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Threadgill Series To Feature Bluegrass Legend Ralph Stanley on October 22nd Rockin’ Acoustic Circus and Commerce Resident Brad Davis To Open Show

Grammy award winner and Grand Ole Opry member Ralph Stanley will bring his band of over 60 years, The Clinch Mountain Boys, to Greenville on Saturday evening October 22nd to headline the final installment of the 2011 Kenneth Threadgill Concert Series.

An exciting young group, Rockin’ Acoustic Circus, and Commerce resident Brad Davis will open the concert at the historic Municipal Auditorium in Downtown Greenville.

Tickets for the October 22nd concert can be purchased in Greenville at Cavenders and at the Magic Bubble, Calico Cat, and Petticoat Junction downtown. Tickets are also available online at www.frontgatetickets.com or by calling (888) 512-SHOW. A limited number of seats are available in the reserved section.

Ralph Edmond Stanley was born, grew up, and lives today in rural southwestern Virginia. After initially considering a career in “veterinary,” he decided to throw in with his older guitar-playing brother, Carter, and form the Clinch Mountain Boys in 1946. Drawing heavily on the musical traditions of the area, which included the unique minor-key singing style of the Primitive Baptist Universalist church and the sweet down-home family harmonies of the Carter Family, the Stanleys began playing on local radio stations.

Initially covering “a lot of Bill Monroe music”, they soon “found out that didn’t pay off– we needed something of our own. So we started writing songs in 1947, 1948. I guess I wrote 20 or so banjo tunes, but Carter was a better writer than me.” When Columbia Records signed the Stanley Brothers, Bill Monroe left in protest and joined Decca. Later, the Stanleys split up for a time and Carter went to sing for Monroe, the “Father of Bluegrass.”

Ralph and Carter performed as The Stanley Brothers with their band, the Clinch Mountain Boys from 1946 to 1966.

After Carter died in 1966, Ralph faced a hard decision on whether to continue performing on his own. He decided to go it alone, eventually reviving the Clinch Mountain Boys. Later, his son Ralph Stanley II, took over as lead singer and rhythm guitarist for the Clinch Mountain Boys.

Stanley’s work was featured in the 200 film O Brother, Where Art Thou?, in which he sings the Appalachian dirge “O Death.” With that song, Stanley won a 2002 Grammy Award in the category of Best Male Country Vocal Performance.

Stanley was inducted into the International Bluegrass Music Hall of Honor in 1992 and in 2000 he became the first person to be inducted into the Grand Ole Opry in the third millennium. In 2006 he was awarded the National Medal of Arts. He was featured in the Josh Turner hit song “Me and God,” the same year.

Stanley created a unique style of banjo playing, sometimes called the “Stanley Style”. It evolved from the Scruggs style, which is a three finger technique. “Stanley style” is distinguished by incredibly fast “forward rolls.”

Rockin’ Acoustic Circus is a group from Tulsa that includes four teens (including a female cellist) and their musical mentor, Rick Morton. Their acoustic music draws from bluegrass, folk, country, classical and jazz. The band is gaining critical respect from traditional and progressive listeners alike.

Brad Davis was born and raised in the Dallas area. He has spent his life performing on stage and touring with bluegrass, country, and rock acts from all over the world.

Davis moved to Nashville in the late 1980's. Upon arriving in Music City, he found a job as a roving fiddle and guitar minstrel at Opryland USA.

In 1992, he became a member of Marty Stuart’s road and studio band, the Rock and Roll Cowboys, and continued in the band through 2002, touring across the world and appearing in music videos and television shows on CMT and what was then known as TNN.

After a jam with Stuart at the home of Earl Scruggs in 2001, Brad was invited to become a member of Scruggs’ road band, “Earl Scruggs with Family & Friends”, of which he is still a member. Davis appeared on a Grand Ole Opry episode, which aired on CMT, as part of this configuration, to sing “The Ballad of Jed Clampett”.

After leaving Stuart’s band, Davis established a musical partnership with the actor Billy Bob Thornton, Davis became a member of Thornton’s road band and studio band, a partnership which continues to this day.

From 2003- 2005, he was the guitarist and harmony vocalist in Sam Bush’s road and studio band and appeared on Bush’s “King of My World” in 2005.

Over the years, Davis has had his songs recorded by various country and bluegrass artists, including country star Tim McGraw (“Ain’t No Angels”).

He has been a columnist for Flatpicking Guitar Magazine sing 1996 and is currently Takamine’s main guitar clinician, conducting dozens of clinics for Takamine Guitars each year.

Series coordinator, Larry W. Green, Jr. is excited about bringing bluegrass to the Threadgill Series of the first time.

“I have wanted to present a bluegrass show to the Threadgill audience for years. We could not dream of a more revered artist to headline our first bluegrass concert than Ralph Stanley.”

“Dr. Ralph Stanley is a true living legend”, Green continued. “When you hear Ralph Stanley and the Clinch Mountain Boys for perform, you are hearing bluegrass music as it originated in Kentucky and Virginia over sixty years ago.”

Green is equally enthused about the two opening acts. “There will be a wide variety of acoustic music in this concert. Rockin’ Acoustic Circus is a very talented young group who are putting their own unique stamp on bluegrass and acoustic music. Our audience will have the opportunity to hear different styles of acoustic music, from the traditional bluegrass of Ralph Stanley to the more progressive sound of Rockin’ Acoustic Circus.”

“And Brad Davis is an artist whom I have wanted to bring to the Threadgill Series for a number of years,” Green said. “He grew up in north Texas before going to Nashville. He performs all kinds of music, from bluegrass to rock to country. He is an awesome guitar player. Brad is known as one of the world’s finest flatpicking guitarists. Brad now lives in Commerce and is dedicated to supporting the local music scene, said Green.

Violin students from local elementary schools will again perform at the concert. The Greenville Suzuki Strings Association sells bottled water at the concerts, with all proceeds being used to purchase new violins for the students.

The first Threadgill concert in 2012 is scheduled for Saturday, February 25th and will feature the recently reunited Foster & Lloyd and a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, country-rock pioneer Chris Hillman.

More information on the Threadgill Series can be found at www.greenville-texas.com.

Photo links:

Ralph Stanley: www.morrispr.biz/downart61.htm (Click on Ralph Stanley)

Brad Davis: braddavismusic.com/braddavismusic/MEDIA_bio.html (or go to www.braddavis.com and click on “media/bio”)

Rockin’ Acoustic Circus: www.rockinacousticcircus.com (Click on “press kit”)