fit me and Judy to slap the XXXX out of me 3 times and she said “How do you like that, you big-headed )#(*$*@)?” So anyway, it impressed me that Bill Emerson would read my little jack leg column. I guess I don’t realize that Bluegrass Today is a pretty big deal. Folks, I am one of the more fortunate people on this earth, and the position I’m in to do this is like a lifesaver…..I love it.

Bill confirmed a suspicion I’ve had for 50 years. Bill are a good feller.

S.

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Sonny:

I can remember the era when country music sort of changed from a rural based music to one that was trying to cross over to a more urban sound. Someone decided that symphony orchestras should replace fiddles and pedal steel guitars. My take on it is the same thing happened to bluegrass music. I heard that the Stanley Brothers quit carrying a fiddle player because their record label thought it was too “hillbilly,” but I wasn’t there so I don’t know if it’s true. I have also heard that people in powerful positions, such as Chet Atkins with RCA, had a lot to do with the change in direction of country music. Could you comment on this from your perspective, and does it still exist today in the industry?

It seems as if some organizations and record labels are trying to suppress the rural roots of the music.

Thanks,
Mike E

Hey Mike…welcome and thank you for your time. I couldn’t agree with you more. I fear that bluegrass music is about to go the same route that country has taken, and if they’re not careful they’ll wind up in the same junk yard that I moved my interest in country/pop/rock/filthy dressed/needs a shower/country singers… that is if we can still call them country.

You know, why don’t we start a new thing and call it “Hillbilly Music” just for the sake of being different and more identifiable…huh? So, wait… that leaves us with the final remnants of what we now know and loved as Bluegrass Music. OH, What shall we call it? Lets see…how about BLUEGRASS. Reckon anyone would know what we’re talking about?

I wonder if anyone other than me remembers what the progression was in the beginning. At least as I remember. The ’40s it was Hillbilly Music… then they started calling banjos and fiddles “Shit Kickin’” music…that would be in the mid to late ’40s. Then about 1950 I overheard Frank Wakefield tell Little David Harvey to “Come over and let’s play some GRASS.” I’m sure he heard it somewhere, but that was the first time I had heard that word used as a reference to our music.

From there the word bluegrass caught on like wildfire. It separated us from country/hillbilly and then just country. I don’t believe the story about the Stanley Brothers being told by a record company to drop the fiddle. If anyone would have been told to drop anything it would have been Lester and Earl or Bill. They were hot sellers in the late ’40s and into the mid ’50s.

S

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Sonny, do you possibly remember playing a little town in South Georgia called Blackshear in 1967? It was in the Fall in the old school auditorium. There were only about 15 people in attendance, including my friend and myself. The only thing I had ever seen of the Osborne Brothers at that time was an album cover. When I walked in I spied Sonny sitting in a wooden school desk taking up the money. I wonder how you got out of that desk. Few in attendance but the best performance I ever saw from the Osborne Brothers, and will never be forgotten.

Lanier L

Lanier… Thank you for participating in our fiasco. I believe that’s the first Lanier we have had. Pretty good name. Welcome.

I do, in fact remember the name Blackshear but I don’t find it listed in 1967. That date was booked for us by The Louvin Brothers X manager. I purposefully do not remember his name… much the same as he did not see to it that we were advertised as going to be there, not that it would have mattered. We had a few and at least 2… you and a friend….. who enjoyed our performance. Thank you for publicly admitting it!!!!

Incidentally, that little school desk was not designed to fit 6’2″, 240 lb grown men. (67? maybe 200) Matter of fact, I didn’t get out of that little desk until 1971. It stuck with me till it rotted away. {;-)>

s

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Sonny, what do you want to do in your next life?

Sam A.

Well Sam, I just read today that Billy Strings is THE FUTURE of bluegrass music. So, not to put Mr. Apostol… or Strings… down at all, but after hearing a sample of the Future, I won’t be listening to much bluegrass if I’m permitted a “next life.” Mr. Strings is a great guitar player, granted… but I heard Clarence White, Tony Rice, Josh Williams, and several more at their best. Vocally, I heard Mr. String do that. I’m reminded that I heard Ronnie Bowman, Bobby Osborne, Lester Flatt and scores of others who were responsible for building bluegrass music where it was before the Chinese Breakdown, or Mr. Billy.

s

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Sonny, what’s the closest you ever came to walking off stage and clobbering a rude, unruly audience member?

Billy T.

Billy, jump right on in here. Thank you for coming. Sit right over there by the fire and tell me what’s on your mind.

HAVE I EVER WANTED TO, YES! Have I ever done the deed? No.

Once in Kentucky. The stage was at one end of a large concrete slab which served as a dance floor. Most people respect the fact that we were never to be booked to play for a dance. It happened though, many times more than I care to remember. On this particular night a man was intent on showing his *ss to everyone and he really irritated me. I asked him to meet me at the edge of the stage when we were done. I gave my banjo to Dale Sledd and asked him to take care of it. While I was looking for him a guy came up behind me and said, “We’ll take care of this.”

My friend Dale Vanderpool was there that night so I went to the bus a had a pleasant visit with Dale.

S

If you have something you would like to ask Sonny, be sure to post it in the comments below, or send it to us directly.

Ask Sonny Anything… what did you think of The Country Gentlemen?

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Ask Sonny Anything is a recurring feature where our readers pose questions to the great Sonny Osborne, one half of the iconic Osborne Brothers who redefined bluegrass music in the 1960s, and noted banjo maven and collector of fine prewar instruments. Everyone is encouraged to pose queries of your own each week in the comments, about his history in the music, his wealth of banjo knowledge, or regarding any life advice you might be needing.

Given your mixed feelings (emotions) about Jimmy Martin, can you listen to the music you recorded together and hear how good it is? There are some current groups that been recording for years and have not recorded a single song as good as your work with Jimmy (in my opinion). Thanks as as always for answering these questions. By the way, if I lived near you, I would happily drive you and your better half anywhere you need to.

James P.

Thank you, James, for your time. I really appreciate it. And I also want to thank you for your offer to drive me and what’s-her-name anywhere we wanted to go. That’s really strong, and I know it, so thank you for that.

You asked about Jimmy Martin and whether or not I could listen to the records we made in 1954. They were on RCA and we did 6 sides. But before that, Bobby and Jimmy made some records for KING that go unheralded, and they shouldn’t. They were recorded in Cincinnati about 1950 or ’51 and had Curly Ray Cline playing fiddle, and Charlie Cline playing banjo… excuse me, playing AT banjo (sorry Charlie). And I don’t know who played bass. Those records were really good, especially the vocals. Bobby and Jimmy sang together as well as two people, who were not brothers.

Now back to Osborne Brothers and Jimmy Martin in 1954. When Jimmy was in the hospital, he sent for me to come and visit and, because of past history, originally I balked. But after I sat and thought about it, Jimmy was pretty sick and I realized that he might not come back. So I went. And it was kinda funny because when I got to the hospital, Jimmy was lying in bed and he immediately cleared the room.

I thought that it was so like Jimmy Martin to do just that. And after everyone left, he looked up and said, “Sonny, I love you and Bob. We made some of the best bluegrass music that was ever made,” and we laughed a little bit and we cried a little bit and we talked about 1954 and how it was. And we talked about the good times and the bad times and there was a lot of bad times.

