Country gentlemen

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Country gentlemen
General information
Genre (s) Bluegrass
founding 1957
Current occupation
Randy Waller
Banjo , vocals
 Mark Delaney
Gary Creed
Dave Kirk
former members
Vocals, guitar
 Charlie Waller
Mandolin, singing
 John Duffey
banjo
 Eddie Adcock
bass
 Tom Gray
Occupation from 1971
Vocals, guitar
 Charlie Waller
Banjo, vocals
 Bill Emerson
bass
 Bill Yates
mandolin
 Doyle Lawson

The Country Gentleman is an American bluegrass band that emerged in the late 1950s and pioneered a progressive bluegrass style.

Career

On July 4, 1957, the Bayou Boys, a Louisiana bluegrass group, had a car accident on their way to a concert. The uninjured band members Charlie Waller (born January 19, 1935) and Bill Emerson were forced to pull through the performance alone. That was the hour of birth of the Country Gentlemen, who presented themselves in a stable formation for the first time in 1959 after numerous line-up changes. In addition to Waller, the mandolin player John Duffey (born March 4, 1934), the bass guitarist Tom Gray and the banjo player Eddie Adcock (born June 17, 1938) completed the quartet.

Several singles and an album were produced on the Starday label. After that, the Country Gentlemen switched to Folkways, where more albums were released. The group played a modern twist on bluegrass music that also incorporated folk and country elements. The use of the fiddle was dispensed with (only later fiddle players were occasionally brought in). The group was based in Washington, DC , where they played a leading role in the local folk and bluegrass scene. Despite their ever-growing popularity, there were no chart successes. Bluegrass music, even in its modern version, was too far removed from the mainstream to be taken into account by country radio.

In the mid-1960s they switched to the Rebel label. There were numerous personnel changes. Charlie Waller was the only constant size. It was not until 1971 that a permanent line-up came together again. Bill Emerson, who was one of the founders in 1957, was there. Bassist Bill Yates joined the group in 1970. Numerous musicians have played with the band over the years, some of whom, like Ricky Skaggs , later became famous.

Charlie Waller, the group's longtime front man, died in August 2004. His son Randy continued his work. The newly formed band appeared from then on as "Randy Waller & The Country Gentlemen".

Discography

Albums

  • 1959 - Traveling Dobro Blues (Stardy)
  • 1960 - The Country Gentlemen Vol. 1 (Folkway)
  • 1962 - The Country Gentlemen Vol. 2 (Folkway)
  • 1963 - The Country Gentlemen Vol. 3 (Folkway)
  • 1963 - Folk Session Inside (Mercury)
  • 1966 - Bringing Mary Home (Rebel)
  • 1968 - The Traveler (Rebel)
  • 1969 - The Country Gentlemen Play it Like it Is (Rebel)
  • 1970 - The Country New Look, New Sound (Rebel)
  • 1971 - One Wide River to Cross (Rebel)
  • 1971 - Country Gentlemen Sound Off (Rebel)
  • 1972 - The Award Winning Country Gentlemen (Rebel)
  • 1973 - Yesterday & Today (Rebel)
  • 1973 - The Country Gentlemen (Vanguard)
  • 1976 - Joe's Last Train (Rebel)
  • 1978 - Calling My Children Home (Rebel)
  • 1983 - 25 Years (Rebel)
  • 1991 - Let The Light Shine Down (Rebel)
  • 1992 - New Horizon (Rebel)
  • 1995 - Sugar Hill Collection (Sugar Hill)
  • 2003 - Keeper Of The Flame (Lendel)

Web links