Clinch Mountain Echo

CMB Birthdays this month:

04 May 1922 - Harold 'Red' Stanley. Born 'Harold Oplis Stanley' in Fentress, Tennessee.

18 May 1938 - Henry Dockery. Walnut Marsh, North Carolina.

28 May 1956 - Ralph 'Hank' Smith. Born 'Ralph Dewayne Smith' in Elliott County, Kentucky.


In Memoriam:

02 May 1974 - Roy Lee Centers. Breathitt County, Kentucky.

03 May 2000 - Bill Napier. Johnson City, Tennessee.

09 May 1989 - Keith Whitley. Goodlettsville, Davidson County, Tennessee.

23 May 2022 - James Price. Parkersburg, Wood, West Virginia.


For the Official Ralph Stanley II and the Clinch Mountain Boys site, visit:

Ralph II ralph2.com


Spotlight on:-

Winterhawk Scholarship Album
(Gordo 003)


CME Recommends...

A Life Of Constant Sorrow
alifeofsorrow.com

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Ralph Stanley Museum
ralphstanleymuseum.com

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Hills Of Home Festival
drralphstanleyfestival.com

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Rebel Records
rebelrecords.com

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Bluegrass Unlimited
Bluegrass Unlimited
Clinch Mountain Echo

Pic. of the Day

Photo: Nashville 1978. L-R: Curly Ray Cline (hidden), Junior Blankenship, Danny Marshall, Ralph Stanley, Ed Ferris, Charlie Sizemore.


Rollin' On Rubber Wheels

New Ralph II album!


Ralph Stanley II & the Clinch Mountain Boys - Rollin' On The Rubber Wheels

Ralph II has a fine new album available on Stanley Family Records.

Featuring a choice selection of songs, the album successfully combines the rich legacy of the "Stanley" sound with Ralph II's own contemporary country-influences.

Click here for a full review.

If you're in the US CD's can be ordered from Ralph II's webstore / ralph2.com. (Outside of the US if you're address shows as invalid, use the contact email on ralph2.com to sort mailing costs/payment)

Digital copies can be found on Spotify, iTunes, Amazon (US), Amazon (UK). There's also a playlist on youtube.


...The Clinch Mountain Time Machine...


On this day...

Ralph Stanley II
19 Mar - 19 May 2005 - Warrenton, VA (21 years ago)

Ralph II had a show (with the CMBs) at Fauquier High School, Warrenton, Virginia. Also on the bill was Cliff Waldron. The event was a fund-raiser for the Warrenton Volunteer Fire Company. Tickets cost $15 in advance, or $20 on the door.

Ralph Stanley
05 May 1971 - Tokyo, Japan (55 years ago)

This was the final date on Ralph's 1971 tour of Japan took place at Meguro Sugino Auditorium, Tokyo and was recorded for the classic 2×LP Live In Japan (Seven Seas SR 690/691) 1971, later reissued in the US (Rebel REB 2202) 1986.

The event was organised by Nihon Dempa News and sponsored by the Nippon Broadcasting System.

05 May 1973 - Terrell, NC (53 years ago)

Ralph had a show at the 'Big Bluegrass Special', Lake Norman Music Hall, Terrell, North Carolina. Tickets cost $3 (children $1).

05 May 1974 - Indianapolis, IN (52 years ago)

Ralph was advertised as playing a free show at Hammons Mobile Homes, 8601 East Washington Street, Indianapolis, Indiana. Two performances were advertised at 2pm & 5pm to help promote Hammons spring sale, but I expect the shows were either postponed or cancelled, as Ralph and the CMB's were at Roy Lee Centers funeral that afternoon…

05 May 1974 - Jackson, KY (52 years ago)

Ralph and the CMBs sang at Roy Lee Centers funeral service in Breathitt County High School, Jackson, Kentucky. Several thousand people paid their respects at the funeral home and the high school, where the casket was later taken.

The funeral service was attended by over 500 people and Roy Lee was buried at Holbrook Cemetry, 12 miles from Jackson. A procession of 20-25 cars with 100 people were reported as driving to the gravesite.

04 - 05 May 1979 - DJ Bluegrass Acres, Grayson, KY (47 years ago)

Ralph was billed as appearing at 'Earlybird Bluegrass Festival' 15 miles west of Ashland and 4 miles East of Grayson, Kentucky on Route 60.

Other acts included Melvin Goins & Windy Mountain Boys, Stoney Creek, Southern County Line, Frog & the Green Horns, Lost Creek Boys, Sons Of Bluegrass.

05 May 1982 - Nashville, TN (44 years ago)

Ralph had a show at the Station Inn, Nashville, Tennessee.

05 May 1984 - Gettysburg, PA (42 years ago)

Ralph was billed as appearing on Saturday (5 May) at the '9th Semi-Annual Gettysburg Bluegrass Camporee' at the Granite Hill Family Campground in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania.

The festival itself ran from 3-6 May and other acts included: Dry Branch Fire Squad, Jim & Jesse, Lewis Family, Bill Harrell, Country Gentlemen, Seldom Scene, Johnson Mountain Boys, Hot Rize, Lost & Found, Larry Sparks, Whetstone Run, Mail Pouch Express, Appalachian Reign, Redwood, and Beaver Kreek.

