Kentucky Colonels (band)

Last updated
The Kentucky Colonels
Kentuckycolonels.jpg
The Kentucky Colonels in 1964
From left to right: Roland White, Roger Bush, Clarence White, Bobby Slone, and Billy Ray Latham
Background information
Origin Burbank, California, United States
Genres Bluegrass
Years active1954–65; 1966–67; 1973
LabelsSundown, Republic, Briar International, World Pacific, Sierra
Associated actsThe White Brothers, the New Kentucky Colonels, the Byrds, the Dillards, Country Gazette, Tut Taylor, Eric Weissberg, the Nashville Bluegrass Band, the Flying Burrito Brothers
Past members Roland White
Clarence White
Billy Ray Latham
LeRoy Mack
Roger Bush
Bobby Slone
Scotty Stoneman
Eric White Jr.
Dennis Morris
Bob Warford
Bobby Crane

The Kentucky Colonels were a bluegrass band that was popular during the American folk music revival of the early 1960s. [1] Formed in Burbank, California in 1954, the group released two albums, The New Sound of Bluegrass America (1963) and Appalachian Swing! (1964). The band featured the influential bluegrass guitarist Clarence White, who was largely responsible for making the acoustic guitar a lead instrument within bluegrass, [2] and who later went on to join the Los Angeles rock band the Byrds. [3] The Kentucky Colonels disbanded in late 1965, with two short-lived reunions taking place in 1966 and 1973.

Contents

History

Early years

In 1954, the three White brothers, Roland (mandolin), Clarence (acoustic guitar), and Eric Jr. (banjo and double bass) formed a country trio called Three Little Country Boys. [4] The family group, which was occasionally augmented by the brothers' sister Joanne on bass, [5] [6] won a talent contest early on in their career, on radio station KXLA in Pasadena, and, by 1957, had managed to attract the interest of country guitarist Joe Maphis. [7] With Maphis's help, the Three Little Country Boys made several appearances on the popular television program Town Hall Party . [7]

As a result of Roland's growing interest in bluegrass music, the group soon switched to an entirely bluegrass repertoire. [6] In 1957, banjoist Billy Ray Latham and Dobro player LeRoy Mack were added to the line-up, [5] with the group renaming themselves the Country Boys soon after. [4] In 1961, bassist Roger Bush replaced Eric Jr., who had left the band to get married. [4] That same year, the quartet had become popular enough to appear twice on The Andy Griffith Show . [4] Between 1959 and 1962, the Country Boys released three singles on the Sundown, Republic and Briar International record labels. [7]

Commercial success

In September 1962, the Country Boys recorded their debut album for Briar International. [4] At Maphis's suggestion, the band decided to change their name to the Kentucky Colonels, [4] with their album being released in early 1963, under the title The New Sound of Bluegrass America. [8] Around this time, Clarence's flatpicking guitar style became a more prominent part of the group's sound, [6] with his speed and virtuosity on the instrument being largely responsible for making the guitar a lead instrument within bluegrass music. [8] [2] In addition to being accomplished musicians, the Kentucky Colonels' music often featured close harmony vocals, with Clarence singing lead and baritone, Roland singing lead and tenor, Roger on lead and bass, and Billy Ray singing lead, tenor, and high baritone. [9]

Following the release of their debut album, the Kentucky Colonels became well known on the bluegrass circuit during 1963 and 1964, performing at a multitude of folk and country venues throughout California and the United States, including an appearance at the prestigious Monterey Folk Festival in May 1963. [4] While they may not have enjoyed the same level of commercial success as their contemporaries the Dillards, the group were highly influential and their strict adherence to a traditional, purist bluegrass repertoire saw their albums become underground classics. [10] [11]

In 1964, while continuing to make live appearances, [4] the band were signed to World Pacific Records by producer Jim Dickson, [12] who would later become the manager of the folk rock band the Byrds. After the recruitment of fiddle player Bobby Slone, [4] the Colonels released their second album, the purely instrumental Appalachian Swing! in April 1964. [13] Although it failed to chart, the album was a commercial success, with White's flatpicking permanently expanding the language of bluegrass guitar. [12] Writing for the AllMusic website, critic Thom Owens has described the album as "one of the most influential albums in the whole of bluegrass music, primarily because of the stunning playing of Clarence White." [14] Owens also noted that White's playing on the album "helped pioneer a new style in bluegrass; namely, he redefined the acoustic guitar as a solo instrument." [14] By the close of the year, the Kentucky Colonels were considered by fans and critics to be one of the best bluegrass groups in the United States. [4]