And it was obvious that Jimmy didn’t want to talk about the bad times but they were still in my mind. About how relentless he was about telling me how to play the banjo as opposed to how I was going to play the banjo, and how our association ended one night in Pontiac, MI when before the show he told Bobby our names wouldn’t be on the next records.

Bobby came straight and told me. When Jimmy came into the dressing room, I confronted him with what he had said. And he said, that’s right, your name won’t be on the next records. And I told him that as far as we were concerned, then there wouldn’t be any more records. And 2 weeks from today, we won’t be in Detroit. That’s what happened. There were no more RCA records for Jimmy nor us, and we immediately went to work for Charlie Bailey at WWVA in Wheeling in August of 1955. We stayed there until Christmas, and in April 1956 our first MGM record of Ruby, Are You Man came out.

From that point, I know our history but it doesn’t keep me from thinking and wondering what would have happened had we stayed together with Jimmy, because … and not to sound conceited or big-headed … the Brothers and Jimmy were the best of the best.

Case closed.

S

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One of my most favorite groups of all time was the Country Gentlemen. Did the Brothers work with them much, and what were your thoughts on their progressive style?

Tim L.

Tim L. thank you for your participation. Without you guys, this wouldn’t work.

Speaking of the Country Gentlemen, one of my very best friends is Bill Emerson, and he was in the original group as one of the founders. I really liked what they did, but then when he left, they took on a ‘them against us’ attitude, which I didn’t understand at the time and I don’t now. It kinda remained that way and still I never understood why.

You mentioned their progressive style…well what was progressive about it? I never could figure that out. With their attitude change, it was more aggressive than progressive. I realize that what I’ve said here will hurt some feelings and create some resentment, but I’m just telling you how it was from my point of view.

I want to tell you a story. We were on Decca Records and I got them, the Country Gentlemen, an appointment with Owen Bradley hopefully to get them signed with Decca. So, in the meeting, which I attended, Charlie was the spokesman for the Gentlemen, and he mentioned their fan base. Owen asked him to explain what he had said about a fan base…. Like, how many?…Like, what number are we looking at? Like 350 or 15,000? Charlie didn’t have an answer and that was the end of the conversation.

So attitude, Nashville, Decca recording contract……..floated out the window on the air created when Owen stood up indicating the meeting was over.

One other thing to prove there was no anything on our part…. Once we were doing a date at the American Legion Park in Culpeper, VA and the Jets were also there that day. They were on and I couldn’t tell you who their members were at the time, other than Doyle Lawson. They sang a religious-type song and it was so good. I asked Doyle who sang the high part and he said it was him. I loved that song and, as of this day, I couldn’t tell you the title.

Doyle just got back to me and told me the whole thing. Thank you brother Doyle. … Song title was Lord Don’t Leave Me Here .. members were Bill Yates, lead .. Charlie Waller, bass .. Bill Holden, baritone .. and brother Doyle Lawson, tenor. That was as good as it gets. I stood out beside a tree and it hurt, it was so good.

S

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Sonny,

Lots of folks have mixed feelings about the IBMA. Some love it, others don’t. I’m curious what you think about it, and perhaps more importantly, is bluegrass music better off with such an organization or not? If you were 21 and touring, would you be a member, and what would you expect in return?

Carl P.

Carl. Good to hear from you. The IBMA (International Bluegrass Music Association)…

I can’t tell you much about the organization itself, except for the Trust Fund. I worked like you wouldn’t believe, almost to the begging stage, for the IBMA to have a Fund to help bluegrass people who were in need. I had been on a Country Music Trust Fund board for 11 years, and I saw it as a really good and necessary part of IBMA. I couldn’t understand, even to this day, why I had to convince them. They voted to do it and it is one of the really good parts of IBMA.

Now, I must be straight with you all…you asked me for an answer and I’ll give it to you as I see it. Whether IBMA is a good thing, I can’t tell you. I was doing pretty good before it existed, and I did pretty good after it became a reality. Money-wise I couldn’t see any more or less, before or after.

Dates? We worked about 200 a year before, and 200 a year after. Now don’t come at me with “you only worked 179 in this year and 193 in this….!” I’m talking in general, and those reading this who are smart enough will have already realized that. When IBMA has the get-together once a year and the awards show, etc etc .. well, that’s a good thing, isn’t it? It is.

Bobby and I were honored one year on the 50th anniversary of Rocky Top. They had all those banjo players, mandolin players, guitar players, bass men and women… I don’t know what her name was but one lady didn’t have any shoes on. Doyle Lawson stood beside me and played that great rhythm. I think I told him how much I missed that. That was a good thing. Right? Wasn’t it?

So, all things considered, I guess IBMA is a good thing.

S

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Sonny, this is going to be a hard question. I think. If you could only choose one song (okay, if you really insist make it two) to share with us, which summarizes the Osborne Brothers sound for someone who has never heard the band perform, what would it (they) be?

Bret W.

Bret. Thanks for taking the time. You all ask me questions…if you didn’t do that, I’d have to say Sayonara.

Rocky Top and Pathway of Teardrops. I choose them because in my mind, that is some of the best we can do. Notice I said ‘some of the best … not ‘the best’ … because there are so many of those I wouldn’t know what to say. (Now that’s strange within itself)

I would like to also add Never Grow Old, Ruby, Up This Hill and Down, Nearer My God, When the Grass Grows Over You …. see? It doesn’t end.

Then to pick just 2 or 3 out of about 1,000 songs we recorded…I just can’t do it. That’s the best I can do.

S

If you have something you would like to ask Sonny, be sure to post it in the comments below, or send it to us directly.

The Goodwin Brothers pay tribute to the Osborne Brothers

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Eastern Kentucky’s Goodwin Brothers, Jonathan and Will, are working on a new album now, and despite being slowed somewhat by COVID restrictions this summer, report progress nonetheless with Jamie Dailey producing their vocals.

The nucleus of the band is Jonathan on banjo and guitar, Will on mandolin, and adopted “brother” Chase Bush on vocals. Jonathan and Will both sing as well, and have perfected the sort of brother duet harmony that has fueled bluegrass music since the very beginning, even though contemporary grass typically adds the third harmony part.

Both Chase and Will have garnered accolades for their vocal performances, with Bush becoming a finalist on American Idol in 2004, and Goodwin earning his living as a backup and demo singer. He and Will have been full-time professional musicians all their lives.

As a run-up to their full-length release, The Goodwin Brothers have put together this video tribute to one of their musical heroes, The Osborne Brothers, in the form of a medley of three classic Sonny and Bobby songs. Included are My Favorite Memory, Big City, and Beneath Still Waters, with socially-distanced assistance from Bethany Kelly on fiddle, Mark Fain on bass, and Robert Meadows on drums.

To my ear, they quite accurately capture the passion and the virtuosity that made these Osborne numbers such hits, and it’s great fun to see and hear them pull it off now that Sonny and Bobby no longer perform together. Shoot… even The Chief should enjoy this one!

If this video is any indication, their upcoming album should be terrific. The Osborne medley will be included, and Jonathan tells me that they have assembled a crack band that will begin touring in 2021.

