Name that Bluegrass Boy

[Mandolin Cafe]

Confirmed winner gets one of the new Mandolin Cafe ball cap designs we hope to have in a few weeks. We can venture a guess but some people change a lot over the years.

[MikeEdgerton]

I don't think he changed all that much

NOTE: Not who I thought it was.

[Tobin]

My guess would be Art Wooten.

[Mandolin Cafe]

Wooten was with Monroe in the 40s. This was in 1986. There were always guys that just joined or subbed for a few days. The folks listed as playing with Monroe around 1986 don't look like this guy at all.

[Mandolin Cafe]

This is for a series of never before published videos of Monroe with The Bluegrass Boys in concert in Denver, Feb. 19, 1986 that are being published today. Rest of the band besides Monroe:

Wayne Lewis - guitar
Tater Tate - bass
Blake Williams - banjo

[Tobin]

Wooten was with Monroe in the 40s. This was in 1986. There were always guys that just joined or subbed for a few days. The folks listed as playing with Monroe around 1986 don't look like this guy at all.

Oh, so this was a photo of someone currently playing with the Blue Grass Boys at the time? I thought we were talking about identifying a former Blue Grass Boy later in life.

This is just a wild guess, but the photos kind of resemble like Art Stamper. I know he played with Bill Monroe on occasion.

[Mandolin Cafe]

[Mandolin Cafe]

Some people on Facebook think it's Art Stamper. I met and played with him in the early 80s. Doesn't strike me as sounding like him but very well could be.

[AlanN]

It's The Marlboro Man. Did I win?

[Mandolin Cafe]

Thinking it's Art Stamper. --sound of buzzer going off--

[biologyprof]

Billy Joe Foster!
(opps)

[MikeEdgerton]

If one Googles Bluegrass Boys List there is a list of names and dates but I suspect this one might not be on that list. My guess was totally wrong.

[Ky Slim]

+1 for Art Stamper. Here's his photo gallery.. There's one shot of him in 1984 with the Goins Brothers..

[Tobin]

If one Googles Bluegrass Boys List there is a list of names and dates but I suspect this one might not be on that list. My guess was totally wrong.

I see this list of members. (Wow - that's a longer list than I thought it would have been!)

Art Stamper shows up on the list in 1984, but by December 1986 there were a whole bunch of others on the list. I couldn't find photos of most of them in a quick Google search to see if any look like our suspect in the photos here. But when I look at some of the photos of Art Stamper, I do see strong facial resemblences. It's a tough call.

[MikeEdgerton]

I see this list of members. (Wow - that's a longer list than I thought it would have been!)...

That would be one of the two I found and it is long.

[flatpicksandy]

Blaine Sprouse? Tennessee Hayride is a killer tune on the mandolin
Sandy
Charleston, SC

[Tobin]

OK, I'm 99.99% convinced it's Art Stamper.

See the two photos of Art Stamper below and look at those faces. The one on the left is a known photo of Art. The eyebrows, nose shape, cheeks, earlobes, even the way he holds that fiddle under his neck - they are nearly identical, and the difference in age between the photos explains any differences.

And if that's not enough to convince you, go to http://www.twinsornot.net and upload these two photos. It's a site that uses facial recognition to compare photos and tell you if you're twins. I make no claims as to the depth of analysis here, but hey, it's a fun way to prove myself right. That site gives it a 100% score, saying it's the same person.

[Mandolin Cafe]

My guess would be Art Wooten.

OK, I'm 99.99% convinced it's Art Stamper.

Heh.

[Tobin]

Yeah, my first guess about Art Wooten was based on trying to take one of the early Blue Grass Boys and imagine what he would have looked like later in life (I guess I misunderstood your comment about people changing over the years).

I had it down to Art Stamper by post #6, though - before you mentioned him in post #8! It was your additional photo in post #7, and comparing it to other photos of Art Stamper, that brought me to be sure it's him. I'm not ashamed to admit I was way wrong in my first guess.

[Mandolin Cafe]

It's all in fun.

[dscullin]

That is definitely Art Stamper. I played with Art off and on in Louisville KY for about 10 years. One of a kind guy! Art passed away January 23, 2005. That is Art on the left, me on mandolin, John Laswell on banjo, and John Imes ( now deceased) on bass.

[Timbofood]

Art Stamper!
It sure isn't Blaine Sprouse, I'm pretty certain he was with Jim and Jesse through those years, if memory isn't failing me.

[grassrootphilosopher]

I didn´t know he stepped on a rainbow . Bless his heart.

[Mandolin Cafe]

I didn´t know he stepped on a rainbow . Bless his heart.

Hard for something like that to get by this membership. His passing discussed in 2005 here.

[eightmoremiles]

Another 100% for the late Art Stamper. One great fiddler, and a fine human being.