Josh Graves (born Burkett Graves) was one of the major forces keeping the unique sounds of the dobro alive in both country and bluegrass music. Born and raised in Tellico Springs, TN, he was only nine when he heard Cliff Carlisle of the Carlisle Brothers performing a few Jimmie Rodgers tunes on the dobro. Though he would spend the early part of his career as a bassist, Graves loved the sound of the dobro and would eventually become one of its greatest supporters and innovators. In 1942, Graves joined the Pierce Brothers. Later he played with Esco Hankins and Mac Wiseman before becoming a member of the Wheeling Jamboree with Wilma Lee and Stoney Cooper, where he remained through the mid-'50s. During a performance with the Coopers at the Grand Ole Opry, Graves made a big impression upon Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs, who invited him to join their Foggy Mountain Boys. In the late '50s, acoustic instruments were out of favor due to the popularity of rock & roll; the survival of the dobro as an important instrument in country can largely be attributed to Graves, who electrified audiences with a red-hot picking style and then cooled them down with bluesy, sweet mellowness. An essential part of his technique was a three-finger banjo-roll move, adapted from Scruggs himself. Graves remained a primary member of the Foggy Mountain Boys until the group disbanded in 1969. Afterward, he joined Flatt's Nashville Grass and did session work on the side. In 1971, he began playing with the Earl Scruggs Review; three years later, he went solo with the LP Alone at Last. He also continued session work, playing with artists like Charlie McCoy, J.J. Cale, Steve Young, and Kris Kristofferson, and collaborating with other musicians. He continued in a similar vein through the 1980s and '90s, teaming with such greats as Kenny Baker, Eddie Adcock, and Jesse McReynolds in 1989 to form the Masters. He also released a series of masterful dobro recordings, including King of the Dobro (1996), Sultan of Slide (2000), and the poignant Memories of Foggy Mountain (2002). The Gibson Corporation also developed a Graves signature-model dobro, built to his specifications. ~ Johnny Loftus, All Music Guide