You can keep up with The Goodwin Brothers on Facebook.

Ask Sonny Anything… sausage and onion hoagie to go!

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Ask Sonny Anything is a recurring feature where our readers pose questions to the great Sonny Osborne, one half of the iconic Osborne Brothers who redefined bluegrass music in the 1960s, and noted banjo maven and collector of fine prewar instruments. Everyone is encouraged to pose queries of your own each week in the comments, about his history in the music, his wealth of banjo knowledge, or regarding any life advice you might be needing.

Sonny,

As this year marks 75 years since Earl Scruggs joined Bill Monroe’s band, I’m wondering if you could reflect on your earliest memories of hearing him play, and what it was that connected so profoundly with you.

Stanley F.

Stanley…

Thank you for your time. At this time, I really really appreciate your participation.

Earl was 21 when he went to work with Bill. I was 8 years old and I hardly remember Earl’s early days with Bill, although we were to find out later that he was the most important thing to ever happen to music. Not just bluegrass music, but to music worldwide. Earl’s banjo playing changed that instrument from a parlor instrument to a lead instrument, and eventually played by millions, including me 3 years later.

When I really started playing the banjo was the year Lester and Earl left Monroe and went to Hickory, NC. I was drawn to Earl by the solid performance of his right hand. About 3 ½ years later, I shook hands with that same right hand and it scared me to death. Jimmy Martin asked Earl if he would show me how he played, and Earl got out of it by saying the winding on his 4th string was broke. And to play, hurt his fingers on the left hand. So that passed.

About 30 minutes later Lester and Earl were called up to the stage to play, and me, a 14 year old, wandered out to the crowd to watch the great Earl, and he and Lester played and that broken winding on the 4th string didn’t seem to hurt him a damn bit. And that 14 year old kid? Well it scared him so bad his knees buckled and he held onto a steel post to keep from falling. That 14 yearyr old kid, that night, learned how to rely on the binding of the 4th string to keep from showing people stuff. 10-4 That lesson was never to be forgotten throughout my career. It seems that I appropriately always had a messed-up 4th string. Later, as we became close friends, I never used that on Earl.

…S

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Hi Sonny, hope you’re recovering from your fall… Being 80 I love traditional bluegrass, but it seems to me today’s pickers are getting away from that. They’re very talented, but the songs themselves don’t sound like bluegrass. I hate to see the music I love go the way of country. Would like to know your thoughts on this without putting anyone down. Keep up the good work you’re doing, you are a wealth of information.

Roger A.

Roger…

Thank you for your time, Roger. With your admission to being 80, and that puts me at almost 83, gives me the right to say just about anything. I love traditional music, be it bluegrass or country. I miss Earl, Don, Rudy, Tommy Jackson, Grady Martin ….. those names represent some of the best musicians that ever lived, and these clowns nowadays think they can play. My opinion doesn’t agree, although it doesn’t mean much and I realize that.

To me, a song that you can’t hum or whistle while you work or drive a tractor is not a song….it’s a thing. I’m definitely not in a position to put anyone down, and I won’t mention any names, but the junk they’re putting out there now and calling it country and bluegrass, in my opinion, is just that. When traditional music (bluegrass and country) got out of the ’60s and maybe the ’70s it didn’t make any sense to me anymore. I wonder how many bluegrass songs make it to the national charts (Cashbox, Record World, Billboard … if they still exist) because back in the day we put 21 on the national charts, Lester and Earl put 20 and they were all good songs with melodies that you could hum and whistle while you cut your grass or trimmed bushes around your house. Try that now. I have, and I didn’t get very far. I’m not asking anybody else to agree with me, but that’s my opinion of bluegrass and country music now.

We had a bus driver named Raymond E. Huffmaster, and he and I sat up and listened to WWL in New Orleans all night long. Charlie Douglas and his partner Parker kept us up til 5 or 6 o’clock in the morning many many nights playing solid country and some bluegrass music. Those days were fun and when a song came on that Raymond E. didn’t particularly like… he would reach over to the knob on the radio and say “ka-lick-a” and gently, firmly turn the radio off and silence would ensue until he thought about it and turned the radio back on.

—–

I am a long time Osborne Brothers fan. Particularly enjoyed seeing you up close and personal at several Withlacooche Festivals in Florida. I wonder if you remember a friend who had a food concession there. Leonard Durham had “Leonard’s Lemonade.” It was not just lemonade, but all kinds of food. One of Leonard’s specialities was his sausage and onion hoagie. Leonard tells me that you always ended the evening set by announcing over the sound system, “Hey Leonard, fix me two sausage and onion specials to go.” I thought those were great festivals with lots of great talent. Just wondering what you thought of the Withlacooche festivals and if you remember Leonard’s sausage and onion hoagie?

Tom R.

Tom, you have dug up a bone in my memory. First of all, with your mention of Withlacooche, FL and Leonard’s Lemonade. Leonard Durham had the best sausage and onion hoagies that has ever been in this world. Reminds me a great deal of Tommy Jackson. In my opinion, Tommy was the best fiddle player on this earth … ut oh … I digress.

When we played Withlacooche, we would usually close the show and I would say, on the microphone “Hey, Leonard. Get me 2 sausage and onion specials to go.” And before we left, I would go over to his stand or he would bring them to me. And I would have 2 of those things to eat, as I gently but firmly drove that bus or watched Raymond drive it out of that Withlacooche parking lot.

Witchlacooche is where we saw Terry Eldredge make a fool of himself trying to play the fiddle. Gene Wooten laughed so hard that I wanted to make him look foolish too, so I said, “You go over there and play it if you think you can do any better.” And he did, and he did. None of us knew he could, but he just stepped up, took that fiddle and played it!

Lonnie Knight ran that festival and he knew how to do it. It was truly one of my favorite places to play. Huge crowds, good sound. Oh wait, I remember something else that happened there…….. Jeb Bush was there one night and he was backstage and of course he and his whole family were Republicans, and I was too. But…my favorite president of all time was Harry Truman, so we went onstage and I called Mr Bush out to sing with us. And folks… if you think Terry made a fool out of his self… Jeb Bush could not sing, but bless his heart, he tried to sing Rocky Top with us…..Lord how mercy. I miss that so much.

…S

If you have something you would like to ask Sonny, be sure to post it in the comments below, or send it to us directly.

Ask Sonny Anything… What was it about Earl?

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Ask Sonny Anything is a recurring feature where our readers pose questions to the great Sonny Osborne, one half of the iconic Osborne Brothers who redefined bluegrass music in the 1960s, and noted banjo maven and collector of fine prewar instruments. Everyone is encouraged to pose queries of your own each week in the comments, about his history in the music, his wealth of banjo knowledge, or regarding any life advice you might be needing.

