BLUEGRASS GENERATIONS Principal Research: Fred Bartenstein Research Assistance: Mary Jo Leet Ed Renner Admin. Assistance:Kelly Skidmore September 9, 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 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 Born Recorded Born in the South Preserved & updated 19th century music Major contributors to bluegrass repertoire Played fiddle, guitar, banjo, slide guitar

Generation 1 - The Pioneers 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 Born Recorded 1927-on Born in Appalachia Professional country music entertainers Created bluegrass vocal & instrumental styles Played guitar, fiddle, mandolin, banjo, bass

Generation 2 - The Builders 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 Born 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

Generation 3 - The Innovators 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 Born Recorded 1953-on Broadest geographic origins Grew up with rock Took music to new directions & audiences Fewest fiddlers Largest generation (baby boomers)

Generation 4 - The Conservators 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 Born 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)

Generation 5 - The Explorers 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 Born 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

When were they actively recording? Med.Age st Rec

What other genres did they record? median 1st rec (30) (56) (61) (174) (73) (281) Total (680)

Born in 5 years beginning…

12 years old in 5 years beginning…

What happened in the peak years for 12-year-olds? “Golden Era” Bonnie & Clyde, Early BGFs st & Classic Blue Grass Boys61

What happened in the “trough” years for 12-year-olds? Elvis, Rockabilly Elvis, Doo-Wop Beatles, Folk Boom59

1st recorded in 5 years beginning…

What happened in the peak years for first recording? Folk Era, Beverly Hillbillies Deliverance, Early BGFs CDs, Alison Krauss Mature BGFs, Bicentennial Golden Era, Pt Golden Era, Pt. 264

What happened in the “trough” years for first recording? Heavy Metal, Retro Country Elvis, Rockabilly Psychedelia, Folk Era Ended Pop Rock, Retro Country48

Where were they born? median 1st rec (40) (52) (66) (496)

What states did they come from? median 1st rec Overall- 56%

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

Overall (instrument %) Builders PioneersAncestors ConservatorsExplorers Innovators

How many were women? median 1st rec Overall- 11% (605) (75)

Did they play in the Blue Grass Boys? Overall- 11% median 1st rec

How many were band leaders? Overall- 33% median 1st rec

How many were prodigies (1st recording younger than 18) or late bloomers (after 40)? median 1st rec

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 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 years later, Earl Scruggs released his first seven banjo instrumentals. Similar but less pronounced concentrations occurred: - among mandolin players who were when Bill Monroe’s Bluebirds were released. - among guitar players who were in the first flush of bluegrass lead guitar,