Ralph Stanley

Moving from Hank Williams, I'd like to examine another favorite artist of mine, Dr. Ralph Stanley. Ralph Stanley is one of the biggest names in the bluegrass genre. He earned his title of Doctor from Lincoln Memorial University, where the university awarded him with an honorary Doctorate of Music.

First Criterion--Background:

Stanley was born in, grew up in , and still resides in rural McClure, VA. At a young age, Stanley's mother taught him how to play banjo. This sparked an interest in Stanley that could not be extinguished. As soon as he could, he formed a band with his brother, Carter.

Second Criterion--Wide-range of musical talent:

Ralph Stanley has a very distinctive style voice and style of playing (as I will discuss later). He is a phenomenal banjo player and guitar player. Through this talent, he put the Stanley Brothers Band on the map. Beyond his instrumental talents, Stanley has a memorable singing voice. My favorite Stanley performance is actually his acapella version of "O Death," which earned him a Grammy Award in 2002.

Third Criterion--Innovative:

Ralph Stanley provides the perfect example of innovation through his banjo picking style, literally called the "Stanley Style." Though I lack the technical knowledge of musician, this style is very distinctive to me as a listener. The picking tends to be very fast in comparison to other bluegrass styles. All in all, I don't believe one could be more innovative than inventing his own style of playing music.

As one can see, Ralph Stanley clearly fits the definition of a true country legend. I look forward to reading his autobiography, Ralph Stanley: Man of Constant Sorrow.