Sunday's Bluegrass Cafe was celebratory, but also, a bit sad. The sadness, of course, came with the news of the passing of the great Ronnie Bowman at the age of 64. One of the greatest singers of his generation, Ronnie Bowman was a winner of multiple International Bluegrass Music Association Awards, both singly and with the Lonesome River Band. As we didn't learn about his death until the middle of the show, we will remember Ronnie Bowman and his music properly during a future Bluegrass Cafe program. May he rest in peace.
The celebratory portion of our program came because after many long years of waiting, the Stanley Brothers are finally going to be inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame. It's very exciting, as there are not-so-many "pure" Bluegrass musicians represented in the Country Music Hall of Fame, and the music of Ralph and Carter has impacted just about every performer to come after them. We shared lots of songs from the Stanleys, as well as many renditions of their tunes from other Bluegrass performers.
Of course, if you'd like to read more about the Stanley Brothers (or Ralph Stanley), there are several books which may be of interest to you:
- Johnson, David W. Lonesome Melodies: The Lives And Music Of The Stanley Brothers. (University Press of Mississippi, 2013).
- Reid, Gary B. The Music Of The Stanley Brothers. (University of Illinois Press, 2014).
- Stanley, Ralph with Eddie Dean. Man Of Constant Sorrow: My Life And Times. (Penguin, 2010).
- Wright, John. Traveling The High Way Home: Ralph Stanley And The World Of Traditional Bluegrass Music. (University of Illinois Press, 1995).
SONG / PERFORMER / ALBUM / LABEL [Requests are RED]
- Katy Hill / Del McCoury Band / RockyGrass / Blue Planet
- Let Me Be Your Friend / Stanley Brothers / Select Sides, 1947-1949 / JSP Records
- Hard Times / Stanley Brothers / The Complete Mercury Recordings / Mercury
- The Fields Have Turned Brown / Stanley Brothers / The Complete Columbia Stanley Brothers / Columbia Legacy
- The Angels Are Singing / Stanley Brothers / The Complete Columbia Stanley Brothers / Columbia Legacy
- Don't Cheat In Our Hometown / Keith Whitley & Ricky Skaggs / Second Generation / Rebel
- I'm Better Off Now That You're Gone / Scottie Sparks / The Stanley Tradition: Tribute To A Bluegrass Legacy / Doobie Shea Records
- The Memory Of Your Smile / Dede Wyland / Keep The Light On / Patuxent Music
- Going To The Races / James King / Epilogue: A Tribute To John Duffey / Smithsonian Folkways Recordings
- You Gotta Do What You Gotta Do / Lonesome River Band / Carrying The Tradition / Rebel [Remembering Ronnie Bowman: 7/9/1961 - 3/22/2026]
- Is It Over Now? / Ronnie Bowman / The Stanley Tradition: Tribute To A Bluegrass Legacy / Doobie Shea Records [Remembering Ronnie Bowman: 7/9/1961 - 3/22/2026]
- Cold Wind A Blowin' / Ronnie Bowman / Epilogue: A Tribute To John Duffey / Smithsonian Folkways [Remembering Ronnie Bowman: 7/9/1961 - 3/22/2026]
- Cold Virginia Night / Ronnie Bowman / Cold Virginia Night / Rebel [Remembering Ronnie Bowman: 7/9/1961 - 3/22/2026]
- Carolina Mountain Home / Johnson Mountain Boys / The Johnson Mountain Boys / Rounder
- Midnight Storm / Blue Highway / Midnight Storm / Rebel
- Nobody's Love Is Like Mine / Lou Reid / When It Rains / Sugar Hill
- Our Last Goodbye / Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver / I'll Wander Back Someday / Sugar Hill
- Columbus Stockade Blues / Tony Trischka with Del McCoury / Earl Jam 2 / Down The Road Records
- Is Now The Time / Blue Highway / single / Down The Road Records
- Hold On Heart / Carson Peters & Iron Mountain / Hold On Heart / Billy Blue Records
- Bernadette / Lonesome River Band / single / Mountain Home
- Mom & Dad's Waltz / Tony Trischka with Farayi Malek / Earl Jam 2 / Down The Road Records
- Bend In The River / The Grascals / single / Billy Blue Records
- Crossroads / Lonesome River Band / One Step Forward / Sugar Hill [Remembering Ronnie Bowman: 7/9/1961 - 3/22/2026]
- Dream Softly My Love / Lost & Found / My Home's Across The Blue Ridge Mountains / Rebel
- Jeffrey's Hell / The Boxcars / All In / Mountain Home
- Working Girl Blues / Laurie Lewis & the Right Hands with Alice Gerrard / The Hazel & Alice Sessions / Spruce And Maple Music
- Shenandoah Breakdown / Northern Connection / Northern Connection / Patuxent Music
- Little White Washed Chimney / Nashville Bluegrass Band / Unleashed / Sugar Hill
- So My Tears Won't Show / The Boys From Indiana / Touchin' Home / Rebel
- Johnson Island Prison / Joe Mullins & the Radio Ramblers / Another Day From Life / Rebel
- My Little Girl In Tennessee / Lester Flatt & Earl Scruggs / The Complete Mercury Recordings / Mercury
- You'll Get No More Of Me / Lynn Morris Band / The Lynn Morris Band / Rounder
- I Wish We Had Our Time Again / Special Consensus / Been All Around This World / Compass Records
- The Stanley Brothers / Travers Chandler & Avery County / Pardon Me... / Mountain Fever Records
- How Mountain Girls Can Love / Gibson Brothers / Brotherhood / Rounder
- You Love Me Just A Little At A Time / Spinney Brothers / Side By Side / Self-Produced
- The Lonesome River / Stanley Brothers / The Complete Columbia Stanley Brothers / Columbia Legacy
- Room Over Mine / Bob Paisley & the Southern Grass / Steeped In Tradition / Brandywine
- I'll Take A Page From Your Book / Straight Drive / I'll Take A Page From Your Book / Cabinwood Music
- Way Back When / Larry Sparks / Way Back When / Rebel
- If These Old Walls Could Talk / Jerry Salley / The Believer / Very Jerry Records
- Jesus Walked Upon The Water / Junior Sisk & Rambler's Choice / Trouble Follows Me / Rebel
- Little Community Church / Boone Creek / One Way Track / Sugar Hill
- Walking In The Spirit / Williamson Branch / Heritage & Hope / Pinecastle
- Let The Light Shine Down / Country Gentlemen / Let The Light Shine Down / Rebel
- When The Sun Of Life Goes Down / Joe Mullins & the Radio Ramblers / Sacred Memories / Rebel
- Will He Wait A Little Longer / James King / The Stanley Gospel Tradition: Songs About Our Savior / Doobie Shea Records
- I'm Ready To Go / Stanley Brothers / The Early Starday King Years, 1958-1961 / Gusto
- Black Mountain Blues / Johnson Mountain Boys / Requests / Rounder






