Dave Evans (bluegrass)

Last updated
Dave Evans
Birth nameWilliam Evans [1]
Born(1950-07-24)July 24, 1950
Portsmouth, Ohio
DiedJune 25, 2017(2017-06-25) (aged 66) [2]
Morehead, Kentucky
Genres Bluegrass music
OccupationMusician
InstrumentBanjo
Years active1968–2010
LabelsVetco, Rebel

William "Dave" Evans (July 24, 1950 - June 26, 2017) was a tenor singer, banjo player, composer, and bluegrass band leader. He was noted for his powerful tenor vocal range and for his style which bridged traditional and contemporary bluegrass. [3] Notable songs written by Evans include "One Loaf of Bread," "Highway 52," "99 Years is Almost for Life," and "Be Proud of the Grey in Your Hair." [1]

Contents

Biography

Early years

Evans grew up in Columbus, Ohio. [3] At age eight, Evans was introduced to the banjo by his father [4] who played old time banjo, but Evans preferred the Earl Scruggs style of playing. In his teens, he began singing and writing songs. Evans' first professional band was in 1968, with Earl Taylor and the Stoney Mountain Boys. Following the death of Evans' mother, he returned to Ohio for several years. [5]

Larry Sparks

In 1972, Evans joined Larry Sparks and the Lonesome Ramblers. He spent three years with Sparks, then worked with other acts such as the Goins Brothers, Red Allen and the Kentuckians, and The Boys From Indiana, Lillie Mae, and the Dixie Gospelaires. [5] [6]

River Bend

In 1978, Evans formed his own band: Dave Evans and The River Bend. Initially they recorded for the Vetco label in Cincinnati, then Evans recorded nine albums for Rebel Records with his band and as a solo artist. [5]

Later life

After an interruption due to time served for an assault conviction from 1989-1995, [3] Evans resumed his music career in 1997, recording albums for Neon Records and Rebel. [7] In 2010, Evans announced his retirement from touring due to health issues [8] and he died on June 26, 2017.

Last of the Breed

Last of the Breed is a documentary film about the life and music of Evans, telling his story through interviews with those who knew him. It is produced by Matthew Pellowski, with Tom T. Hall as an associate producer. The project is in the fundraising phase. [9]

Discography

Solo albums

As a member of Dave Evans and River Bend

Collaborations

Compilations

With Larry Sparks and the Lonesome Ramblers

As composer

Also appears on

Documentaries

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Stanley Brothers</span> American bluegrass duo

The Stanley Brothers were an American bluegrass duo of singer-songwriters and musicians, made up of brothers Carter Stanley and Ralph Stanley. Ralph and Carter performed as The Stanley Brothers with their band, The Clinch Mountain Boys, from 1946 to 1966. Ralph kept the band name when he continued as a solo artist after Carter's death, from 1967 until his own death in 2016. Thomas Goldsmith: This article continues to state that “many years later,” Ralph started playing again after Carter’s death. This is not just wrong, but absurdly wrong. As seen in many accounts of Ralph’s career, he essentially never stopped performing after Carter’s death. He played some remaining Stanley Brothers dates, then moved forward with the Clinch Mountain Boys, performing until not long before his own death.

Larry Eugene Sparks, is an American Bluegrass singer and guitarist. He was the winner of the 2004 and 2005 International Bluegrass Music Association Male Vocalist of the Year Award. 2005, won IBMA for Album of the Year and Recorded Event of the Year for his album "40," celebrating his 40th year(2003) in bluegrass music. He was inducted into the International Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame in 2015.

Carl Eugene Jackson is an American country and bluegrass musician. Jackson's first Grammy was awarded in 1992 for his duet album with John Starling titled "Spring Training." In 2003 Jackson produced the Grammy Award-winning CD titled Livin', Lovin', Losin': Songs of the Louvin Brothers – a tribute to Ira and Charlie Louvin. He also recorded one of the songs on the CD, a collection of duets featuring such artists as James Taylor, Alison Krauss, Dolly Parton, Johnny Cash, Emmylou Harris, and others.

The Lonesome Pine Fiddlers (1938–1966) were an early bluegrass band. Throughout their formations, they included notable "first generation" bluegrass musicians such as Ezra Cline, Bobby Osborne, Paul Williams, Melvin Goins, Charlie Cline, Curly Ray Cline, and Larry Richardson. The Lonesome Pine Fiddlers were inducted into the International Bluegrass Music Association Hall of Fame in 2009.

"Big" Paul Williams is an American bluegrass and gospel musician. He took the surname Williams when he began his musical career in the early 1950s. He was guitarist and lead singer for the Lonesome Pine Fiddlers before replacing Earl Taylor in the Sunny Mountain Boys in 1957, playing mandolin and being featured regularly as a lead singer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Butch Baldassari</span> Musical artist

Jerome Henry "Butch" Baldassari was an American mandolinist, recording artist, composer, and music teacher.

