Good article about Dr. Ralph Stanley

[rgray]

Here is an interesting article (http://www2.timesdispatch.com/entertainment/news/2012/feb/12/tdflair01-virginia-music-legend-ralph-stanley-is-s-ar-1674598/) about Dr. Ralph Stanley, up for his 4th Grammy for his album "A Mother's Prayer," a collection of Appalachian spirituals, nominated in the category of Best Bluegrass Album.

[samlyman]

Thanks for sharing. It was a nice article. After spending many years listening to "slick" or highly-refined bluegrass I feel so much more drawn to Ralph's humble mountain music. I do find it rather curious however that Ralph gets so much mileage out of the honorary doctorate. It is rather tacky to use this honorific title and rubs me a little raw as I worked for many years to earn the title myself.

Best wishes, "Dr." Lyman

[bobcoe]

Just finishing his autobiography. I like the honesty. It's been a long career of really hard work.

[Cornelius Morris]

What Dr. Lyman said. Only Arthel Watson gets to call himself "Doctor" around here.

Dr. Cornelius Morris

[sunburst]

My father, from the hills of Va., and his father before him, from those very hills, had similar senses of humor to that of Ralph Stanley "Ph. D.". (Example; actress Debbie Reynolds was married, for a time, to someone who shared our last name. From the time my father found out about that until the time of his death, if she came up in conversation she was referred to as "Cousin Debbie".)
It's Ralph's joke, he's not going to give it up, if you don't "get it" too bad; Ralph will most likely just think it's that much funnier if some "uppity" Ph. D.-type gets his nickers in a wad over his joke.

[allenhopkins]

When my uncle got his Ph.D. in agricultural economics, he said he was "not the kind of doctor that does you any good."

Of course, I would disagree, both about him and about Doctor Stanley -- although the "good" they do/did has nothing to do with medicine.

[Andy Alexander]

I know first hand that Ralph enjoys a good prank. He has a dry sense of humor and keeps a straight face. I'm not even sure if Ralph really understands that he is a national treasure. Given Ralphs modesty, I believe that the "brag on me" portion of his show where his awards and accomplishment are listed is all done tongue in cheek. I have to wonder if his association with the Obama campaign was also done as a joke on us.;-)