Frank Greathouse:? New Deal String Band

**300win** · Apr-20-2009, 11:18am

Who all on here remembers The New Deal String Band out of Chapel Hill, N.C.? Frank Greathouse was the mandolin player, Leroy Savage picked guitar, I can't recall the other guys names. It is said that Sam Bush listened to them play at the '68 Union Grove Fiddler's Convention, and also went to Raliegh and stayed awhile, and that is where he came up with the idea of "Newgrass" music. I can tell you one thing, them boys could pick! On youtube type in the name of the band, click on "hippes picking Roanoke". I remeber that Leroy Savage could sing as high as anybody I've ever heard before, then, or since, think John Duffy, Bobby Osborne, Monroe. I remember one of tunes they did that they flat out "smoked" was the "Prisoner's Song" { oh meet me tonight lover meet me} { if I had the wings of an angel, over these prison walls I would fly} they performed it in a very high key. They were in fact way ahead of the time back then. Any old timers on here remember this?

**Rigel42** · Apr-20-2009, 11:21am

Frank runs a guitar shop in Ft Myers Florida these days

http://real-guitars.com/

Can't say I know much about his playing days but I like his shop.

**Rigel42** · Apr-20-2009, 11:22am

Double post

**300win** · Apr-20-2009, 11:32am

Rigel42 you must be like me, bald, and or long in the tooth, and or white headed and grey bearded? Ain't many of these youngsters who knows about all them old bands and pickers.

**Bill Auld** · Apr-20-2009, 11:36am

Yep, I definitely remember them as do many who were around the Raleigh/Durham/Chapel area during the late 60s and 70s - saw them on more than a few occasions back then. Fiddler player was Al McCanless - great fiddler. And, yes, they could pick ... Still can.

**MikeEdgerton** · Apr-20-2009, 12:30pm

ScreaminFrank (Gatehouse) is a member of the cafe that posted one message a while back. It's in this thread. He's been mentioned now and again in these threads.

**Philippe Bony** · Apr-20-2009, 1:34pm

This guy?

**300win** · Apr-20-2009, 1:36pm

Yep.

**AlanN** · Apr-20-2009, 1:38pm

You see a bit of Frank and band in action in the movie High Lonesome. They are doing Love Potion #9 in true hippie newgrass fashion.

**300win** · Apr-20-2009, 1:38pm

At the Camp Springs Festival in I think it was 1974, I cam upon Frank squatting down tuning on his mandolin. I had mine and squatted also, and we picked Liberty, twining, he played the twin part as at that time at I had no idea how to do that. It was fun, and is one of the things I can remember back in those days.

**Mike Bunting** · Apr-20-2009, 2:20pm

I have an LP of theirs, first time I heard Beatle and Stones tunes bluegrass style, "Don't Pass me By" and "No Expectations".

**64lusso** · Apr-20-2009, 2:31pm

I can't really add to this post other than to say I absolutely remember Frank and all the New Deal guys very well, my first exposure to really well played Bluegrass while I was a student at St Andrews College (in NC from 69 to 73) where they would play once a year or more. Nice to know he's still kickn!!
Jay Jessup

**RichieK** · Apr-20-2009, 2:34pm

'Love Potion No.9 '!

**allenhopkins** · Apr-20-2009, 2:49pm

YouTube "tribute" with a picture of the LP cover Check the comments -- one of the band members posted with current locations; the band apparently does some "reunion" gigs.

Video of Roanoke from a "early '70's parking lot jam" -- slightly out-of-synch audio and video, but some A+ mandolin from Frank G.

**Charles E.** · Apr-20-2009, 8:05pm

When I first moved to Raleigh about 19 years ago, Frank was playing electric mandolin with a rockin funk and soul band. I caught them a couple of times at the 42nd street oyster bar. Leroy Savage still plays bluegrass every week at a local BBQ place in town.

**f5loar** · Apr-21-2009, 1:27pm

The NDSB goes back several years before the LP came out.
It went through many members in the band over the peak years in the 70's. The LP was on the Liberty/Sire label.
The LP banjo picker was Gene Knight. After Gene went in the army my brother Bob Isenhour was the banjo picker for several years and then came Rick Riman and others followed. The guitar player Buck Peacock and fiddler Al McCanless went to high school with my brother. Later Kenny Kosack played fiddle and then Bob Hoban.
Bob "Quail" White played the bass until he went with Eddie Addcock and II Generation. Snuffy Smith (not the banjo picker) also played bass in the band. Buck still picks in the Atlanta area. Al still fiddles in the Raleigh area.
Leory Savage was the main voice of the band and he does still perform in the Raleigh area. I remember seeing and hanging out with Sam Bush at the NDSB hangout in Raleigh in the late 60's. Sam has said he learned his NewGrass style from that band. Other members I can recall at the moment were Ray Blackwell, Jack Lawrance,
Mike Boykin, Tommy Edwards, Ben ? , Durwood? and Jim Fields of Joe Val fame.

**D C Blood** · Apr-22-2009, 5:43am

I picked some with Gene Knight (Navy, not Army), when we were both stationed in DC in the late 60s. Anybody know if he's still around?

**f5loar** · Apr-22-2009, 10:17am

When you don't know which branch I guess I should have just said "armed services". He is still picking in the Raleigh area and has been in on the reunions of the band.
I'd say find any of the other guys and they can put in touch with him.
Bob Isenhour died in 1996 in New York.

**Charles E.** · Apr-22-2009, 7:51pm

Originally Posted by f5loar

Mike Boykin, Tommy Edwards, Ben ? , Durwood? and Jim Fields of Joe Val fame.

Cuold the Ben ?, be Ben Runkle? He still sits in with Leroy at the Q Shack.

**jim_n_virginia** · Apr-23-2009, 11:31pm

Originally Posted by allenhopkins;657247.

[URL="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RRwDllNp7iw"

Video of Roanoke from a "early '70's parking lot jam"[/URL]

some A+ mandolin from Frank G.

I love this clip and have watched it a million times learning how to play Roanoke.

I love playing Roanoke it is one of the tunes that are really FUN to play!

**300win** · Apr-24-2009, 9:17am

Jim, that break Frank takes is in G minor. It reminds me alot of Grisman's picking esp. his early days.

**classicwhaler** · May-27-2010, 9:31am

There is a new group called Sidetrack that includes former NDSB members Gene Knight (banjo) and Leroy Savage (lead vocals/guitar) that has cut a CD to be released later this summer. I think they're scheduled to play in Pittsboro, NC around July 4. More information is available on Facebook ---I searched for Sidetrack to find them.

**Sandyzaslow** · Nov-03-2010, 7:32am

I live in Raleigh NC and knew many of the original New Deal String Band members. They were Leroy Savage, Buck Peacock, Bob (Quail) White, Gene Knight, Al McCanless, and Frank Greathouse. I've been requesting that iTunes add their album to their list. They were a really terrific band.

**Sandyzaslow** · Nov-03-2010, 7:41am

The band lived in a big white house on Ashe Ave. near NC State Campus. It was always full of musicians and friends of the band. One of my favorite sessions was when the Spark Gap Wonder Boys came down from Boston and the groups played together (also at the Union Grove Fiddler's Convention). As far as I know, Bob still lives in an old house in Raleigh, with Pam, but I haven't seen them for several years.