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The Stanley Brothers

From HitStory, the pop encyclopedia of School of Rock · Artist

The Stanley Brothers were an American bluegrass duo of the brothers Carter Stanley and Ralph Stanley. They were born on a small farm in Dickenson County, Virginia, and as children listened on the radio to the Monroe Brothers, J.E. Mainer's Mountaineers and the Grand Ole Opry. They began as the Lazy Ramblers and performed on radio station WJHL in Johnson City, Tennessee. After the Second World War they formed the Clinch Mountain Boys in November 1946, the first band to follow Bill Monroe's sound.

Music and breakthrough

Carter played guitar and sang lead, Ralph played banjo and sang a strong, high tenor. From December 1946 they played on radio station WCYB in Bristol, Tennessee, and in 1947 they made their first recordings for Rich-R-Tone Records. In 1948 Ralph switched to Earl Scruggs's three-finger banjo style. From 1949 they recorded for Columbia Records. Albums such as Hymns and Sacred Songs and Mountain Song Favorites appeared in 1959. After Carter's death in 1966 Ralph carried on under the name The Clinch Mountain Boys, until his own death in 2016.

Influence

The Stanley Brothers played bluegrass with a strong mountain spirit, with high harmony singing and sharp banjo playing. They gave the music of Appalachia a sound of its own. In 2026 they were inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame.

Listening

Listening tip. Listen to I'm a Man of Constant Sorrow and notice Ralph's high singing. Can you hear how the banjo and the harmony singing make the song stern and emotional at the same time?

Discography

Studio albums

Categories: ArtistsBluegrass