David Grier is an American guitarist. In addition to his solo albums and recordings with Psychograss, Richard Greene and The Grass Is Greener, and with Todd Phillips and Matt Flinner, he has been featured as a performer on many albums by other artists.

Louis Reid Pyrtle is an American bluegrass singer and musician, bandleader of The Seldom Scene.

James Arnott “Jimmy” Gaudreau is a singer and mandolinist playing traditional and progressive bluegrass music. He is best known for his solo albums, and his work with The Country Gentlemen, Tony Rice, and J. D. Crowe.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Terry Baucom</span> American singer-songwriter (1952–2023)

Terry Baucom was an American bluegrass singer, banjo player, and band leader. He was nicknamed "The Duke of Drive" for his propelling banjo style. He led his band, The Dukes of Drive, and was a founding member of Boone Creek, Doyle Lawson and Quicksilver, and IIIrd Tyme Out.

Donald Glen Rigsby is an American mandolinist, fiddler, guitarist, vocalist, and producer in the bluegrass tradition. He is known for his solo career, and for his work with the Lonesome River Band and Longview.

Kenny Smith is an American guitarist and vocalist in the bluegrass tradition.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sammy Shelor</span> Musical artist

Sammy Shelor is an American banjoist in the bluegrass tradition. He is best known as leader of the Lonesome River Band and for his solo recordings, music instruction, and session work.

Dudley Dale Connell is an American singer in the bluegrass tradition. He is best known for his work with the Johnson Mountain Boys, Longview, and The Seldom Scene.

Ron Stewart is an American multi-instrumentalist in the bluegrass tradition. He plays fiddle, guitar, banjo, and mandolin, and has won the International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA) award for Fiddle Player of the Year in 2000 and Banjo Player of the Year in 2011.

Scott Vestal is an American banjoist, songwriter and luthier, known for his innovative approach to playing and designing the banjo.

Randy Alan Kohrs is an American multi-instrumentalist best known for his resonator guitar prowess, but he plays 13 instruments. He is also a Grammy-winning producer and recording engineer.

Harry Carpenter "Junior" Sisk Jr. is an American guitarist and vocalist in the bluegrass tradition, best known for his work with his band Rambler's Choice. He cites the hard-driving bluegrass of the Stanley Brothers as a major influence on his approach to bluegrass music.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rickie Simpkins</span> American singer-songwriter

Rickie Hal Simpkins is an American fiddler and mandolinist in the bluegrass tradition. He is best known for his solo albums and his work with the Lonesome River Band and the Seldom Scene.

Joe Mullins is an American banjo player, vocalist, band leader, and radio broadcaster. He plays bluegrass and gospel music.

References

  1. 1 2 "William "Dave" Evans". Journal-Times.
  2. ↑ "Dates: Birth & Death". BluegrassBios. Retrieved August 1, 2017.
  3. 1 2 3 Johnson, Lee (November 4, 2013). "Will You Carry On". Oxford American. Retrieved August 2, 2017.
  4. ↑ "Popular bluegrass musician takes stage at Appalshop". The Coalfield Progress. December 30, 2008. Retrieved August 2, 2017.[ permanent dead link ]
  5. 1 2 3 Lawless, John (June 26, 2017). "Daves Evans passes". Bluegrass Today. Retrieved August 1, 2017.
  6. ↑ Penny Parsons (June 1, 2009). "The Many Hats of Melvin Goins". Bluegrass Unlimited. Archived from the original on May 25, 2019. Retrieved August 1, 2017.
  7. ↑ Joe Ross (April 20, 2015). "Album Review of Pretty Green Hills: Dave Evans". Roots Music Report. Retrieved August 2, 2017.
  8. ↑ "Dave Evans announces retirement from heavy touring". Country Standard Time. October 14, 2010. Retrieved August 1, 2017.
  9. ↑ Lawless, John (July 17, 2014). "Last of the Breed in the stretch run". Bluegrass Today. Retrieved August 1, 2017.
  10. ↑ Joyce, Mike (January 14, 1983). "Redemption, Bluegrass Style". The Washington Post. Retrieved August 2, 2017.
  11. ↑ Brad San Martin. "Dave Evans: Just Look At Me Now, High Waters". Country Standard Time. Retrieved August 2, 2017.
  12. ↑ Art Menius (January 1, 1999). "Review Dave Evans High Waters". Art Menius. Retrieved August 2, 2017.
  13. ↑ Maria Morgan Davis (December 16, 2007). ""Pretty Green Hills" by Dave Evans". The Lonesome Road Review. Retrieved August 1, 2017.[ permanent dead link ]
  14. ↑ Larry Stephens. "Dave Evans: The Best of the Vetco Years". Country Standard Time. Retrieved August 1, 2017.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.