10 Questions For Wayne Helfrich

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10 Questions For Wayne Helfrich
http://www.mandolincafe.com/news/publish/mandolins_001246.shtml

We visit with Wayne Helfrich, a music fan who chronicled the early 70s Bluegrass scene with some amazing photos and stories for this exclusive Mandolin Cafe interview.

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[grassrootphilosopher]

Those are mighty fine photos, they capture great musical moments and the photography is great too. Chapeau!

[GRW3]

Those are great shots... When you've read the books and heard the tales it's good to have pictures to fill in the details.

I'm sure it's all related to location and available light but I noticed an interesting contrast between the Bluegrass and the Folk pictures. Most of the Bluegrass pictures are in color and all but one of the Folk pictures are B&W. Given the historical belief that B&W was the format for 'serious' photography this kind of goes with the belief that folk music is 'important'.

[grassrootphilosopher]

GRW3,

I like your point! Folk music is important! I like the Doc Watson picture as I do the multiple pics of Brownie McGhee. Just look at the picture with the fretboard. Criminently did that poor thing stand pressure. It reminds me of my younger days. Great pics, all the way.

[Bill Van Liere]

Hi Wayne

Is this a young Bill Richmond playing the fiddle?

http://www.flickr.com/photos/swamper/1491346121/in/set-72157602274698894/

Bill
GR Mich.

Man I recognize a lot of those folk from way long ago at Charlotte, not sure if I ever knew their name then.

[MandoNicity]

This brings back memories of when I would pack up my VW Bug and head off to festivals about every other week end in the early 70's. Wayne is right, the "stage musicians" would mingle with us parking lot pickers and jam all the time. I guess I was one of those "hippies" discovering the joys of this music back then. I always had a great time and met some wonderful people along the way. Thanks for the photos Wayne. Somewhere I have a box full of B&W photos from festivals that I took as I was into photography back then.

JR

[swampstomper]

Great, great stuff, it really brings me back to those days. Look how small the audiences are, for such great music. It's nice to see my heroes like Ralph, Roy Lee Centers, Curly Ray, Del, J&J, Don Reno all looking so young and fit... tempus fugit, no way to turn back the clock but... and check out those Clinch Mountain Boys suits! Same as on the Cry from the Cross album cover. If you look really carefully, there is one shot where Ron Thomasson is a Clinch Mountain Boy (sneaking into the left side of the photo).

[mandolinlee]

The pictures from the Festivals at Ottawa, Ohio brought back a lot of memories. I missed the first Festival they had, but attended the second through the last, plus made the bluegrass reunions in May and October as well. We still tell stories of who we saw, what we heard and the fun we had. Thanks Wayne and Mandolincafe.
Lee

[Mandolin Cafe]

Noting the anniversary of this interview. What a great set of early bluegrass photos.

[Mandolin Cafe]

Here's a bluegrass photo blast from the past, published this date 2010.

[Mandolin Cafe]

Observing the 10 year anniversary of this article. Happy that the link to Wayne's Flickr account with many more great photos is still working.

[twilson]

Xx

[Mandolin Cafe]

Noting the anniversary of this feature. Amazing bluegrass photos, particularly when you get to his image hosting site.

[twilson]

Great to see this article again. I am a picker from Michigan (now TX) and knew Tom back in the day. There’s even some old pics of me on his Flickr page.