BLUEGRASS GENERATIONS Principal Research: Fred Bartenstein Research Assistance: Mary Jo Leet Ed Renner Admin. Assistance: Kelly Skidmore September 9, 2005 www.FredBartenstein.com 725 Wright Street, Yellow Springs, OH 45387

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders…and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.” Hebrews 12:1-2 “Hey, let’s hear it for Lester Flatt. Joe Stuart and Pete Rowan, Mac Wiseman and Melvin Goins. Stoney Cooper and Earl Snead, bluegrass music is what we need.” “Tater Tate and Alan Munde,” John Hartford, 1976

Project goals: Create a database of not less than 500 professional bluegrass artists, whose recordings have had national distribution. Propose a classification of generations. Explore interesting patterns.

Data collected for 680 artists Name & nickname(s) Year of birth State of birth Year of death Gender Year of first and last commercial recording Primary instrument Primary vocal part Member of the Blue Grass Boys? Primary other recording genre Band leader? Sources of information

Primary sources of information: Bluegrass Bios 2005 (Wayne Rice) America’s Music: Bluegrass (Barry Willis) All Music Guide website (allmusic.com) Bluegrass Discography website (ibiblio.org/hillwilliam/ BGdiscography) Century of Country website (countryworks. com/artist_full.asp) Blue Grass Boys website (//doodah.net/bgb/) Country Music Records (Tony Russell) Country Music Sources (Meade, Spottswood & Meade) Fred Bartenstein database of 9,000+ songs for broadcast

Potential sources of error Incorrect information (some guesses) Incomplete information (missing artists, particularly in later generations, US bias) Interpretation

Generation 0 - The Ancestors • Born 1868-1900 • Recorded 1922-1980 • Born in the South • Preserved & updated 19th century music • Major contributors to bluegrass repertoire • Played fiddle, guitar, banjo, slide guitar examples (of 30): • Dock Boggs • A.P. & Sara Carter • Grayson & Whitter • Uncle Dave Macon • J.E. Mainer • Sam & Kirk McGee • Charlie Poole • Jimmie Rodgers • E.V. & Hattie Stoneman • Fiddlin’ Arthur Smith

Generation 1 - The Pioneers • Born 1901-1924 • Recorded 1927-on • Born in Appalachia • Professional country music entertainers • Created bluegrass vocal & instrumental styles • Played guitar, fiddle, mandolin, banjo, bass examples (of 118): • Roy Acuff • Bill & Earl Bolick • Maybelle Carter • Flatt & Scruggs • Wade Mainer • Bill & Charlie Monroe • Molly O’Day • Carl Story • Doc Watson • Bob Wills

Generation 2 - The Builders • Born 1925-1941 • Recorded 1941-on • Rural to urban migrants • 23% Blue Grass Boys • Fleshed out & explored within classic parameters • First to be called “bluegrass” • Initiated bluegrass festivals examples (of 200): • Country Gentlemen 1&2 • J.D. Crowe • Hazel Dickens • Jimmy Martin • Del McCoury • Jim & Jesse McReynolds • Bob & Sonny Osborne • Don Reno & Red Smiley • Classic Seldom Scene • Carter & Ralph Stanley • Mac Wiseman

Generation 3 - The Innovators • Born 1942-1962 • Recorded 1953-on • Broadest geographic origins • Grew up with rock • Took music to new directions & audiences • Fewest fiddlers • Largest generation (baby boomers) examples (of 246): • Sam Bush • Rodney Dillard • Jerry Douglas • Bela Fleck • Hot Rize • Doyle Lawson • Laurie Lewis • Tony Rice • Skaggs & Whitley • Larry Sparks • Rhonda Vincent

Generation 4 - The Conservators • Born 1963-1976 • Recorded 1976-on • 59% from the South • Grew up with festivals • 3% Blue Grass Boys, 9% Quicksilver • Returned to classic patterns & repertoire • Much smaller generation (baby bust) examples (of 69): • Mike Bub • Sidney & Suzanne Cox • Stuart Duncan • Rob Ickes • Alison Krauss • Rob & Ron McCoury • Russell Moore • Kenny & Valerie Smith • Adam Steffey • Ronnie Stewart • Dan Tyminski

