Old Folk Music Artists You Should Know
Contents
If you’re a fan of old folk music, then you should check out these artists that have been around for years. You might just find a new favorite!
The Carter Family
The Carter Family was a country music group that recorded between 1927 and 1956. The group was composed of husband and wife A.P. Carter and Sara Carter, and later Maybelle Carter. The Carter Family was one of the first commercial country music groups, and their recordings did much to popularize the genre.
Origins
The Carter Family was an American old-time music group that recorded between 1927 and 1956. The group was founded in 1927 by A.P. Carter, his sister-in-law Maybelle Carter, and her cousin Sara Carter. They were the first commercially successful country music band and one of the longest-lived groups of the genre, recording more than 300 songs over the course of their 29-year career.
Recordings
The Carter Family’s first recordings, made in 1927, were the first commercial recordings of country music. The group recorded “Bury Me Under the Weeping Willow” and “Can the Circle Be Unbroken (Bye and Bye)” on July 31, 1927, and released them on Victor Records. These two songs would become country music standards. The Carter Family continued to record throughout the 1930s and 1940s for Victor, Bluebird, and Decca Records. They were the firstcountry music group to have a hit record with “Keep On the Sunny Side” in 1928.
Legacy
The Carter Family was one of the first commercially successful country music groups. They recorded songs about home, family, love, and loss that resonated with people across the United States. The Carter Family’s music has been influential in subsequent generations of country artists. Their legacy continues to this day.
The Stanley Brothers
The Stanley Brothers were an American bluegrass duo from Cloverdale, Virginia. They were especially known for their close harmonization and high, yearning vocal styles. They are credited with helping to popularize bluegrass music in the 1940s and 1950s. Some of their most famous songs include “Angel Band” and “The Shady Grove”.
Origins
The Stanley Brothers were an American old-time music duo from southwest Virginia, consisting of brothers Carter Stanley (1925-1966) and Ralph Stanley (1927-2016). The Stanleys were influenced by both Appalachian folk music and mainstream country music, and they helped to popularize bluegrass music in the 1940s and 1950s. They were especially well known for their close harmony singing, which they learned from their mother.
The Stanley Brothers rose to prominence in the late 1940s and early 1950s with their appearances on the Grand Ole Opry radio show. They began recording for Columbia Records in 1947, and they released a series of successful singles, including “The White Dove” (1948), “Little Glass of Wine” (1949), and “Who Will Sing for Me?” (1950). In 1951, they switched to Mercury Records and had their biggest hit with “I’m a Man of Constant Sorrow”, which was featured in the 2000 film O Brother, Where Art Thou?.
Following Carter’s death in 1966, Ralph continued to perform as a solo artist and with various iterations of the Stanley Brothers band. He was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2006 and the International Bluegrass Music Hall of Honor in 1993. He continued to perform until his own death in 2016.
Recordings
The Stanley Brothers recorded over 600 songs during their career. While they are best known for their bluegrass music, they also played and recorded country, blues, gospel, and rockabilly music. They released over 50 albums, many of which wererecordings of live performances. Some of their most popular songs include “Angel Band”, “I’m a Man of Constant Sorrow”, and “O Death”.
Legacy
The Stanley Brothers were an American bluegrass duo consisting of brothers Carter Stanley (1925-1966) and Ralph Stanley (1927-2016). The Stanley Brothers were one of the first bluegrass bands to gain widespread popularity, and they exerted a considerable influence on the development of the genre. They are perhaps best known for their song “O Death,” which was featured in the movie O Brother, Where Art Thou? and won a Grammy award in 2002.
The Stanley Brothers began performing together in 1946 and released their first album, Songs of the Stanley Brothers, in 1947. They went on to release more than 60 albums over the course of their career. In addition to “O Death,” some of their other well-known songs include “Angel Band,” “I Am a Man of Constant Sorrow,” and “Goin’ Up Cripple Creek.”
