WHO:
Ralph Stanley and the Clinch Mountain Boys, as part of the Hometown Hoedown #2 (with Tony Rice, Dan Tyminski, Sammy Shelor, Ronnie and Rickie Simpkins and the Nashville Bluegrass Band)

WHEN:
Saturday, Jan. 16, doors open at 4 p.m.

WHERE:
Tennessee Theatre

TICKETS:
656-4444 or Tickets Unlimited Outlets

'Grasser Ralph Stanley's long career proves that talent finds it way to the top

by John Sewell

Now that the American cultural climate is in a full-blown post-modern phase, it is virtually impossible to differentiate between true art and the machinations of the pop marketplace. Since turning a quick profit seems to be the primary goal of the music industry, prefab artistes are presented for our consumption with regularity and then discarded as soon as their veneer of hipness is worn down. As a result, the music-buying public has become jaded and cynical of whatever new styles come down the pike. Within this milieu, it is truly rare for an artist of pure, unfettered vision to be able to prosper and hone their skills to perfection. Bluegrass legend Ralph Stanley is the genuine article—an original who has stayed true to his vision without compromise.

Performing professionally for some 52 years, Stanley has become a fixture of the bluegrass scene rivaled only by the late Bill Monroe. Unlike many musicians who reach early peaks and go on to repeat themselves endlessly, Stanley has never sounded better and is charting new territory for himself and for the bluegrass scene in general. His current ascension to the top of the bluegrass heap is a result of consistent quality and staying power.

Stanley's newest album, Clinch Mountain Country (Rebel Records), is a celebration of his lengthy reign in the world of American roots music. On the double CD set, Stanley is joined by a cornucopia of stars that reads like a who's who list of country and folk artists. Among many other auspicious guests, Stanley is joined by Bob Dylan, George Jones, Gillian Welch, and Junior Brown. "Pretty Polly," a duet with Patty Loveless, holds the current number one position on the Bluegrass Unlimited National Survey Chart.

The term bluegrass came to the fore during the folk revival of the early '60s. Though Stanley accepts the description of his music as bluegrass, he feels the term is somewhat limited when applied to all of his work. "I'd describe my music as old-time country, the mountain sound," says Stanley. "When I first got started they weren't calling it bluegrass, it was just old-time country music. They didn't start using the term bluegrass until around 1965, after a bunch of bands got together at an event called The Bluegrass Festival."

Stanley began his career in 1946 as a member of the Stanley Brothers, a union that continued until the death of his brother, Carter Stanley, in 1966. At that point Ralph Stanley soldiered on as a leader of his own band, The Clinch Mountain Boys.

Soon after their inception, The Stanley Brothers found widespread exposure as hosts of a radio program called Farm and Fun Time. Broadcast from WCYB in Bristol, Va., the show quickly became so popular that there was a waiting line for potential advertisers.

"The Stanley Brothers started that show and we did the full hour with the exception of five minutes of news. We came on at 12:05 and did a 55 minute show, six days a week," he says. "The show got so popular that they made it a two-hour show, but then we started bringing in guests—people like The Foggy Mountain Boys and Charlie Monroe. We stayed with it for 12 years.

"We had the Farm and Fun Time in Bristol and they had the Midday Merry-Go-Round on WNOX in Knoxville at the same time," says Stanley. "Those were similar shows and they came on around the same period." The Stanley Brothers were so busy with their own show that they never made it to Knoxville during that era.

Stanley's years as a standard-bearer of old-time American music have earned him worldwide accolades. In his career, he has appeared on 167 recordings; he currently has a repertoire of around 2,000 songs, old and new. Stanley has received countless awards for his musical achievements, including five Grammy nominations in the last five years, The National Endowment for the Humanities Traditional American Music Award, an Honorary Doctorate of Music from Lincoln Memorial University, induction in the International Bluegrass Music Association Hall of Honor, and appearances at the inaugurations of presidents Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton.

A new wrinkle to the Ralph Stanley saga is the addition of his 20-year-old son, Ralph II, as a member of The Clinch Mountain Boys. Ralph II will be a featured lead player in the show, and has also released an album of his own. "He has his own recording contract and has a brand new record on Rebel records," says Stanley. "We're real proud of him."

In his five decades as a performer, Stanley has toured worldwide, including three trips to Japan and four to Europe. The road has been long, but the soft-spoken Virginia native says he is happy just to have the privilege of bringing his music to the public. "I've been in this business for 52 years now, and right now I am playing to the biggest audiences I've ever had," he says. "All kinds of people like this music and it's great to be appreciated. I'm far more in demand today than I ever have been."