Raymond Fairchild story. Cherokee, North Carolina. Norman Adams Bluegrass Festival at Happy Holiday Camp Grounds. About 1999 or 2000. Raymond and I are sitting at his record table talking, about everything, and nothing. Just sitting together. Two old codgers signing a few autographs, mainly doing nothing. We are all familiar with that breed of dog, I believe Russian Husky…but it’s the breed that has eyes so pale blue they are almost white. Well, this man walks up and begins talking to us and this guy, whom we both recognized and knew well enough that we were both joining in the short conversation. Well, after about 10 minutes he left and we were just sitting there….silent….almost uncomfortably silent. Raymond finally turned to me and said: “You know Hanny (Raymond’s interpretation of SONNY) YOU NEVER COULD TRUST A FELLER WITH THEM DAMNED ANIMAL EYES!” Tom T. Hall once wrote a song and Bobby and I were on the record. The song title was “That’s the world according to Raymond….” well, That’s Raymond. Rest well my friend.
S

Hi Sonny,

Thank you so much for writing this column, it is always the highlight of my week. I’m curious to know if you ever performed at the Carter Fold? Any memories of the Carter Family? Maybelle?

Clarence P.

HEY CLERANCE, Thank you for joining us. I appreciate it a lot. We never had the opportunity to play the Carter Fold and the reason was quite simple. They didn’t allow electric instruments and we had the electric bass. When we played The Paramount Theater in Bristol their representative approached me and asked if we would come to The Carter Fold and not bring the electric bass. I replied emphatically, NO! He didn’t say another word. Simple enough, I guess, although I could never understand how that would hinder the audience from liking us? Maybe, but no one else seemed to have a problem. Bill didn’t want us to bring our electric things to Bean Blossom and I seem to remember receiving more than A FEW STANDING OVATIONS WHEN WE FINALLY GET PERMISSION TO COME ANYHOW. The Carters, yes I knew Maybelle and her daughters. We did several dates with them. They were good. Anita had a beautiful voice and I loved Maybelle’s Guitar playing.
S 

Sonny,

I hope you are well. Thanks for continuing to answer our many questions.

When I began to play banjo about 15 years ago, I listened almost exclusively to Earl, listening to his playing over and over, hearing new subtleties each time. I know I’m not unique in this. I found his playing to be very rich indeed. For so many of us players, Earl was our inspiration to begin picking. In fact I think the banjo is unique in that nearly without exception, anyone playing the instrument now was inspired to play after hearing Earl. Plus, unlike other instruments, there is nearly universal agreement about who the best player of the instrument has been.

I know that you too listened to Earl’s playing, over and over. My question for you is, what qualities in Earl’s playing do you think make it so special? We all try to sound like Earl and really never do, but it’s fun to continue to try. I think his playing has an elusive, intangible quality, hard to achieve. But for you, listening to him play, and you being one of the greatest players, what specifically would you say sets him apart? Any specific songs you’d point to as examples? Or, is it just a thing of beauty, a unique human expression, that can’t really be described in words?

Thanks!
Perry

Perry, thank you for your time. EARL. You are correct in your assessment of the effect he had on the banjo being accepted world wide, and those of us who were inspired by Earl. One record that drew us to his way of playing and sat him aside as a feller to be reckoned with! FOGGY MOUNTAIN BREAKDOWN. When he hit those beginning notes…5th, 3rd, 1st. G, G, D….School was out. I mean Git right on outa hyer!!!! Changed that style of music round the world forever.

Earl’s right hand did more than anyone had ever done before him, and in many cases that right hand has sent many to the showers. Yep…he was that good. And it was natural for Earl to do the things he was doing so it became our charge, as guys and girls who want to play the banjo, to be like Earl. Everything he did…even down to holding the banjo over the one (right) shoulder when it’s much more comfortable to put the strap around your neck, and I might add, much safer. But the one thing that put him in a category of one, was that right hand. So good…and it would do everything he asked of it. ‘twas a thing of beauty.

I can’t speak for the millions of others, but I studied him so hard, and carefully, every note so that my right hand would move naturally, and I, still, 53 years later, needed more practice. Yep…he was that good! You question me? Try doing the second break when he went to C7th on Roll In My Sweet Baby’s Arms with that backward roll and where most would slow down, it actually picked up speed. Or… WHEN HE WENT TO THE 5 CHORD DURING HIS SOLO ON CABIN IN CAROLINE…I repeat…HE WAS THAT DAMN GOOD! Because I’m convinced that was a mistake but he got into it and guess what got him out of it well enough that we struggled to learn it. THAT AUTOMATIC RIGHT HAND. HE WAS BETTER THAN GOOD!
S

Sonny,

Last week you responded to Bob Dylan’s comment about the Osborne Brothers in the NYT. Outside of bluegrass, what artists did you listen to on a regular basis and/or draw inspiration in your playing from? And do you think listening to other genres will ultimately make a bluegrass musician — or any musician for that matter, better at their craft?

Will H.

Will. Thank you. Great question. Buddy Emmons, Hargis Robinson, Grady Martin, Earl Scruggs, Rudy Lyle, Marvin Gay, Eric Clapton, Merle Travis, Roy Nichols, the list goes on. I believe if a person locks in one instrument, loves it, studies it, can’t get enough of that one thing, he is more apt to make a better musician. That doesn’t mean one can’t listen to other genres. Listening to it all, everyone who is pleasing to your ear and gather knowledge from them, pick up a lick here and there, phrasing from others, approach to their instrument, and everything you can learn. YOU NEVER STOP LEARNING. A great musician is made through hard, focused, everyday practice. Yep…PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE…I CAN’T SAY IT ENOUGH. AND YOU CAN’T DO IT ENOUGH NOR CAN YOU OVERDO IT…..!
S 

Sonny,

How well did you know Dixie Hall? She was such an incredible person who contributed so greatly to bluegrass music, especially to women in bluegrass. I’m wondering if you have any recollections you might be willing to share?

Molly W.

Molly….I knew Dixie slightly…in passing, but first name basis. This was when she was secretary for Flatt and Scruggs. And then maybe only several times. After she and Tom married I doubt that I saw Dixie again more than once or twice. When I met her, and all of the several times, I believe this occurred before her talent emerged. Tom was such a great talent that I would imagine she learned and drew from him. In fact, I would make a pretty good wager that he taught her the in’s and out’s of the business, and song writing. My opinion, Tom T. Hall was one of the most talented song writers to walk on this planet…especially for COUNTRY Folk!
s

If you have something you would like to ask Sonny, be sure to post it in the comments below, or send it to us directly.

Ask Sonny Anything… How did you get to be called Sonny?

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Ask Sonny Anything is a recurring feature where our readers pose questions to the great Sonny Osborne, one half of the iconic Osborne Brothers who redefined bluegrass music in the 1960s, and noted banjo maven and collector of fine prewar instruments. Everyone is encouraged to pose queries of your own each week in the comments, about his history in the music, his wealth of banjo knowledge, or regarding any life advice you might be needing.

TO WHOM (OR WHO) IT MIGHT CONCERN.
I’M CONSTANTLY ASKED IF I HAVE ANY COMPLAINTS. YES…I DO. BUT I FIGURE THIS IS PROBABLY NOT THE PLACE FOR IT. THATS PERSONAL AND I BELIEVE THIS IS NOT. BUT I COULD BE WRONG. YOU RECKON?

=========

Hello Sonny, I was just watching an old Bill Keith set on YouTube from about ’98 that someone had uploaded, and Bill asks a few trivia questions to the audience. He says he will give away a free set of banjo strings if anyone can guess Sonny Osbourne’s real name. Someone eventually says “Roland” and I don’t see a lot of info about why you are called Sonny, so my long-winded question is why do you go by the name Sonny? Love your banjo skills by the way and no one else has the same sound you have! All the best.