The Stanley Brothers were inducted into the Grand Ole Opry in 1950 and the International Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame in 1992. Ralph Stanley continued to perform and record after Carter’s death in 1966, and he remained active until his own death in 2016.
The Louvin Brothers
One of the most influential old folk music artists are The Louvin Brothers. The group consisted of brothers Ira and Charlie Louvin. They are known for their close harmony singing and their songs often featured their trademark yodeling. Some of their most famous songs include “Cash on the Barrelhead” and “The Great Atomic Power”.
Origins
The Louvin Brothers were an American musical duo composed of brothers Ira and Charlie Louvin. The brothers are members of the Grand Ole Opry and are best known for their close harmony singing and original songs, such as “The Knoxville Girl”, that often painted a picture of the darker side of life and love. Throughout their careers, they performed with various artists including Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins, and Merle Haggard. The brothers released several successful albums and singles throughout their careers.
Ira and Charlie were born in 1924 and 1930 respectively in Alabama. They began singing together when they were children and were first influenced by their father’s interest in music. In the 1940s, the brothers worked as farmers and began playing country music at local dances. In 1955, they moved to Nashville to pursue a career in music.
The Louvin Brothers first gained attention with their appearance on Ernest Tubb’s radio show in 1956. They signed with Capitol Records in 1957 and released their first album, Songs of the Louvin Brothers, that year. The album featured “The Knoxville Girl”, which became one of their most well-known songs. The brothers continued to release successful albums and singles throughout the late 1950s and 1960s.
Ira died in a car accident in 1965, which ended the group’s career. Charlie continued to perform as a solo artist after his brother’s death. In 2001, he was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame alongside Ira posthumously.
Recordings
The Louvin Brothers recorded over one hundred songs during their career. They released thirty-six singles, one live album, and numerous compilation albums. The brothers wrote and performed close harmony songs, both original compositions and traditional numbers. Most of their original compositions are classified as country music, although some anticipate the style of rock and roll. Their signature song is “The Knoxville Girl”, which has been recorded by many other artists. Other well-known Louvin Brothers songs include “Cash on the Barrelhead”, “I Don’t Believe You’ve Met My Baby”, their version of “Knoxville Girl” called “A Dear Companion”, and “When I Stop Dreaming”.
Legacy
The Louvin Brothers were an American musical duo composed of brothers Ira and Charlie Louvin. The brothers are remembered for their work in the genre of country music, with their top-10 hits “I Don’t Belong to Me” and “My Baby’s Gone”. The brothers were inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2001.
Despite critical acclaim and a devoted following, the Louvin Brothers never achieved commercial success on the scale of their contemporaries. In 1963, Charlie had been injured in a near fatal car accident that resulted in his estranged wife being killed. This, combined with Ira’s alcoholism, led to the dissolution of the group in 1963.
The two brothers continued to pursue separate solo careers until Charlie’s death in 2011. Ira died in 2016.
Doc Watson
Arthel Lane “Doc” Watson (March 3, 1923 – May 29, 2012) was an American guitar player, songwriter, and singer of bluegrass, folk, country, blues, and gospel music. His flat-picking style of guitar playing was influential in the formation of contemporary country music and he received many honors during his lifetime, including the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award and the National Medal of Arts.
Origins
Nelson, who performed under the name Doc Watson, was born in Deep Gap, North Carolina. He began playing music at an early age, and by the time he was in his teens he was performing with his father and brother at local dances and on the radio. In the early 1950s he began to develop his distinctive style of flatpicking (playing melodies on a guitar using picks rather than strumming chords), which combined elements of traditional Appalachian music with blues and jazz. He soon became one of the most popular performers in the region, appearing regularly on local television and radio programs.
Recordings
One of the most influential fingerstyle guitarists of all time, Doc Watson recorded over 50 albums in his lifetime. He began his career in the early 1960s, playing folk and country music with his wife, Merle. The pair toured extensively throughout the decade, becoming popular among folk music fans. In 1964, they released their debut album, Folk Songs from the Hills.