Although they were now a successful recording act, it was becoming increasingly hard for the Colonels to make a living playing bluegrass. [7] The folk music revival of the late 1950s and early 1960s—which had helped facilitate the Colonels' commercial success—had been dealt a serious blow in 1964 by the popularity of the beat music of the British Invasion. However, it wasn't until mid-1965, with the release of the Byrds' folk rock single "Mr. Tambourine Man" and Bob Dylan's "Subterranean Homesick Blues", that the folk revival's popularity began to seriously wane. Before long, many young folk performers and some bluegrass acts were switching to electric instrumentation. [7] The Kentucky Colonels followed suit, plugging in with electric instruments and hiring a drummer, in order to keep a concert booking as a country dance band at a bowling alley. [15] The band added fiddle player Scotty Stoneman to their line-up in mid-1965, as a replacement for Slone, [7] but some months later, the Kentucky Colonels dissolved as a band after a show on October 31, 1965. [8]

In 1966, Clarence, Roland and Eric Jr. reunited, with rhythm guitarist Dennis Morris, banjo player Bob Warford, and fiddle player Bobby Crane to form a new version of the Kentucky Colonels. [16] This line-up of the band made sporadic concert appearances and also recorded a series of demos that were eventually released in 1979 on the archival album Kentucky Colonels 1966. [16] The group continued to make concert appearances until 1967 when Clarence was asked to play with Bill Monroe and the Blue Grass Boys. [16] Although Clarence declined the offer, his brother Roland took the job and, as a result, the Colonels once more disbanded. [16]

1973 reunion

In early 1973, Roland, Eric Jr. and Clarence reunited once again for a series of shows as the White Brothers (a.k.a. The New Kentucky Colonels). [17] The trio was augmented by Herb Pedersen on guitar and Alan Munde on banjo. [18] After playing a handful of shows in California, including one at the Ash Grove folk club in Los Angeles, the White Brothers departed for Europe in May 1973. [18] One of the band's Swedish shows was later released in 1976 as The White Brothers: The New Kentucky Colonels Live in Sweden 1973, [17] while a concert recording from Breda in the Netherlands was issued in 2013 as Live in Holland 1973. [19]

Returning to the United States, the New Kentucky Colonels took part in a four-date country rock package tour in June 1973, with Gram Parsons, Emmylou Harris, Country Gazette, Sneaky Pete Kleinow, Gene Parsons, Byron Berline, and Chris Ethridge among others. [20]

Clarence White died on July 15, 1973, after being struck by a drunk driver, while he loaded his gear into the back of a car, in Palmdale, California, following a concert by the New Kentucky Colonels. [21] This tragic event marked the end of the Kentucky Colonels.

Members

Discography

Albums

Singles

Related Research Articles

Bill Monroe American bluegrass musician, songwriter

William Smith Monroe was an American mandolinist, singer, and songwriter, who created the bluegrass music genre. Because of this, he is often called the "Father of Bluegrass".

Bluegrass music Genre of American roots music and sub-genre of country music

Bluegrass music is a genre of American roots music that developed in the 1940s in the United States Appalachian region. The genre derives its name from the band Bill Monroe and the Blue Grass Boys. Unlike mainstream country music, bluegrass is traditionally played on acoustic stringed instruments. Bluegrass has roots in traditional English, Scottish, and Irish ballads and dance tunes and in traditional African-American blues and jazz. Bluegrass was further developed by musicians who played with Monroe, including 5-string banjo player Earl Scruggs and guitarist Lester Flatt. Monroe characterized the genre as: "Scottish bagpipes and ole-time fiddlin'. It's a part of Methodist, Holiness and Baptist traditions. It's blues and jazz, and it has a high lonesome sound."