Anthony

Anthony…thanks for joining us. Well, when I was born I was supposed to be named Rolland but at the Hyden hospital nor over on thousand sticks, they might not have known how to spell Rolland so someone might have said, “just put Sonny on the paper till someone straightens it out.”

Guess what, no one ever straightened it out, so to some my “real” name was Rolland and for some reason unbeknownst to all the rest of us, everyone called me Sonny. I know this is confusing but it’s the best I can do.

So, I started school. Central grade school in Dayton, Ohio. First grade, I reckon they asked my mom what’s his name. She said Rolland….didn’t have to prove anything. From that point on I was Rolland at school and Sonny to everyone else. This continued until the 10th grade when Bill Monroe and the banjo came calling.

I went to register for the draft at age 18. He asked my name and had to verify that by seeing my birth certificate. He looked at me right funny and said, “Look, I’m sorry but your name is not Rolland”…and he kinda snickered when he said, “it’s Sonny!” OK, I’m 6’2″ weighing 215 lbs and my rightful name is “Sonny.” Hey, at least it wasn’t SUE…he gave me the birth certificate back and just looked at me and said “You’ll hear from us!”

I went home and brought this up to my Mom and she just looked at me and told me that’s what everyone knows you by, so that’s your name. I never heard from the draft board again, no one ever said that name to me again until some bunch of nosey people with nothing else better to do, found out about Rolland. I didn’t deny it but also never talked about it much until now.

Ole Anthony even spelled my name wrong…well he actually didn’t misspell it, he used the English…OSBOURNE….which is quite alright. Oh, I forgot to tell you one other thing. It’s spelled ROLLAND so all through school they spelled it with one L. I figured they couldn’t show me how to play Cripple Creek in A flat so after 3 months of the 10th grade I opted out of school (partially because my future wife told me about some punks eating lunch in my ’35 Ford every day, and mainly because Bill Monroe had called). And I got right on out of there! har har… it didn’t work out too bad, did it?
s

—–

Sonny – I have loved your performances since the ’60’s; thank you! Do you recall an incident in the early ’80’s, with the Rhode Island Cajun & Bluegrass Festival, where there was a booking mess-up (uh, mine, actually), and you agreed to a crazy, complicated plan: you drove the band early Sunday morning from Delaware to RI, on little sleep, played a long set for us, then boarded a small jet I’d chartered (it was after all my error…but the promoter’s money), to take you to meet your own band bus at a tiny airfield in VA, where you then played the closing set at another festival? You were real champs, and total pros – and you, Sonny, were a prince for agreeing to do it! I always wondered what that experience was like for you…and what you thought of those nutty bozos in RI.

Michael B.

Michael B….man I remember it so well. Those nutty Bozos in Rhode Island were a pleasure as compared to some of the clientele we must deal with.

Note, I am not complaining but when a promoter pays so little attention to booking artists that they hire us when they actually wanted the OSMOND clan, like Marie and Donnie….there is your BOZO. That has happened. What did I do? Collected the money and proceeded to the next day hoping it would be better. Most times it was.

Now, Michael…about that plane ride. The pilot had me ride in the co-pilot’s seat for some reason yet to be determined. We were going to the airport in Richlands, Virginia. He, the pilot asked me if I knew where this place was supposed to be and I told him I had been there before. He made three passes trying to find an airport. Apparently it showed itself on his chart but it wasn’t where it was supposed to be.

Finally, we flew over this mountain and he said…”there it is”….hidden right over that mountain top with thick tree coverage was the Richland airport, where Bobby, some 35-40 years earlier as a member of The Lonesome Pine Fiddlers had worked a date or two with Flatt and Scruggs when they were at WCYB in Bristol.

As a matter of fact, Earl and Larry Richardson had a banjo playing contest. Larry played Train 45 and Earl did The Mama Blues. First contest was a tie. Second was no contest. Ezra Cline was doing the MC work and he asked Earl if he wanted any guitar backup and his reply was classic Earl..”HIT DON’T MAKE NO DIFFERENCE!” The first contest ending in a tie, they had a playoff…or in this case a “Pick off” in which Earl won handily. Was there really a tie? My opinion, of course not, but the pickoff drew over a thousand people. Good Business!

Bobby said Lester Flatt was on the radio show next day and talking about their contest, said something like; “Erl’ showed ’em what 5 string pickin’ is all about!” That more than likely was not his exact words but you get the idea, right? The folks who saw it got the idea too. Ole Erl layed the thumb to it and walked away with the champee’nship! Justly so. Thank you Michael, without your error as you called it, this would never have been brought to light again. It certainly lives in our memories though. s

—–

Hi Sonny

I really like the album you all did with Mac Wiseman. I grew up in Richmond, VA when Mac and Reno & Smiley were on the Old Dominion Barn Dance there. Do you have any good stories about Mac? How about Don Reno? Did you and he ever get together to compare notes on the banjo?

I saw you and Bobby numerous times when you would come down to southern Maryland…first at Take It Easy Ranch and later at Lil Margaret’s Festival. Thanks for all the great music.

Bob S
St. Inigoes, MD

Bob. Thanks for participating in our weekly free for all.

Take it Easy Ranch… Do you remember the guy with the Huge sunglasses and always drunker than Cootie Brown carrying a quart bottle of Miller’s beer? And how bout the Dog House? Did you ever see us there? Lil Margaret…yep we were on the first festival he had there.

Not many Mac stories floating around, especially that can be related in mixed company English….not here anyhow. Don Reno was another matter altogether. But I’ve told them all so many times now that I forget the ones I’ve already worn thin.

One of our last lunches Larry Stephenson was there and someone asked me to tell something I had told, and I said I had told it a ton and Larry said, “I’ve heard you tell this probably 20 times but I really like this one, so go ahead and tell it again!” I did!

Neither Don, Earl, Kenny or any of the great banjo players that I knew wanted to discuss banjos. Don and I talked once about his and Earl’s trade a little bit. True or not, I don’t know. I just go on what is told to me and by whom.

Don said Earl made three trips to Roanoke trying to trade him out of the Granada. He also RELATED TO ME THAT HIS BANJO WAS IN TERRIBLE CONDITION. I think he said he was stationed in Kansas when he received his orders to go overseas. He shipped the banjo back to South Carolina and a chunk of fiddle resin which was in the banjo case compartment, was placed too close to a heat source and it melted. He said it was pretty bad because by the time he got back to it, the resin after melting had hardened and crystalized. But, Earl wanted it and they traded. A trade which has been discussed and talked about since 1949. Probably will be forever. But, Earl made that banjo come to life, and Don’s playing was perfect for the style 75, so they both came out as winners. I’ve always thought the style 75 was the Foggy Mountain Breakdown banjo, but Earl said no. It was the Granada 9584-3.
s

—–

Hi Sonny,

I’ve been a fan of the Osborne Brothers for as long as I’ve known what bluegrass is, and I love the column. You and Bobby were able to expand the horizons of bluegrass instrumentally, vocally, and otherwise, while still maintaining the core elements. Do you see any differences between how the Osborne Brothers changed the sound, and the changes you see happening in bluegrass now? And do you think that some modern bluegrass may be starting to stray too far from its roots?

