Merle Haggard, Ralph Stanley And Other Country Singers

Merle Haggard ~ 79 ~ was one of the stars of the 1960's California based American Outlaw Country movement which included Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, Kris Kristofferson, David Allen Coe and Jessi Colter.

MERLE HAGGARD ~ "SING ME BACK HOME";


His family had migrated from Oklahoma during the Dust Bowl and Haggard had mant brushed with the law including a spell in San Quentin Prison where he saw Johnny Cash perform and was inspired to become a musician himself. Released in 1960 he began recording in 1962 and would go on to score 37 number one hits from 1966 to 1987 including classics like "Okie from Muskogee", "The Fightin' Side of Me", "Carolyn", "Momma Tried", "If We Make It Through December", "Sing Me Back Home" and "Pancho & Lefty" (with Willie Nelson) which chronicled the white working class. He also produced an aclaimed tribute album to Bob Wills and was supposed to produce Gram Parson's first solo album but backed out. Parsons would record a version of "Sing Me Back Home". Haggard won Grammy Awards in 1984, 1998, and 1999. MERLE HAGGARD ~ "MAMMA TRIED";


MERLE HAGGARD ~ "OKIE FROM MUSKOGEE";


Ralph Stanley ~ 89 ~ Virginia born banjo player and singer with The Stanley Brothers and The Clinch Mountain Boys from the 1940's onward "Man Of Constant Sorrow", "Pretty Polly" (covered by The Byrds & The Sadies), "Little Glass Of Wine" (also covered by The Sadies) and "O'Death". The Stanley Bros were a major influence on The Everly Bros. Was still working up to a couple years ago and was part of the "Oh Brother Where Art Thou" soundtrack

THE STANLEY BROS ~ "WORRIED MAN BLUES";


THE STANLEY BROS ~ "HOW MOUNTAIN GIRLS CAN LOVE";


THE STANLEY BROS ~ "RANK STRANGER";


Guy Clark ~ 74 ~ Grammy winning Country singer/songwriter, songs covered by Jerry Jeff Walker, Jimmy Buffett, Lyle Lovett, Ricky Skaggs, Steve Wariner, and Rodney Crowell, Johnny Cash, David Allan Coe, Vince Gill, Ricky Skaggs, Brad Paisley, John Denver, Alan Jackson, Rodney Crowell, The Highwaymen, and Kenny Chesney, recoded with Emmylou Harris

GUY CLARK ~ "COUNTRY MORNING MUSIC";


GUY CLARK ~ "BLUEBIRD WINE";


SONNY JAMES ~ 87 ~ American country singer-songwriter with numerous hits from the 1950's to the 1980's with ballads like "Young Love" and covers of songs like "Running Bear", "Only The Lonely", "Lovesick Blues" and "Abilene", later a producer for Marie Osmond.

SONNY JAMES ~ "YOUNG LOVE";


SONNY JAMES ~ "RUNNING BEAR"


Bonnie Brown ~ 77 ~ American country singer w/1950's band The Browns ("The Bells")

THE BROWNS ~ "THREE BELLS";


THE BROWNS ~ "I HEARD THE BLUEBIRDS SING";


Dave Swarbrick ~ 75 ~ British fiddler singer-songwriter w/Fairport Convention

FAIRPORT CONVENTION ~


James King ~ 58 ~ Virginia Bluegrass singer/songwriter known as The Bluegrass Storyteller

JAMES KING ~ "LEAVING";

The Everly Brothers And Some Other Early Rockers

Phil Everly died January 3 2014 at age 74. One half of the 1950's Everly Brothers duowith his brother Don who had iconic hits like "Cathy's Clown", "When Will I Be Loved", "Wake Up Little Suzi", "All I Have To Do Is Dream". They had massive hits on both side of the Atlantic and were cited as influences by the like of The Beatles (who they also toured with), Byrds, Hollies, The Beach Boys, Simon & Garfunkle and Linda Ronstadt and later Rockpile (who both covered "When Will I Be Loved") for their harmony singing. Although they were too clean cut to be really be cool sex symbols.

THE EVERLY BROTHERS ~ "ALL I HAVE TO DO IS DREAM" & "CATHY'S CLOWN";


Originally from Kentucky the Everly's actually came from a long tradition of Singing Brother Duos which included the Stanley Brothers, Louvin Brothers, Lilly Brothers, Delmore Brothers and The Monroe Brothers with relatively little R&B or Gospel influences and it's likely that they would have sounded pretty much the same even if Rock & Roll never happened.