21 Feb - 21 May 1985 - Nashville, TN (41 years ago)

Ralph played a show at the Station Inn, Nashville, Tennessee.

04 - 08 May 1985 - Santa Monica, CA (41 years ago)

Ralph was booked to play at McCabe's Guitar Shop in Santa Monica, California. The band were scheduled to play on Saturday at 8pm & 10:30pm (4 May) and then had other shows on the 5, 6 & 7 May. I'm not sure if they then returned to McCabe's on the 8 May.

05 May 1985 - Riverside, CA (41 years ago)

Ralph had a show at The Barn, on the University of California's Riverside campus. The show was organised by the UCR Barn Folk Club and tickets cost $6.

05 May 1990 - Caribou, ME (36 years ago)

Ralph had a show at Caribou Performing Arts Center (Caribou High School), 410 Sweden Street, Caribou, Maine. Advertised as "A Bluebrass Festival!" (sic), tickets cost $8 (students & children $5).

05 May 1995 - Gettysburg, PA (31 years ago)

Ralph was billed as appearing on Friday (5 May) at the 'Gettysburg Bluegrass Camporee', Granite Hill Campground, Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. The band were scheduled to perform at 2:30 and 8:45pm.

The festival itself ran from 4-7 May and other acts included: Alison Krauss, Del McCoury, Johnson Mountain Boys, Dry Branch Fire Squad, Claire Lynch, IIIrd Tyme Out, Lonesome River Band, Gary Ferguson, Lewis Family, James King, Lost & Found, Seldom Scene, Crowe & McLaughlin, Lonesome Standard Time, High Strung, Mike Garris Band, and Changin' Tymes.

05 May 1996 - Winchester, VA (30 years ago)

Ralph was billed as appearing at the '7th Annual Apple Blossom Bluegrass Festival' at Winchester Medical Center Grounds, Winchester, Virginia.

Other acts included: Del McCoury, Country Gentlemen, Country Current, Red & Murphy, Dalton Brill, and the Singing C.O.P.S.

05 May 2000 - Lincolnton, GA (26 years ago)

Ralph was billed as appearing on Friday (5 May) at the '13th Annual Lewis Family Homecoming & Bluegrass Festival' at Elijah Clark State Park, Lincolnton, Georgia.

The festival itself ran from 4-6 May and other acts included: Earl Phillips, Mac Wiseman, 'Special' Talmadge Lewis, Lewis Family, Jim & Jesse, Osborne Bros., Country Gentlemen, Doyle Lawson, IIIrd Tyme Out, Primitive Quartet, Village Singers, Larkin Family, Mountain Heart, Marksmen, Raymond McLain, and Heaven's Echoes.

05 May 2001 - Winston-Salem, NC (25 years ago)

Ralph played on Saturday (5 May) as part of the 'POP festival' in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. The band were scheduled to appear on the "Roots and Traditional Stage" 5-6pm and 9:30-10:45pm (following on from Jim Lauderdale).

The festival itself ran from 4-6 May and featured three stages of live music. Day tickets cost $10, or $25 for a three-day pass.

05 May 2002 - Jonesborough, TN (24 years ago)

Ralph was listed as appearing on Sunday (5 May) at the '1st Annual Pangea World Festival' in Jonesborough, Tennessee. The band were scheduled to appear at 2:30pm at One World Village.

The festival itself ran from 4-5 May and also included Dry Branch Fire Squad. As the event title suggests other entertainment covered a wide variety of styles from across the globe.

05 May 2007 - Atlanta, GA (19 years ago)

Ralph had a show at Rialto Center for the Performing Arts, Atlanta, Georgia. Also on the bill were Mexico's Grupo Siquisiri. Tickets cost $32 - $56.



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CMB Birthdays this month:

04 May 1922 - Harold 'Red' Stanley. Born 'Harold Oplis Stanley' in Fentress, Tennessee.

18 May 1938 - Henry Dockery. Walnut Marsh, North Carolina.

28 May 1956 - Ralph 'Hank' Smith. Born 'Ralph Dewayne Smith' in Elliott County, Kentucky.


In Memoriam:

02 May 1974 - Roy Lee Centers. Breathitt County, Kentucky.

03 May 2000 - Bill Napier. Johnson City, Tennessee.

09 May 1989 - Keith Whitley. Goodlettsville, Davidson County, Tennessee.

23 May 2022 - James Price. Parkersburg, Wood, West Virginia.


For the Official Ralph Stanley II and the Clinch Mountain Boys site, visit:

Ralph II ralph2.com


Spotlight on:-

Down From The Mountain
(Momentum Pictures MP-122D)


CME Recommends...

A Life Of Constant Sorrow
alifeofsorrow.com

CME Recommends...

Ralph Stanley Museum
ralphstanleymuseum.com

CME Recommends...

Hills Of Home Festival
drralphstanleyfestival.com

CME Recommends...

Rebel Records
rebelrecords.com

CME Recommends...

Bluegrass Unlimited
Bluegrass Unlimited