Allen Shelton was a banjo virtuoso who came to prominence when he joined Jim & Jesse’s band in 1960. His outstanging finger play was particularly outstanding on such songs as “Bending the Strings,” which he wrote, and Jim & Jesse’s “Keep On The Sunny Side.” Shelton made his first solo album for respected roots label, Rounder Records, in 1976. His 2001 release, Shelton Special, also on Rounder is regarded as one of his best. Allen Shelton, 73, was suffering from leukemia when he passed away on November 21, 2009.
Larry Fuller was a bluegrass guitar picker who was well known in and around the Kentucky music community. Fuller began his music career during the 1970s when he was working as a coal miner. A job injury in 1986 forced him out of the mines and into music full time. A traditionalist, Fuller’s music was rooted deep in the mountain music he grew up hearing around him. Larry Fuller’s life came to a tragic end when he died in a fire that engulfed his tour bus. For reasons unknown, Fuller was inside the bus as it was parked in his driveway around 2 am. He was 58 years old.
Bill Monroe
September 13, 1911 – September 9, 1996
Bill Monroe was a bluegrass pioneer who more or less invented the genre whose name itself was derived from the moniker of his own band, the Blue Grass Boys. Born on the family farm in Kentucky, each of Monroe’s parents passed away by the time he was 16, so he spent the next two years living with his fiddle-playing uncle whom he often accompanied on mandolin at local gigs. When he was 18, Monroe formed the Monroe Brothers with his brother Charlie Monroe and two friends. The friends eventually left and the brothers continued as a duo, signing with RCA Victor in 1936. In 1940, Monroe formed the Blue Grass Boys which soon included banjo great, Earl Scruggs and guitarist Lester Flatt. Now on Columbia Records, Monroe recorded a series of songs that would become the foundation of bluegrass music. Those songs included “My Rose Of Old Kentucky” and “Blue Moon Of Kentucky” a cover of which became a signature song for Elvis Presley. By the ’50s, bluegrass suffered from the coming of rock ‘n roll and the Nashville Sound of country music. Things began to turn around thanks to the folk revival of the ’60s when Monroe’s music found an audience with young people who began embracing him as the “father of bluegrass.” Bill Monroe passed away at the age of 84 on September 9, 1996. He was elected into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as an Early Influence the following year.
Best known in bluegrass circles as the banjo player in Patent Pending, Jim Steptoe passed away unexpectedly in his home on August 30, 2009. Patent Pending formed in 1979 and became a popular draw in the Washington DC area. No cause of death has been released.
Jerry Garcia is best remembered as a co-founder of influential jam band, the Grateful Dead who will forever be linked to the San Francisco rock and hippie scenes of the late ’60s and early ’70s. Although a democratic band with multiple “lead” singers, Garcia was considered the leader of the group by most outside the band. Garcia was extremely busy outside the Dead as well, recording and playing with New Riders Of The Purple Sage (withJohn Dawson), Old and in the Way, Legion Of Mary, as well as his own Jerry Garcia Band. He also had numerous collaborations with David Grisman. His unique guitar playing found its way on to numerous albums as a guest artist also, likely leading to Rolling Stone magazine placing him at #13 on their list of the 100 Greatest Guitar Players Of All Time. During the summer of 1995, Garcia checked into a rehabilitation center; he had struggled with drug addiction. On August 9, his lifeless body was discovered at the facility, dead of a heart attack. It was likely the result of his addictions as well as his heavy weight sleep apnea. Four days later, a public memorial was held in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park. Over 25,000 people attended.
Paul “Moon” Mullins
September 24, 1936 – August 3, 2008
Paul “Moon” Mullins was a fiddle player and disc jockey who entertained bluegrass fans through his radio programs in Kentucky and Ohio. Mullins learned to play the fiddle while in the army from 1955 to 1958. When he returned home, he joined Ralph Stanley’sClinch Mountain Boys, playing fiddle. Several years later, he became the announcer for Bill Monroe’s Bean Blossom Festival. In 2007, Mullins was diagnosed with Progressive Supranuclear Palsy. He passed away in a nursing facility on August 3, 2008 at the age of 71.
Known as “Maryland’s Five String King,” Jack Sanbower and his No Leeway Band have been entertaining bluegrass fans for over 15 years. Teaching himself to play the banjo, guitar and bass at an early age, Sanbower quickly built a name for himself throughout the northeast due to his fierce picking on the 5-string banjo. In 1990, Sanbower formed the No Leeway Band who, over the next 15 years, dazzled audiences along the east coast bluegrass circuit and recorded close to a dozen albums for the Buck Hallow label. In 2006, Sanbower joined Rattlesnake Hill, quickly becoming their on-stage focal point for his rapid fire picking and lively antics. But the fun would not last long as Sanbower soon became diagnosed with cancer of the esophagus. He died as a result of the cancer on July 29, 2008. He was 47.
