Roy Lee Centers - The Early Years Vol. 2

(Vetco LP 3034) 1979

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The only known copy of this, comes from a cassette version which has a terrible echo on some tracks and is almost unlistenable in places. The only other reference I can find to it is on the Charley Pennell discography.

As with Vol. 1, the album is a retrospective compilation of material Roy Lee recorded with Jack Lynch between 1963/4 - 1969/70. Four of the tracks had previously been released in 1968 on Jack Lynch's Bluegrass Music LP and at least some were also released on 45s as Jack Lynch and The Lee Brothers. eg. Little Birdie/You Left Me This Morning (Jalyn 45-201) 1963; Little Birdie/All The Love I Had Is Gone (Jalyn 45-208) 1964; I'll Always Remember/It's Not Right (Jalyn 45-300) 196?; Battle Of New Orleans/Cripple Creek (Jalyn 45-304) 1965.

Roy Lee Centers is credited with two tracks. All The Love I Had Is Gone (See Bluegrass Music entry); and You Left Me This Morning which was also later recorded by Sammy Adkins - Tribute To Keith Whitley.

Rather oddly, the version of Wabash Cannonball doesn't feature Roy Lee at all... and is in fact from Don Reno & Bill Harrell's 'The Most Requested Songs' LP (Jalyn JLP-119) 1968.

The album may have been reissued on CD (Crosscut CR-1028) 200?, but again details are elusive. See the Vol. 1 notes for more background info.

If anyone has a copy of this on LP/CD or 8-track, I'd sure like to hear from you!

Thanks to Steve Wisner/Chris Wing for the updated info and cassette scan.

• Jack Lynch: bass, banjo, bass vocal
• Lonnie Bolin: guitar?
• Daniel Boone Centers: tenor vocal
• Roy Lee Centers: banjo, guitar, lead vocals
• Bob Dooley: fiddle
• Bernard Gumm: rhythm guitar, tenor/lead vocal
• Wilburn Hall: banjo
• Willie Hatton Jr: rhythmn guitar, baritone vocal
• Fred Spencer: lead guitar, bass guitar, baritone vocal
• Frank Wakefield: mandolin, baritone vocal

Other artwork / related images: