Reviewed by Tony Cummings

Down the decades there have been thousands of books published documenting the lives of important (and occasionally obscure) musicians, but here's one of the finest ever written. Ralph Stanley, through his groundbreaking work with the Stanley Brothers and their band The Clinch Mountain Boys, became one of the seminal figures in American rural music. Most people referred to Ralph's music as bluegrass but he prefers "old time mountain music". In this fascinating book Ralph, now in his 80s, tells his story of being offered on his 11th birthday the choice of getting either a pig or a banjo for his present and deciding on the latter began to lay the foundations of a career with his brother Carter as the two found that their vocal blend was one of the most haunting sounds ever heard outside the Primitive Baptist Church which created their singing style. For 20 years the Stanley Brothers scratched a living before Carter succumbed to liver disease at age 41. After that tragedy Ralph went solo and then, late in his life, was unexpectedly recognised by a new youthful audience who had discovered the rich history of American folk music. Finally Stanley reached the pinnacle of his career through his unforgettable musical performances in the O Brother, Where Art Thou? film. Throughout his long life Stanley has never lost his strong Christian faith and this often shines through many of his colourful accounts of his years of struggle and eventual creative acclaim. Ralph's story is in itself fascinating, but what takes this book up to the next level is the ability of its ghost writer, Eddie Dean, to capture the cadences of Stanley's speech and rural wisdom so that often the reader is transported into a world of Appalachian mountains, hard-drinking men and homespun values. A masterly work.

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.

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