Clarence White started his professional career as founding guitarist for the Kentucky Colonels, a progressive bluegrass outfit formed with his brothers. The Colonels were making a name for themselves in the Los Angeles area in the early ’60s, but their dreams of fame were soon derailed by the one-two punch of the British Invasion, and Bob Dylan going electric. White quickly found plenty of session working on records by the likes of the Monkees, International Submarine Band, and the Flying Burrito Brothers, after which he landed with the Byrds. His tenure with the Byrds started in 1966 with the California-country years of Gram Parsons, a perfect home for his style of playing. In the years following the Byrds break-up, White went back to session work, working with Randy Newman and Jackson Browne. He also joined a bluegrass “supergroup” called Muleskinner, playing alongside Peter Rowan, David Grisman, Bill Keith and Richard Green. Muleskinner’s contemporary sound would be the foundation of what would later be called “new grass.” Then in the early morning hours of July 14, tragedy struck. While loading gear into his car after a Kentucky Colonels reunion gig, White was struck and killed by a drunk driver. He was just 29.
Bill Harrell was a bluegrass pioneer who helped build the scene in the acoustic music Washington DC/Baltimore area. He began playing the guitar as a child and by the time he was in college, bluegrass was his music of choice. Over the years, Harrell performed and recorded with many of the areas great players. He’s also performed on Porter Wagoner’s and Jimmy Dean’s television programs. He died following a stroke at the age of 74.
Eli Oberstein was a successful record producer and label executive during the early part of the 20th century. He went to work for Victor Records as a salesman during the ’20s andby the early 30s, he was running his own Crown Records. He also helped for the legendary Bluebird Records. As a producer, Oberstein helped create hits for the likes of Benny Goodman, Tommy Dorsey, Ernest Tubb and Bill Monroe. In 1936, he became head of A&R at Victor and Bluebird Records and was instrumental in bringing Glenn Miller and Artie Shaw to the label. During the latter part of his life, Oberstein worked at numerous labels, including RCA and Columbia. He passed away at the age of 58.
Herb Mayfield was a guitar and mandolin picker who, along with his two brothers, made up the Mayfield Brothers, who made a name for themselves throughout Texas in the late ’40s. They were generally chosen as opening acts for when such acts as Tennessee Ernie Ford, the Maddox Brothers, and Hank Snow came to Amarillo or Lubock. Mayfield died of renal failure on May 29, 2008.
Lester Flatt was a singer and guitarist whose remarkable talents added to the success of Bill Monroe’sBlue Grass Boys through most of the ’40s. In 1948, Flatt teamed up with banjo great Earl Scruggs to form Flatt & Scruggs and the Foggy Mountain Boys. Together they became one of the most popular bluegrass bands of their time and one of the most influential of all time. His smooth picking and rich voice can be heard on literally hundreds of songs that make up one of acoustic music’s most important catalogs. But perhaps Flatt’s biggest contribution to pop culture came by way of The Beverly Hillbillies for which they wrote and recorded its theme song, “The Ballad Of Jed Clampett,” backing singer Jerry Scoggins. They even appeared on the show as themselves a few times (as seen below). Lester Flatt died of heart disease on May 11, 1979.
Earl Bolick was one of bluegrass’s senior class when he passed away in 1998. He and his brother Bill Bolick made up the Blue Sky Boys who began making records for RCA Records in the mid-1930s. They recorded several dozen songs for RCA over the next three decades and found considerable success along the so-called hillbilly circuit. They basically retired in the mid 50s partially due to their dislike to what was happening to country music (i.e.; the electric guitar), but came out of retirement a couple of times in the 60s then the 70s (most recently on Rounder Records) to make a few more albums. Bill Bolick passed away on March 13, 2008.
Rose Maddox (Born Roselea Brogdon)
August 15, 1925 – April 15, 1998
Rose Maddox was a country singer, musician and songwriter who performed with her siblings as Maddox Brothers and Rose during the late ’30s and early ’40s. When her brothers went off to serve their country in WWII, Rose continued as a solo act and later rejoined the boys upon their return. And even though they were considered a “hillbilly” band, they were most popular in California, likely due to its growing population of Southern immigrants. They have been called the “greatest hillbilly band of all time,” while Rose has been referred to as the “grandmother of rockabilly.” After the group disbanded in the late ’50s, Rose signed to Capitol Records as a solo act. She scored several Top 20 hits including a #4 hit duet with Buck Owens. In the mid ’60s, Rose switched gears a bit and started performing bluegrass. She found a new audience among the folk revivalists of the era. She continued recording and performing occasionally well into the ’90s, even earning a Grammy nomination in 1996. She died of kidney failure in 1998 at the age of 71.
