We were sitting at Shoney's in Hillsville, Virginia. We had just finished our first trip to the buffet, and in walks the entire Ralph Stanley and the Clinch Mountain Boys. The restaurant came to life.
In that little town, Ralph has always been a celebrity but seen as a "homeboy" of sorts. And people will glance and whisper but very rarely make an attempt to contact just because they don't want to interfere. Me, I'm from Galax, and I have been a Stanley fan since I can remember any music at all. To hear him singing, "Oh Death" in a major motion picture brought tears to my eyes. He's been in the business for over 55 years, and now in his "twilight years" he's finally getting the recognition he should've been getting 40 years ago for his ability and unwavering standing for traditional music. So after he was seated, his waitress was finished taking drink orders, I strutted myself over and simply said, "Please let me shake your hand Mr. Stanley, you've been part of my life for as long as I have memory of". He shook my hand, complained about the cold, and smiled directly in my face. It was a wonderful moment. It took me back to the days of my mother's BIG floor model stereo in the living room of our three-roomed shack. The Stanley Brothers playing loudly and me sitting in the floor holding the album cover and listening to my mother sing along while she used the ringer washer on the back porch. He was there, and now he's here. Even though I'd never met him before, for a moment, he was familiar to me..... ----- Original Message ----- From: "Kathleen Pardue" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Saturday, August 03, 2002 6:36 PM Subject: BG: This list is smokin'! > > > Dear Ms. Parker, > > > On behalf of Stanley fans, thanks so much for sharing that. Practical > jokers! One should have guessed from their, "How Far to Little Rock?" > routine and the other wonderful comedy bits they did. Bits that might have > sounded corny were hysterically funny because of their perfect timing. > > Kathleen > > Bluegrass Bulletin Board brought to you by the fan club of > Dr Ralph Stanley & His Clinch Mountain Boys > subscribe or unsubscribe at http://drralphstanley.com/ Bluegrass Bulletin Board brought to you by the fan club of Dr Ralph Stanley & His Clinch Mountain Boys subscribe or unsubscribe at http://drralphstanley.com/