Old-time music Genre of folk music

Old-time music is a genre of North American folk music. It developed along with various North American folk dances, such as square dancing, clogging, and buck dancing. It is played on acoustic instruments, generally centering on a combination of fiddle and plucked string instruments, most often the banjo, guitar, and mandolin.

Chris Hillman American musician

Christopher Hillman is an American musician. He was the original bassist and one of the original members of The Byrds, which in 1965 included Roger McGuinn, Gene Clark, David Crosby and Michael Clarke. With frequent collaborator Gram Parsons, Hillman was a key figure in the development of country rock, defining the genre through his work with The Byrds, The Flying Burrito Brothers, Manassas and the country-rock group The Desert Rose Band.

Muleskinner (band)

Muleskinner was an American bluegrass supergroup, active during the early 1970s.

Clarence White American musician

Clarence White was an American bluegrass and country guitarist and singer. He is best known as a member of the bluegrass ensemble the Kentucky Colonels and the rock band the Byrds, as well as for being a pioneer of the musical genre of country rock during the late 1960s.

Appalachian music Traditional music of the American Appalachian Mountains region

Appalachian music is the music of the region of Appalachia in the Eastern United States. Traditional Appalachian music is derived from various influences, including the ballads, hymns and fiddle music of the British Isles, the African music and blues of early African Americans, and to a lesser extent the music of Continental Europe.

Larry 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.

Eric Weissberg was an American singer, banjo player, and multi-instrumentalist, whose most commercially successful recording was his banjo solo in "Dueling Banjos," featured as the theme of the film Deliverance (1972) and released as a single that reached number 2 in the United States and Canada in 1973.

Gene Victor Parsons is an American drummer, banjo player, guitarist, singer-songwriter, and engineer, best known for his work with the Byrds from 1968 to 1972. Parsons has also released solo albums and played in bands including Nashville West, the Flying Burrito Brothers, and Parsons Green. Along with guitarist Clarence White, he is credited with inventing the B-Bender —a device which allows a guitarist to emulate the sound of a pedal steel guitar. The device is often referred to as the Parsons/White B-Bender, a trademarked name.

Doyle Lawson American bluegrass and gospel musician

Doyle Lawson is an American traditional bluegrass and Southern gospel musician. He is best known as a mandolin player, vocalist, producer, and leader of the 6-man group Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver. Lawson was inducted into the International Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame in 2012.

The Johnson City Sessions were a series of influential recording auditions conducted in Johnson City, Tennessee, in 1928 and 1929 by Frank Buckley Walker, head of the Columbia Records "hillbilly" recordings division. Certain releases from the Johnson City Sessions—especially Clarence Ashley's "The Coo-coo Bird" and The Bentley Boys' "Down On Penny's Farm"—are considered by music scholars as important recordings of early country music that influenced a whole generation of revivalist folk musicians of the 1950s and 1960s, including Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, and Doc Watson.

Roland White Musical artist

Roland White was an American bluegrass music artist, performing principally on the mandolin.

Bill Keith (musician) Musical artist

William Bradford "Bill" Keith was a five-string banjoist who made a significant contribution to the stylistic development of the instrument. In the 1960s he introduced a variation on the popular "Scruggs style" of banjo playing which would soon become known as melodic style, or "Keith style".

Alan Munde American musician

Alan Munde is an American five-string banjo player and bluegrass musician.

Sierra Records is an independent record label based in Etiwanda, California.

Roger Bush is an American bassist and guitarist.

<i>Appalachian Swing!</i> 1964 studio album by Kentucky Colonels

Appalachian Swing! is the second album by the American bluegrass band the Kentucky Colonels and was released on April 20, 1964 on World Pacific Records. Although it failed to chart in America, the album sold reasonably well over the course of the year and became an influential underground classic. A number of critics and authors have commented on how guitarist Clarence White's flatpicking guitar style on the album influenced the development of bluegrass guitar playing.

Larry Prentis Rice was an American mandolinist, singer, songwriter, and band leader in the bluegrass tradition. He is known for his solo albums and for his unique syncopated mandolin picking style.

Herschel Sizemore is an American mandolinist in the bluegrass tradition.

