Rocky Mountain Boys - Burning Bluegrass

(MAG RSR-293) 1976

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This is probably Junior Blankenship's debut recording... as the liner notes say "Sixteen and never been kissed". No doubt, roughly two yars later, Ralph would have been introducing him with the "Never been murdered, I mean married" quip.

From the liner notes, it looks like the band were active since at least 1967, with Junior's Dad joining in 1973, and Junior in early 1974.

Instrumentally, the band are pretty hot - especially the fiddle and banjo work.

Hubert Powers, seems quite a talented character. His fiddle playing is firmly rooted in the 'old time' tradition, and is quite similiar to Curly Ray's work for Ralph. He also recorded a few albums with his father Fiddlin' Ted Powers, where he played the fiddle left-handed, but banjo, guitar, mandolin and bass right-handed!^[1] It seems likely that he was also related to Fiddlin Cowan Powers who played with the Stanley Brothers...^[2]

Donnie Joe Mullins, picks both Scruggs style and clawhammer and on kicking Mule steals a few licks from Raymond Fairchild too. Stanley fans will know his tune I've Got A Mule To Ride, which was the title cut on The Rocky Mountain Boys third LP, and which Ralph recorded on The Memory Of Your Smile.

The recordings were done at Maggard Sound in Big Stone Gap. Va. on 21st Feb 1976.

Junior sings lead on a version of The Marshall Family's Come Springtime, and his lead guitar is to the fore on Bill Cheatum, with shorter lead breaks also on Gold Rush and God Gave You To Me.

Avery Ratliff left after this album, with Hillard Snr taking over on mandolin, for their next album, Homestead Bluegrass.

Hillard Blankenship Snr was later the bus-driver for Ralph and also appeared on Curly Ray Cline's 1982 Smarter Than The Average Idiot LP.

• Hillard Blankenship Snr: guitar
• Hillard 'Junior' Blankenship: lead guitar
• Larry Childress: bass
• Donnie Joe Mullins: banjo
• Avery Ratliff: mandolin
• Hubert Powers: fiddle

Other artwork / related images:

[1] Liner notes / photos to Father And Son, Ted and Hubert Powers - 'Two Generations Of Old Time Fiddle' (MAG 34425-6) 1975.
[2] https://www.facebook.com/Fiddlin-Ted-Powers-137140639652507/