Cameron C.

Cameron, thank you for your precious time. Man, it’s appreciated beyond words. This is really tough to answer without offending someone, and I’m not too worried about that. If you can’t take the heat get out of the kitchen. Or somewhere there is an off and on or delete button.

So, as Raymond Huffmaster used to say as he was turning the radio off when he heard something he didn’t want to hear….”CUH LICK UH!” Funny, beautiful, honest, man. Best bus driver ever. Lotta good ones, but Raymond was the best. He drove us for 10 years. Thank you R.E…thank you Lord.

Back to Cameron’s question: The bands I’ve listened to are too modernized for my liking. Lead singers are doing the vibrato thing, Banjo player type people who hold the banjo are playing a thousand more notes than is necessary. Meaningless notes that have nothing to do with the song. Did Bill Keith or Bobby Thompson do it like that? If my memory serves me right, I don’t think so!

Mandolin players to the number are playing a style my brother Bobby and Jethro Burns started in the early ’50s, and I would bet a silver dollar that most do not recognize either as mandolin players. That’s a shame too. You don’t believe it? Go listen to records they did in the early ’50s. No, neither of them play the – unrelated to anything notes – you are trying to play now, sounds like mandolin and banjo players have a “HA, I PLAYED MORE NOTES THAN YOU DID!” contest going.

And, so lets get to harmony. Today an engineer mixes harmony like country engineers would do it. Lead in the middle and the other two parts a little below that…volume I’m talking about. You might say, well, these guys who are modernizing bluegrass are taking it to the bank doing this… I might counter that by saying…maybe so, Bobby and I, Lester and Earl, Mac, Don and Red, and of late Rhonda, with a few more made a few trips to the bank too. But, when their records are played, I don’t recognize any of these modern guys…. and you cant rely on the DJ to tell you who is playing what… I guess that’s against the union to do that…my old reliable WSM is playing pop and soft rock…then I go to KNON in Great Falls, Montana and they are playing music I can Identify with. Carl Smith, Ray Price….I’m way off the subject, am I not.

I told you it was a tough subject didn’t I? Are they straying too far from it’s roots? Son, they are in the top of the tree, out on a broken limb and the roots are buried in the ground 150 feet below. Now, you can take that as a YES. One of these days someone will be digging around and find us though…maybe.
s

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I just got Chief 001 from you this week, and boy am I one happy banjo player! Anyways, just wondering when the Osborne Chief banjo line started, how many have been made, and what made you want to start making them?
Lincoln H.

So, Lincoln… how is old 0001 doing it for you? It surely sounded good the day you picked it up. I just hope that excitement continues.

When a person has that kind of fire in their eyes they can’t help but want to learn to do their best. So it will be for you. So you’ll know it’s history and someday someone who is wanting to get to you a little bit, I’ll just break right on out and tell you now. 0001 started out as all Chief banjos did, except 00 which I intended to keep which I did. 0001 came into this world as a nickel plated banjo with a Huber tone ring and it went to Dale Vanderpool.

After a while Dale called and wanted my opinion on whether he should have it changed to gold plated. He took it to Frank Neat and had it changed and that helped the sound some. Then about 2001 Dale wanted to get a Blaylock tone ring put in it…I had changed to a Blaylock exclusively so I ok’d that change. That banjo really woke up and Dale was satisfied.

After Dale’s untimely passing, Dale’s wife asked if I would take it and sell it for her. I did. Took it to Frank and had them go over it completely. Roger Sterry wanted to buy it because it belonged to Dale, and you now have it, having taken ownership from Roger. It’s a very good banjo, as good as any Chief ever. Equal to the best.

How the banjo company came to be? At lunch one day I made the remark to Wynn, Bobby’s son, that I had seen a Stelling priced at $6000 and it kinda floored me. I just said, for conversation that I bet I could have one built for a couple grand cheaper. He said, “Why don’t you?” I just said “I think I will,” and I called Frank Neat the next day. The word Chief came from the late Ronnie Blackwell. He played bass with us during the mid ’60s and he called me Chief from the moment he arrived. So the banjo became The Osborne Chief.

I would need to get books out to give you an exact count…and I’m not going to guess. But it’s more than 25 and not as many as 500. OK? My thought in the beginning was to build a professional quality banjo and give a Calton Case, Elliott Capo, and a Dogwood Designs leather strap with every Chief sold. I did that until Calton and Elliott priced their way right on out of my budget. I was never in the building business to make a living…but I didn’t want it to cost $$ to keep it up. So I stopped with the Calton attitude and Elliott neglect.

Now I give a Shubb Capo and a very good Osborne Chief case made by TKL. THAT’S MY STORY AND I’M STICKING TO IT ‘TIL SOMEBODY PROVES ME WRONG!
S

If you have something you would like to ask Sonny, be sure to post it in the comments below, or send it to us directly.

Ask Sonny Anything… Worst gig ever?

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Ask Sonny Anything is a recurring feature where our readers pose questions to the great Sonny Osborne, one half of the iconic Osborne Brothers who redefined bluegrass music in the 1960s, and noted banjo maven and collector of fine prewar instruments. Everyone is encouraged to pose queries of your own each week in the comments, about his history in the music, his wealth of banjo knowledge, or regarding any life advice you might be needing.

As this is the one year anniversary of Sonny’s column, we want to start off with a query from the biggest banjo celebrity in today’s world, actor, comedian, writer, and banjo player Steve Martin.

“What are the worst circumstances you ever played under?

Steve Martin

Steve….welcome in to our shin dig. Reminds me sometimes of Lavonia, Georgia, or Columbus, Ohio. The good times.

The worst circumstances. There were several that I would think twice before going there again. Now, I have a choice… then I didn’t.

1. Winter of 1953 – We were working in Knoxville, TN for Cas Walker, since November 6. Bobby was 22 (just released from the Marine Corp and back from Korea), I was 16. Downtown Knoxville, flatbed truck bed, 25 degrees, snowing hard, 1 week before Christmas. When Cas said play, you play or go…. in this case we had to play or we wouldn’t get our $25 that week. But Lord, it was cold. My right hand was numb, I couldn’t feel the picks, trying to play the banjo and it had a skin head. Enos Johnson and L.E. White were there with Bobby and I. Thirty of the coldest minutes known to man.

2. November 1955 – Quebec Canada, snowing for a week, we had been playing every night for that week, no crowds, Not enough gas in the car to get back to Wheeling….Stress 101….5 PM…Kids were playing Hockey in the street. 7 PM a few people started to gather. 7:30…No one showed up to open the building, we needed every penny to buy gas…Food? What’s that? We needed gas for the hungry car. Top priority.. I found a window unlocked which I opened, climbed in and with a flash light found a light switch, unlocked and opened the front door, stood there and collected $490… did our show, people were happy, we were ecstatic, they loaded the car, while I locked the front door, locked the back door, turned off the lights, climbed back out the window, went back to Wheeling…still broke, but lived in the USA to play another day.