In the 1970s, Doc Watson became known for his mastery of flatpicking, a guitar technique characterized by rapid picking of the strings with a pick. He often performed at bluegrass festivals and recorded several albums with renowned bluegrass musician David Grisman. He also collaborated with other artists, such as Tony Rice and Chet Atkins.
In the 1980s and 1990s, Doc Watson continued to tour and release albums. In 1997, he was awarded a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of his contributions to American music. He died in 2012 at the age of 89.
Legacy
Arthel Lane “Doc” Watson (March 3, 1923 – May 29, 2012) was an American guitarist, songwriter and singer of bluegrass, folk, country, blues and gospel music. He won seven Grammy awards as well as the National Medal of Arts.
Watson’s flatpicking style was influential among many guitarists. He performed with his son Merle Watson (who died in 1985 in a tractor accident) for over 15 years until Merle’s retirement in 1991; since that time, Doc frequently performed with his grandson Richard Watson.
Watson continued to play and tour until his health failed due to congestive heart problems and diabetes in recent years. His final concert took place on April 6, 2012. He died later that month at age 89.
Bill Monroe
Bill Monroe is often called the “Father of Bluegrass” music. He was born in 1911 in Rosine, Kentucky. At the age of six, he was already playing the fiddle. He went on to form the Bluegrass Boys in the late 1930s, and they soon became one of the most popular bands in the country. They were known for their high-energy performances and for their innovative style of music.
Origins
Bill Monroe was born on September 13, 1911, in Rosine, Kentucky. He was the youngest of eight children, and his mother died when he was just ten years old. Monroe’s father was a farmer, and young Bill spent his childhood working on the family farm. He began playing music at an early age, learning to play the mandolin from his uncle Pendleton Vandiver. When Monroe was 16 years old, his father remarried and moved the family to Shelbyville, Kentucky. It was there that Monroe met guitarist Lester Flatt; the two would go on to play together in Monroe’s band, The Blue Grass Boys.
Monroe began his professional music career in the 1930s, playing gigs with The Kentucky Pardners (which included his brothers Birch and Charlie) and The Blue Grass Reunion (with Flatt). In 1936, he made his first recordings for Victor Records; these were released under the name “Bill Monroe and His Bluegrass Boys.” In 1939, Monroe debuted his now-famous song “Mule Skinner Blues” at the Grand Ole Opry; the song quickly became a hit, and would solidify Monroe’s place as one of the pioneers of bluegrass music.
Over the next few decades, Bill Monroe and His Bluegrass Boys continued to tour and record together; they also became a regular staple at the Grand Ole Opry. In 1946, Flatt left the band to start his own group; he was replaced by guitarist Earl Scruggs. In 1969, Scruggs also left The Bluegrass Boys to pursue a solo career; he was replaced by banjo player Roland White (who would stay with the band until 1971). Despite all these lineup changes, Bill Monroe continued to lead The Bluegrass Boys until 1992, when he retired due to declining health. He died two years later at the age of 84.
Recordings
In 1939, Bill Monroe and his band recorded songs such as “Mule Skinner Blues” and “Blue Moon of Kentucky” which helped to popularize the new sound of bluegrass music. He continued to record throughout the 1940s and 1950s, making hits such as “Kentucky Waltz” and “Uncle Pen.” In 1963, Monroe was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame, and he continued to perform and record until his death in 1996.
Legacy
Born in 1911 in Rosine, Kentucky, Bill Monroe is often called the father of bluegrass music. A member of the Grand Ole Opry since 1939, Monroe is considered one of the most influential American musicians of the twentieth century. His band, The Blue Grass Boys, popularized the use of mandolin and fiddle in country music and helped to develop the musical style now known as bluegrass.
Monroe’s career spanned more than 50 years, during which time he released over 60 albums and toured extensively throughout the United States and Europe. He received multiple Grammy Awards and was inducted into both the Country Music Hall of Fame and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. In 1997, President Bill Clinton awarded Monroe the National Medal of Arts, one of the highest civilian honors in the United States.