References

  1. ↑ Brennan, Sandra. "The Kentucky Colonels biography". Allmusic . Rovi Corp. Retrieved 2017-05-28.
  2. 1 2 "100 Greatest Guitarists: Clarence White". Rolling Stone . Wenner Media. Retrieved 2013-08-13.
  3. ↑ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Clarence White biography". Allmusic . Rovi Corp. Retrieved 2017-05-28.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Hjort, Christopher (2008). So You Want To Be A Rock 'n' Roll Star: The Byrds Day-By-Day (1965–1973). London: Jawbone Press. p. 14. ISBN   1-906002-15-0.
  5. 1 2 Rogan, Johnny (1998). The Byrds: Timeless Flight Revisited - The Sequel (2nd ed.). London: Rogan House. pp. 267–268. ISBN   0-9529540-1-X.
  6. 1 2 3 Kingsbury, Paul (1998). The Encyclopedia of Country Music: The Ultimate Guide to the Music . New York City: Oxford University Press, USA. p.  581. ISBN   0-19511-671-2.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Connors, Tim. "Clarence White with the Kentucky Colonels: 1954-1965". ByrdWatcher: A Field Guide to the Byrds of Los Angeles. Euclid Business Network. Archived from the original on 2014-11-08. Retrieved 2013-08-13.
  8. 1 2 3 Rogan, Johnny (1998). The Byrds: Timeless Flight Revisited - The Sequel (2nd ed.). London: Rogan House. pp. 581–584. ISBN   0-9529540-1-X.
  9. ↑ Kaparakis, John (1975). Livin' in the Past (Album notes). Kentucky Colonels. Tennessee: Briar International Records. p. Back cover.
  10. ↑ Rosenberg, Neil V. (2005). Bluegrass: A History. Champaign, Illinois: University of Illinois Press. p.  193. ISBN   0-252-06304-X.
  11. ↑ Einarson, John (2001). Desperados: The Roots of Country Rock. New York City: Cooper Square Press. p.  33. ISBN   0-8154-1065-4.
  12. 1 2 Hjort, Christopher (2008). So You Want To Be A Rock 'n' Roll Star: The Byrds Day-By-Day (1965–1973). London: Jawbone Press. p. 18. ISBN   1-906002-15-0.
  13. ↑ Skinker, Chris; Skinker, Tom (1993). Appalachian Swing! (CD booklet). Kentucky Colonels. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Rounder Records.
  14. 1 2 Owens, Thom. "Appalachian Swing! album review". Allmusic . Rovi Corp. Retrieved 2013-08-13.
  15. ↑ Delgatto, John (1986). "The Too-Short Career of Clarence White". Frets Magazine. Cupertino, California: GPI Publications. pp. 12–14.
  16. 1 2 3 4 Connors, Tim. "Clarence White Plugs In: 1965-1968". ByrdWatcher: A Field Guide to the Byrds of Los Angeles. Euclid Business Network. Archived from the original on 2014-11-07. Retrieved 2013-08-14.
  17. 1 2 Connors, Tim. "Clarence White: With the Byrds and After, 1968-1973". ByrdWatcher: A Field Guide to the Byrds of Los Angeles. Euclid Business Network. Archived from the original on 2014-10-07. Retrieved 2013-08-13.
  18. 1 2 Moses, Bob. "A Record of His Own: Roland White's Solo Reissued". Smoke Music Archive. Smoke Creative. Archived from the original on 2015-10-04. Retrieved 2014-03-03.
  19. ↑ White, Roland. "The New Kentucky Colonels: Live in Holland 1973 - Liner Notes by Roland White". Roland White Homepage. Archived from the original on 2014-03-03. Retrieved 2014-03-03.
  20. ↑ Meyer, David N. (2007). Twenty Thousand Roads: The Ballad of Gram Parsons and His Cosmic American Music. New York, NY: Villard Books. pp.  404–405. ISBN   978-0-375-50570-6.
  21. ↑ Hjort, Christopher (2008). So You Want To Be A Rock 'n' Roll Star: The Byrds Day-By-Day (1965–1973). London: Jawbone Press. p. 321. ISBN   1-906002-15-0.
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.