THE EVERLY BROTHERS ~ "WAKE UP LITTLE SUZI";


In spite of their clean cut image the boys lived the rock and roll lifestyle. Like Elvis they spent a brief spell in the Army and then got hooked on speed. Don had at least one nervous breakdown. Divorces and fist fights followed until they effectively broke up in the 1970's. After middling solo careers they reformed but behind the scenes the brothers were not on speaking terms. I know someone who booked them in the 1980's and he told the story of working with them. They arrived in separate planes, stayed in separate hotels, they took separate taxis to the venue, skipped a sound-check, entered the stage from opposite sides and after the show they left that way. At no point did they actually speak to each other. They aren't the only duo who acted that way, Sam & Dave and Sonny Terry & Brownie McGee did the same. Still they weren't actual brothers. That must have led to some awkward Christmases. Anyway they did apparently reconcile for good when they were invited on tour with Simon & Garfunkle in the 1990's.

THE EVERLY BROTHERS ~ "BYE BYE LOVE";


THE EVERLY BROTHERS ~ "WHEN WILL I BE LOVED"


Arthur "Guitar Boogie" Smith; Western Swing/Hinky Tonk guitarist from the 1940's, 50's & 60's. Did the original "Guitar Boogie" and "Dueling Banjos" ~ 93

ARTHUR "GUITAR BOOGIE" SMITH ~ "GUITAR BOOGIE";


ARTHUR "GUITAR BOOGIE SMITH" ~ "CHICKEN STRUT";


George Shuffler, 88, Bluegrass guitarist w/The Stanley Brothers ("Man Of Constant Sorrow", "Pretty Polly", "Takes A Worried Man") & The Bailey Brothers ~ 88

THE STANLEY BROTHERS ~ "TAKES A WORRIED MAN";


THE STANLEY BROTHERS ~ "THE RANK STRANGER";


King Fleming ~ Jazz/R&B pianist and band leader from the 1940's, 50's & 60's. Played with Wynonie Harris on Apollo, Johnny Alston and His Orchestra, Oliver "King" Perry's Pied Pipers ~ 91

WYNONIE HARRIS ~ "ROCK MISTER BLUES";


WYNONIE HARRIS ~ "PUT IT BACK";


JOHNNY ALSTON ORCH ~ "RED LIGHT";


Little Joe Cook ~ Singer w/1950's Doo Wop Group Little Joe & The Thrillers ("Do The Slop" & "Peanuts" also sang with The Evening Stars and The Sherries ~ 91

LITTLE JOE & THE THRILLERS ~ "PEANUTS";


Little Jimmy Scott ~ American Jazz singer from the 1950's & 60's; solo and w/Lionel Hampton and Charlie Parker did hit version of "Sweet Embraceable You" ~ 88

LITTLE JIMMY SCOTT ~ "SOMETIMES I FEEL LIKE A MOTHERLESS CHILD";


Freddie "Fingers" Lee; British guitarist who played on 1960's recordings by Gene Vincent, Screaming Lord Sutch and Marty Wilde ~ 76

GENE VINCENT & THE BLUECAPS ~ "BLUE JEAN BABY" & "SEXY WAYS";


GENE VINCENT & THE BLUECAPS ~ "RIP IT UP";


SCREAMING LORD SUTCH & THE SAVAGES ~ "JENNY JENNY" & "TRAIN KEPT A ROLLIN";


SCREAMING LORD SUTCH ~ "JACK THE RIPPER";


Ceer Veerman; Singer Guitarist with 1960's & 70's Dutch Psyche-Pop band The Cats and The Mystic Four ~ 70

THE CATS ~ "LET'S DANCE";


Gary Burger; Singer with 1960's American/German Garage Band The Monks 72;

THE MONKS ~ "MONK CHANT";


THE MONKS ~ "OH HOW TO DO NOW";


Jerry Corbitt ~ Guitarist with 1960's Folk Rock band The Youngbloods ("Come Together")

THE YOUNGBLOODS ~ "GET TOGETHER" & "SUNLIGHT";


Paul Goddard ~ Bassist w/1970's Southern Rock Band The Atlanta Rhythm Section ("Spooky", "So Into You") ~ 68

THE ATLANTA RHYTHM SECTION ~ "Spooky";


Roy Campbell Jr. ~ Free Jazz trumpet player, solo and played with Don Cherry,Yo La Tengo, William Parker, Peter Brotzmann, Matthew Shipp ~ 61

PETER BROTZMAN QUARTET;