3. Presque Isle, Maine – Summertime 1968. Bobby, Dale Sledd, Ronnie Reno, and I (that’s me of course, how else would I know…DUH). We go on stage at the fairgrounds with over 5000 people in the bleachers. By our 3rd or 4th song the large, unhappy crowd had thinned down considerably. They left in droves of 20-50 each…’twas a mass exodus. There might have been 200-300 diehards remaining. Man, we didn’t even want to look at one another. Embarrassed, there must be another word, I know what that word is too, but it is not appropriate in mixed company. We felt better after I went to the office and collected our dough. I found out they had advertised us as The Osmond Brothers. I can just hear the conversation between a couple old ladies…”Which one is Marie?”

Steve, this probably doesn’t answer your question but these were a few of the trying times which makes one appreciate the good ones, and also makes one realize that there must, simply must be a higher power.
s

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Hi Sonny. Sure Fire is one of my favorite tunes. Can you tell us how that one came about? All the best, Chuck.

Chuck V.

Chuck, come on in here…Thank you for your time. It’s appreciated you know. Sure Fire is a mandolin tune written by my brother Bobby. The Wilburn Brothers, Doyle, Teddy, Leslie, and Lester are the people responsible for quite a lot of the successful paths we took which brought us to this town and being able to further our career playing the music we grew up around. And not to mention a membership in the Greatest show in the history of Country/Bluegrass Music…The Grand Ole Opry…back when that membership really meant something.

I mention all of the above to get to the point that the Wilburns owned a publishing Company with the name of Sure-Fire Music. We recorded many of the songs Teddy found for us, and Bobby wrote several too, all which were published by Sure-Fire… One being an instrumental with the name of Sure Fire. Great tune played by close to 100% of all mandolin players.
s

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Ok, I’ll bite. Tell us about the great con job of the recording industry. Truly enjoy your music and have been a fan as long as I can remember. Thanks for giving us an inside view. Your music has always been the best.

Larry Stahl

Larry, I don’t want to do this, but it says ask me anything. I do appreciate your time and I thank you.

1959. We realized that we HAD to have a good record deal and The Grand Ole Opry. The Wilburn Brothers seemed to be the most probable to get that done for us.

Fast forward to Doyle Wilburn’s office, Nashville, April of 1963. Doyle is on the phone with Owen Bradley, head of Decca records in Nashville. He is telling Owen that we are good and Chet Adkins is going to sign us on RCA this afternoon. Owen can get us for Decca if he’ll do it NOW.

Owen says No. We’re devastated.

Yes, we had been to Chet at RCA and he turned us down flat. Doyle says not to worry, he’s not done yet. He puts a call in to New York, the absolute head guy of Decca (seems like I remember his name as Sid). Doyle tells him the same story and that Owen has turned us down, and Decca would be losing a good group to RCA if he didn’t do something right them. And he closed that with “Have I ever steered you wrong?” He hung up and Doyle looked at us Bobby, Benny Birchfield and I and just smiled and winked. He said, “Owen will call in about 10 minutes.”

I will swear to this as truth. Under 10 minutes his secretary opened the door and said…”Mr. Bradley is on Line 5.” Doyle picked up and said “Owen, how you doin’?” “Yeah, They’re still here….sure, we’ll be right over.”

So, all this happened within a period of 45-60 minutes and we signed the first of 13 one year contracts with Decca.

We told Doyle we needed the Opry and he promised that in 18 months. 13 months later, late July 1964 we were members of the aforementioned Grand Ole Opry. Wilburns were a powerful bunch mid ’50s throughout the ’60s . s

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Hi Sonny, It’s always so good to read your posts at Banjo Hangout and on Bluegrass Today. I have Chief MP-13 built in 2007, which is a good un of course. Sounds and looks awesome! Do you know how many of the MP Chiefs were made? Thanks so much!

Gary

Gary….Thanks for following Banjo Hangout and do you realize how long the Hangout thing has been going? I said that because I want to remind everyone who reads this that Terry Herd and John Lawless have endured me for one, uno, ein, year with this episode. My goodness.

Gary you asked how many Maple Chief banjos were built…I would guess probably 250-300 range. Maybe 50-75 Mahogany and Walnut. That number is a guess. I don’t want to actually get down in the floor with books and figure it out. Too hard to get up. It was all fun though. June 16 will be 22 years. And I didn’t spend one cent advertising the Chief banjo. I wanted them to sell themselves and they did. I didn’t want to be in the banjo building business, just make a professional quality banjo, reasonable price. I did that. Only a few banjo companies left…reason… folks started building they own…(they comes from Raymond Huffmaster.) That’s my opinion.

s

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Kirk and Kate Schaumannk wanted to know about Jim Mills’ Old Banjo Seminar. I’m sorry to say I don’t know that but I will try to get your interest known to Jimmy and perhaps he’ll follow through.

s

Ask Sonny Anything is a recurring feature where our readers pose questions to the great Sonny Osborne, one half of the iconic Osborne Brothers

Darren Beachley joins Linda Lay and Springfield Exit

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Well… it sure is nice to be writing about live bluegrass music again!

A familiar face is returning to the bluegrass world. Long time grasser, Darren Beachley, is set to begin performing with Linda Lay & Springfield Exit as soon as the states reopen following COVID19 restrictions. He will play reso-guitar, and some lap steel and guitar, plus singing with Linda and David Lay, two of the finest bluegrass vocalists working today.

Darren says that he has been away from the music too long, after having toured with Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver for four years before forming his own group, Darren Beachley & The Legends of the Potomac. Then in 2011, his career in medical administration took precedence over touring, and he stepped aside.

But now, even though his work as Environmental Services Director for Crothall Healthcare at INOVA Loudoun Hospital in Leesburg, VA has been keeping him  extremely busy, Beachley just missed the music too much to stay away. Back before everything shut down, he did a show with Springfield Exit, and said “BOOM… there it was.”

And he is glad to return to his first bluegrass love, the reso-guitar.

“I’m pretty excited about playing Dobro again. I really had stopped playing back in 2004 when I focused on singing and playing guitar, but the Dobro is so vocal and phrases so well. Most don’t realize it that I was a Dobro player with Bill Harrell and it actually was my primary instrument growing up, until one day I found my voice, and someone shoved a guitar in my hands.”

Here’s a live video of Darren with Springfield Exit back in January on an Osborne Brothers classic.

So there’s one more reason to look forward to live music returning in the near future.

Ask Sonny Anything… Ever try the melodic style?

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Ask Sonny Anything is a recurring feature where our readers pose questions to the great Sonny Osborne, one half of the iconic Osborne Brothers who redefined bluegrass music in the 1960s, and noted banjo maven and collector of fine prewar instruments. Everyone is encouraged to pose queries of your own each week in the comments, about his history in the music, his wealth of banjo knowledge, or regarding any life advice you might be needing.

Hey Sonny,
Legend has it that putting and keeping a rattlesnake rattle in your instrument improves the sound quality and it brings good luck. Did anyone in your band ever have a rattler rattle in their instrument?

Curious in the mountains!

