One of the great bluegrass bands in history, brothers Jim (born 1927) and Jesse (born 1929) McReynolds and their Virginia Boys remained at the top by changing with the times. Starting as a traditional brothers duet, Jim on guitar and Jesse on mandolin showed their versatility by following country's changing tastes, moving to country/folk when... [+] Read More

Yes No

The vocal harmonies of brother duos including The Louvin Brothers, The Stanley Brothers and Don Reno & Red Smiley have been one of bluegrass' most enduring sounds. That tradition was continued with Going Back, a 1993 album by Josh Crowe and David McLaughlin. Accompanying their heartfelt harmonies with virtuosic acoustic guitar flatpicking and... [+] Read More

Yes No

The Osborne Brothers were one of the most popular and innovative bluegrass groups of the post-war era, taking the music into new directions and gaining a large audience. Among their most notable achievements are their pioneering, inventive use of amplification, twin harmony banjos, steel guitars, and drums -- they were the first bluegrass group... [+] Read More

Yes No

Born in Stratton, Virginia in 1927, Ralph Stanley and his older brother Carter formed the Stanley Brothers and the Clinch Mountain Boys. In 1946 Ralph and Carter were being broadcast from radio station WCYB in Bristol, Virginia. The music, which was inspired by their Virginia mountain home, was encouraged by their mother, who taught Ralph the... [+] Read More

Yes No

Singer, guitarist, and banjo picker Scottie Sparks, born in Dayton, OH, landed his first real music job when he was 15 years old. It was playing lead guitar with the Wilson Brothers. He went on to perform with groups like Redwing, Unlimited Tradition, and Dave Evans & Riverbend.

In 1999, Sparks, working under the Doobie Shea Records... [+] Read More

Yes No

The McCormick Brothers are not as well-known as other country and bluegrass harmonizers who were popular in the 1950s, such as the Stanley Brothers and the Louvin Brothers. But they were a good bluegrass band, though they weren't as long-lived as the most renowned ones working the same turf, and certainly didn't record as often or sell as many... [+] Read More

Yes No

The Monroe Brothers began as a trio of Birch, Charlie, and Bill Monroe on fiddle, guitar and mandolin respectively, performing square dance songs as well as traditional and gospel numbers. In 1932, Bill and Charlie began touring professionally with the WLS touring company as dancers, appearing with the Hoosier Hot Shots and Red Foley among... [+] Read More

Yes No