What ever happened to....

[Stringbender]

Being relatively new to the mandolin world I happened on a few old vinyl 33 1/3's which I purchased at a junk shop. My main motivation was a mandolin or a mandolin player in a group on the cover. Some of the artists I've heard of, some of the bands I've heard of. Some are a mystery and I wonder who they are. I thought I would throw out a few names and see if anyone knows whether they are still performing.

* Ralph Rinzler and The Greenbriar Band
*The New Deal Bluegrass Band, Frank Greathouse mandolin
*The Lilly Brothers, Bea Lilly mandolin

[WV Mike]

Stringbender, I know that the Lilly Brothers are still performing based out of Raleigh County, WV. The composition of the band has changed over the years. Everett Lilly is the leader and two of his sons are in the band. They put on a good show.

Good luck with your research.
Mike

[pathfinder]

Bluegrass fans and Bill Monroe owe a lot to Ralph Rinzler. #He played mando with the Greenbrier Boys until the mid 1960s but, being more of an academic and music historian, he felt compelled to write a rebuttal to a SING OUT magazine article which suggested at the height of the folk music craze of the early 1960s, that Earl Scruggs was the 'Father of Bluegrass Music'. #

Ralph set the record straight, that Earl had begun by playing banjo in Bill Monroe's band (the BLUEGRASS Boys) back in the 1940's, and that the real 'Father of Bluegrass Music' was none other than Bill Monroe.

Bill's career, which had been waning in the late 1950s and early 1960s, thrived on this publicity which put him back in the spotlight and very much in demand on the college circuit.

Ralph became a trusted adviser and friend to Bill (and a much-needed link to Bill's more urban audiences in the northern states). #He eventually became associated with the Smithsonian Institute and, sadly, passed away 10-15 years ago as I recall. #Sorry for the longwinded story, but I feel all mandolin players owe Ralph a salute.

I mean, c'mon! #Can you imagine giving credit for the creation of bluegrass to a banjo player? #No disrespect intended, Earl! #You played your part too. http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

[Mike Bunting]

And of course, the illustrious Frank Wakefield was a Greenbriar Boy.

[cbogle]

Great post from Pathfinder!

Ralph Rinzler was hugely responsible for boosting Bill Monroe's career when it needed the boost. A great chronology of this appears in the Monroe biography by Richard Smith, "Can't You Hear me Callin'".

[f5loar]

Ralph Rinzler still performs today with Monroe, along with Lester Flatt, Chubby Wise,Carter Stanley,Clarence White,
Carl Story,Jim Eanes, Clyde Moody, Howdy Forester,Merle Watson and Don Reno and most recently Jim McReynolds to name a few. Occasionally Charlie and Birch Monroe Monroe and Uncle Pen sit in with the band. Heaven's bluegrass band is a pretty tight band these days.
Frank Greathouse still has six toes on one foot and
is still picking and grinning with Leroy Savage of the NDSB in the Raleigh area. Frank still has his trusty early model
MK Kirk F5 copy and his still is virtually unchanged in his unique mandolin style since
his days of glory in the 70's with New Deal. Other band members are still active in bluegrass also scatterd around various towns and bands. Later banjoist, Bob Isenhour died in 1996.