CiTM….Yes I’ve been aware of fiddle players especially getting rattle snake rattles and putting them inside their fiddles. I have never been aware of it having any affect on the volume, tone, sustain, as a matter I’ve never been aware of the rattles doing anything to a fiddle. Curly Ray Cline insisted that the rattles would vibrate inside the fiddle while he was playing but although I tried, I never heard a thing. I believe it to be a hoax and need it proven to me that it means nothing but one less rattle snake…..UGH! I’m scared of snakes! Show me a snake and even with my bad wheels I bet I could break Jessie Owens records!
s

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Sonny,

Not much has been said here about Bobby’s iconic hat. Certainly in all your travels there must be a colorful or funny story you could share with us about that iconic component of Osborne Brothers visual kit.

Jen L.

Jen thank you for your time during these dark Chinese days. Bobby’s hat, mandolin, and boots. Word was “Do not touch” and we never did. He also carried a leather bag which was off limits. We never knew what was in it, and so far as I knew up until the time that I retired, no one ever asked.

I carried a green bag with me at all times but every band member knew exactly what was in that bag. And, I might add, saw to it that it was protected at all times. I don’t know about Bobby’s hat and boots after my retirement, but from the time he first started wearing those two things and the Cazal Glasses, stay away. What can I say, he could afford them, he liked them and they made him feel better, more comfortable. I know they were each very expensive.

The hat and boots were made for him by a man in Houston, and I believe the glasses were from Germany. I told everyone including Little Roy Lewis, who used to come on stage during our show and do some funny antics, those items were off limits. Lincolnton, Georgia festival. We’re half way through our performance and Roy wanders out and the first thing he did was take Bobby’s hat off. I told Roy that was not a very smart thing to do, but he just did more and everything went down hill and sideways after that. Funny for a few moments, not funny after those few moments. I was afraid Bobby would get really UPSET, and the old Marine war boy would show up….I had seen that before…but he kept cool, thankfully. I know a million funny stories, but that was not one of them.

s

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I enjoy your column and have always enjoyed your banjo picking. Your story about Bill Monroe breaking his mandolin by shutting the case with a set of stings under the peghead and breaking it got me to thinking. Banjos have a lot of moving parts and are real easy to mess up. Have you ever been out on the road and messed up your banjo so bad that you had to borrow another one? Did you do your own banjo adjustments or did you have someone you trusted to do it for you? Any tips for us on adjusting your banjo just right?

Our paths have crossed twice. The first time was in the mid 1960s and I was a snot nosed kid in the audience when you played at the city park in Sesser, Illinois. I soaked up every note you played and wanted to do that, but I had a big brother who went home and got a banjo after that and learned, so I never got the opportunity to be the banjo player. I compensated by playing everything else. When I was 58 years old, I finally got a banjo and learned to play it. So, you inspired me to play, but it was 50 years before I actually did it.

The second time was a bit embarrassing. At the Wichita Winter Bluegrass Festival, my band, The Home Rangers, was playing just before the Osborne Brothers in the 9:00 segment before you boys closed the show. Orin Friesen, the famous Wichita DJ, was in our band and should have known better and stopped us. Our second to last song was Once More, one of our favorite Osborne Brothers songs. As did the big finish, we saw none other than the Osborne Brothers staring at us from the wings. Oops. Sorry about that.

I hope this pandemic is over soon. My wife put me in quarantine and is only feeding me bologna and cheese. When I asked her why I was only getting bologna and cheese to eat, she told me that was the only thing that would fit under the door.

Ranger Stan

Ranger Stan. Thank you for jumping right on in here! Glad to hear from you. Yes, I’ve been in situations before but I don’t ever remember borrowing someone’s banjo. In Germany, we did a video and it shows me playing what looks to be a new Gibson Granada. But I didn’t have it on the entire trip. The dates were with Bill Monroe and the Blue Grass Boys. Blake Williams was playing the banjo with Bill at the time and he had a new Granada, makes sense that I used his banjo, but I’m sorry, I just don’t remember doing that.

Adjusting a banjo is like a box of chocolates, as Forrest Gump would say. When you open the case you don’t have a clue as to what you’re going to get that day. It’s much better now with the plastic head but back in the day, before plastic, skin heads were an everyday job. The weather had a lot to do with how a banjo reacted. I’m talking about being on the road….if you are a studio, or stay at home type player, it would have been much easier, but I was on the road most of me career.

Orin Freisen…a name from the past. Really nice guy He owned the record playing part of Wichita. Know what, knowing Orin a little bit, he would have seen no harm in doing one of the following band’s song. At the time we might have been upset but here we are talking about it calmly. So no harm. However, once in Alabama a band of motorcyclists were on before we were to close the show and guess what! They did 9 of our songs and thought it was funny. It was not.

Thick sliced Bar S Bologna is as good as the most expensive steak one can have, if that’s all you can get. I’ve been there too, not as much since Rocky Top, but I haven’t forgotten. Nope, not for a moment. “The price you pay for being a hillbilly!” But LORD, THANK YOU, what a beautiful ride it was!!!!
s

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Hey Sonny,

Who’s the first person you ever saw use the melodic style (Keith style) of banjo playing (besides Bill Keith)? And also, have you ever tried playing that style yourself?

Ned L.
Nashville, TN.

Ned. NED. The only other NED that I know happens to be one of, if not THE most talented musicians I’ve ever been around!!!

I was so disinterested after hearing Bill Keith for the first time, I don’t remember. It might have been Benny Birchfield who tried to show it to me and tell me that it was rather easy but you must have a quick left hand. Still, I was not interested at all because I always thought if you were going to play fiddle tunes, go get you a fiddle. And, I had heard Don Reno play that kind of thing using a flat pick.

In a recording session once upon a time, Grady Martin suggested that I play a Bobby Thompson break in a song we were doing, Cut The Cornbread. I told him I didn’t like nor play that junky shit. He laughed and said something like “Could it be because you can’t?” So at the end of the tune I did an ending using that style, melodic I guess. I told Grady that I would dedicate that to him and he would never hear me play that style again, and may it rest in peace. And I never did! But, in my later years I’ve come to respect those who choose to play that style, although it’s not for me.

Bill Evans and I did a banjo camp for about 11 years here in Nashville and on Saturday night we had the teaching staff do a free for all. Tony Trischka, Alan Munde, Bill Evans, Kristin Benson, Jim Mills, Kenny Ingram, JD Crowe, the aforementioned Ned Luberecki (Rhymes with ‘Break Necki’) Jens Kruger, Alison Brown, (I’m sure I have left someone out), and each of these greatest players on the planet would see who knew the most notes and could incorporate them into the pretense of a tune. And what was billed as a traditional banjo camp, turned into the staff free for all, premium edition! The crowd LOVED it! Could I have played it? I guess we’ll never know. I think if I had wanted to, I probably could have.

I saw Alan Shelton try to play Black Berry Blossom on the Opry with Jim and Jesse, and it was a total train wreck. As he came off the stage I asked him why he attempted to do that, he said he wanted to do anything the crowd wanted to hear. I suspected Jim or Jesse, one or both, requested that he should do that. I guess they didn’t realize, nor care that they were messing with one of the best innovative genius banjo players in history. I saw and heard the same thing, with the same band, at the same venue, happen with a young Bobby Thompson, but he came out on the other side smelling like a rose who later was probably the guy who did most for that style, but Béla Fleck and Jens Kruger and Ned and Bill and Alan and Tony and Alison Brown and……… s

If you have something you would like to ask Sonny, be sure to post it in the comments below, or send it to us directly.