One of the remaining members of bluegrass’s senior class passed away from natural causes on March 13, 2008. Bill Bolick and his brother Earlmade up the Blue Sky Boys who began making records for RCA Records in the mid-1930s. They recorded several dozen songs for RCA over the next three decades and found considerable success along the so-called hillbilly circuit. They basically retired in the mid 50s partially due to their dislike to what was happening to country music (i.e.; the electric guitar), but came out of retirement a couple of times in the 60s then the 70s (most recently on Rounder Records) to make a few more albums. Earl preceded his brother Bill in death (April 19, 1998).
Bruce Moody, born and raised in a musical family in the mountains of western North Carolina, began picking at the early age of 14 years in 1954. He played his first road show with his famous uncle, country musician Clyde Moody, 1962-1969. Next, he went with the Toe River Valley Boys, 1972-1975, and then formed the Bluegrass Gentleman with David Pendley, performing from 1975 through 1986. Bruce returned to the Toe River Valley Boys from 1987-1993. In 1993 Bruce and E.C. Miller formed a band called Moody & Miller and Elk River. In 2002 the Jones Brothers and Log Cabin Boys needed a guitar picker, and Bruce Moody was exactly what they were looking for. He plays solid rhythm guitar and has great timing. Bruce learned this style from his Uncle Clyde, and added his own style to it. He has recorded twelve different CDs and he helped the Jones Brothers record a CD while with them. Jones’ opinion of Bruce Moody is: “He is always a gentleman and a prince of a guy. Bruce always appears on stage as a professional, clean-cut person. The songs he sings are smooth quality and bring back memories.” They enjoyed having Bruce as part of their band for three years. In 2005 Elk River was started again by Bruce. He also worked withRaymond Fairchild’s Bandon road shows and cut two CDs with Raymond. He helped Richard Hollis on a CD and works as needed as a studio musician. – From brucemoody.net
Moody passed away on February 21, 2009. Cause of death has not been released.
Acclaimed musician Butch Baldassari, a mandolin virtuoso whose work bridged genres, communities and centuries, died Saturday at Saint Thomas Hospital’s Alive Hospice unit, 20 months after being diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor. He was 56. Mr. Baldassari was a recording artist, a producer, a writer, a bandleader and a teacher. At Vanderbilt University’s Blair School of Music, he served as adjunct professor of mandolin. Beginning in 1991, he was the leader of the Nashville Mandolin Ensemble, a group that helped revive the dormant mandolin orchestra tradition that had begun in America in the 1800s. The Mandolin Ensemble’s performances and recordings featured mind-bendingly diverse music, from Tchaikovsky to bluegrass to the theme from Star Trek. “Most mandolin players have seen pictures of the old mandolin orchestras … but hardly anybody today has ever heard one,” Mr. Baldassari told The Tennessean in 1996. With the Nashville Mandolin Ensemble, he worked to change that. Raised in Scranton, Pa., Jerome Baldassari didn’t become a professional musician until he was 35 years old. After graduate work at the University of Nevada at Las Vegas, he worked in casinos as a craps table croupier. He played bluegrass on the side, however, joining a group called the Weary Hearts. That group, which included Ron Block, Chris Jones and Mike Bub, moved to Nashville in 1989 but did not stay together to record a follow-up to their 1989 debut album, By Heart. Mr. Baldassari sought to extend his work beyond bluegrass, and a trip to the Classical Mandolin Society of America convention in Louisville, Ky., focused his attention on the notion of founding a mandolin orchestra. Upon his return to Nashville, he posted signs soliciting players for the Nashville Mandolin Ensemble. In June 1991, the orchestra was a reality, with mandolins, mandocello, mandola, guitar and bass playing at once. “My mission is to take that turn-of-the-century concept and make it modern,” he said. Never one to focus only on one project or concept, Mr. Baldassari continued to play bluegrass, with award-winning band Lonesome Standard Time from 1992 until 1996. He also recorded with Alison Krauss, fiddler Richard Green (in Green’s band, The Grass Is Greener), dulcimer master David Schnauffer, guitarist John Mock and a bevy of other stylistically diverse musicians. He wrote liner notes for others’ albums, wrote for Mandolin Magazine and recorded well-received solo album projects. After Mr. Baldassari’s diagnosis in May 2007, numerous friends and admirers worked to celebrate his influence and to raise money to help defray his medical bills. In October 2007, Dierks Bentley, Mark O’Connor, Ricky Skaggs, Bela Fleck and many others performed a benefit concert at the Blair School. “Butch really encouraged me, musically,” Bentley said at the time. “I took mandolin lessons from him, and he’s full of information.” In a December e-mail, Mr. Baldassari noted that his illness had left him unable to play the mandolin, but he wrote, “Although I can’t play for now, the music in me is still very much alive. It feeds my soul and excites me every day.” – Peter Cooper (The Tennessean)
Thanks to Craig Rosen from Number1Albums for the info
Wayne Yates, brother to former Country Gentleman Bill Yates, passed away last night (12/11) at the age of 75. He is picture on the left in this album cover from a project he and Bill made together. Wayne worked with a number of bluegrass bands over the course of his life, including stints with both Red Allen and Del McCoury.