Generation 5 - The Explorers • Born 1977-1992 • Recorded 1989-on • 59% CA, CO, TN • Oldest now only 28 • Appear to echo some characteristics of Gen 0: 41% fiddlers, reinterpret music for a new century • Data base is thin; generalizations are shaky examples (of 17): • Chapmans (except Bill) • Michael Cleveland • Ryan Holladay • Sierra Hull • Andy Leftwich • Nickel Creek • Brandon Rickman • Ralph Stanley II • Josh Williams • Gabe Witcher

When were they actively recording? 32 27 25 25 23 17 Med.Age 1927 1946 1959 1978 1991 1998 1st Rec

What other genres did they record? (30) (56) (61) (174) (73) (281) Total (680) 1927 1946 1959 1978 1991 1998 median 1st rec

Born in 5 years beginning…

12 years old in 5 years beginning…

What happened in the peak years for 12-year-olds? 1947-1951 “Golden Era” 70 1967-1971 Bonnie & Clyde, Early BGFs 69 1942-1946 1st & Classic Blue Grass Boys 61

What happened in the “trough” years for 12-year-olds? 1952-1956 Elvis, Rockabilly 41 1957-1961 Elvis, Doo-Wop 57 1962-1966 Beatles, Folk Boom 59

1st recorded in 5 years beginning…

What happened in the peak years for first recording? 1960-1964 Folk Era, Beverly Hillbillies 72 1970-1974 Deliverance, Early BGFs 68 1990-1994 CDs, Alison Krauss 1975-1979 Mature BGFs, Bicentennial 67 1945-1949 Golden Era, Pt. 1 66 1950-1954 Golden Era, Pt. 2 64

What happened in the “trough” years for first recording? 1985-1989 Heavy Metal, Retro Country 34 1955-1959 Elvis, Rockabilly 35 1965-1969 Psychedelia, Folk Era Ended 46 1980-1984 Pop Rock, Retro Country 48

Where were they born? (40) (52) (66) (496) 1927 1946 1959 1978 1991 1998 median 1st rec

What states did they come from? Overall- 56% 1927 1946 1959 1978 1991 1998 median 1st rec

Primary instrument (overall %) (198) (157) (105) (97) (82) (20) (21)

Overall (instrument %) Ancestors Pioneers Builders Innovators Overall (instrument %) Conservators Explorers

How many were women? Overall- 11% (605) (75) 1927 1946 1959 1978 1991 1998 median 1st rec

Did they play in the Blue Grass Boys? Overall- 11% 1927 1946 1959 1978 1991 1998 median 1st rec

How many were band leaders? Overall- 33% 1927 1946 1959 1978 1991 1998 median 1st rec

How many were prodigies (1st recording younger than 18) or late bloomers (after 40)? median 1st rec 1927 1946 1959 1978 1991 1998

Some observations Generations alternate between innovation and conservation. In lean times, artists arise from the bluegrass heartland (NC, VA, TN, KY, WV). Interest in bluegrass occurs in adolescence, followed by a 10-12 year apprenticeship, and a median recording career from ages 25 to 53. Long careers “crowd the market” as generations overlap. There is not one African-American or Hispanic in the database.

Some observations From 1936 to 1939, 28 banjo players were born. - 18% of all 157 banjo players in the database - 53% of all 54 musicians born in those 4 years - more than double the overall 23% rate of banjoists. • These included: Eddie Adcock Bill Emerson Allen Shelton J.D. Crowe Walter Hensley Roni Stoneman Doug Dillard Bill Keith Bobby Thompson Ben Eldridge Sonny Osborne Eric Weissberg

Some observations • Similar but less pronounced concentrations • 12-17 years later, Earl Scruggs released his first seven banjo instrumentals. • Similar but less pronounced concentrations occurred: - among mandolin players who were 10-14 when Bill Monroe’s 1940-1942 Bluebirds were released. - among guitar players who were 10-15 in the first flush of bluegrass lead guitar, 1960-1969.