Dennis Saterlee, whose book on Red Allen, Teardrops In My Eyes, was published earlier this year, put together a brief history of Wayne’s contributions to bluegrass music. “Wayne Yates, originally from Manassas, Virginia, and his brother Bill, formed The Clinch Mountain Ramblers bluegrass band in the Washington D. C. area in the late 1950s. The Ramblers, which included, legendary banjo player Porter Church, recorded a few sides for the Nashville based Kash label. To earn some extra money they also teamed up with Patsy Stoneman who had left the famous Stoneman family band to strike out on her own. It was during that period that a recently relocated Red Allen, fresh from Dayton, Ohio, started playing as a regular member of The Clinch Mountain Ramblers. Red was fresh from his breakup with the Osborne Brothers who had placed more than a couple of hits on the country music charts. It wasn’t long before Red arrived that he took over the band. They first started playing as Red Allen and the Yates Brothers but soon changed the name to the Kentuckians, Red’s original band name. As the mandolin playing member of the Kentuckians, Wayne helped record two landmark albums. One for the Washington based Melodeon label and a second for the fledgling County record label. With the addition of the Yates Brothers, Red had the ability to sing Osborne style harmonies once again. These recording were well received by the fans who remembered Red with the Osbornes as well as by a new audience which was coming to bluegrass music from the folk music explosion that was taking place in the nation. These albums are currently available on the Rebel, Lonesome and Blue CD released a few years back. After two albums Wayne left the band to concentrate on his day job. His brother Bill would go on to fame with Jimmy Martin and the Country Gentlemen, among others, but Wayne preferred to stay at home. In the 1970s and early 1980s Wayne could be found sitting in with local bands at any of a number of popular bluegrass music venues in the Washington D. C. area. Although not wanting to give up a steady income from his day job, he remained a part of the local bluegrass scene for years. Just a few years back Bill and Wayne reunited to record a new CD which should still be available. Wayne will be remembered as a well respected pioneer in the Washington D. C. music scene.” - The Bluegrass Blog
Allen Shelton was a banjo virtuoso who came to prominence when he joined Jim & Jesse’s band in 1960. His outstanging finger play was particularly outstanding on such songs as “Bending the Strings,” which he wrote, and Jim & Jesse’s “Keep On The Sunny Side.” Shelton made his first solo album for respected roots label, Rounder Records, in 1976. His 2001 release, Shelton Special, also on Rounder is regarded as one of his best. Allen Shelton, 73, was suffering from leukemia when he passed away on November 21, 2009.
Best known in bluegrass circles as the banjo player in Patent Pending, Jim Steptoe passed away unexpectedly in his home on August 30, 2009. Patent Pending formed in 1979 and became a popular draw in the Washington DC area. No cause of death has been released.
Known as “Maryland’s Five String King,” Jack Sanbower and his No Leeway Band have been entertaining bluegrass fans for over 15 years. Teaching himself to play the banjo, guitar and bass at an early age, Sanbower quickly built a name for himself throughout the northeast due to his fierce picking on the 5-string banjo. In 1990, Sanbower formed the No Leeway Band who, over the next 15 years, dazzled audiences along the east coast bluegrass circuit and recorded close to a dozen albums for the Buck Hallow label. In 2006, Sanbower joined Rattlesnake Hill, quickly becoming their on-stage focal point for his rapid fire picking and lively antics. But the fun would not last long as Sanbower soon became diagnosed with cancer of the esophagus. He died as a result of the cancer on July 29, 2008. He was 47.
Clarence White started his professional career as founding guitarist for the Kentucky Colonels, a progressive bluegrass outfit formed with his brothers. The Colonels were making a name for themselves in the Los Angeles area in the early ’60s, but their dreams of fame were soon derailed by the one-two punch of the British Invasion, and Bob Dylan going electric. White quickly found plenty of session working on records by the likes of the Monkees, International Submarine Band, and the Flying Burrito Brothers, after which he landed with the Byrds. His tenure with the Byrds started in 1966 with the California-country years of 
Eli Oberstein was a successful record producer and label executive during the early part of the 20th century. He went to work for Victor Records as a salesman during the ’20s andby the early 30s, he was running his own Crown Records. He also helped for the legendary Bluebird Records. As a producer, Oberstein helped create hits for the likes of 
Lester Flatt was a singer and guitarist whose remarkable talents added to the success of 
Earl Bolick was one of bluegrass’s senior class when he passed away in 1998. He and his brother 
