Craig_B - Posted - 03/13/2017:  17:29:54

"I may exaggerate, but only for effect!" 

The Chief - Posted - 03/13/2017:  17:55:16

Yeah...You got the idea....Effect! But, I always try to warn of the fact that I've done that. See, if you don't own up to it, it then becomes a lie. Correct?

s

rbfour5 - Posted - 03/13/2017:  18:22:51

I used to walk 5 miles to school, rain or shine. And it was 6.5 miles to get back home- you believe that right? Well, it's true- the walk to a my girl friends house added the extra 1.5 miles.....lol 

RatLer - Posted - 03/14/2017:  07:04:48

If you have a smile or smirk on your face while you're tellin' a whopper, then it's not a lie....just a whopper...

The Chief - Posted - 03/14/2017:  07:23:41

10-4 Good Buddy, a whooper in deed!

Redmanc - Posted - 03/14/2017:  10:50:35

Hi Sonny
You've probably been asked this before but I was reading a book on Jimmy Martin.. Any theories on why he never became a member of the Opry? I'm sure there were other colorful personalities who made it on the show..

Gary Griffin - Posted - 03/14/2017:  16:27:31

Hi Sonny,

One more question which I'm sure you've already answered. Please forgive me if you have. Did you guys ever make an appearance on Hee Haw?

The Chief - Posted - 03/14/2017:  20:05:47

RedManC

​That's a rather hard question without offending some folks. I will skirt around the issue simply by saying Jimmy was his own worst enemy. I remember the last time I saw him on the Opry stage, when  he was done with his song he wanted to encore so badly that he wouldn't leave the stage...prompting the crowd to give him larger amount of applause, and that didn't go over well with management. That wasn't the only reason...believe me that was the gentle way out for me. He had many issues.. most of which you may have heard but he was so obsessed with being a member he became a distraction. I want you to understand something, Jimmy probably deserved and loved the Opry as much if not more than half the people there but he geed when he should have hawed. 

They almost fired us once for mentioning a show we were going to work at "The Carolina Opry" flatly telling me to NEVER do that again...that there is only one OPRY. We didn't make that mistake again, needless to say. The OPRY has changed drastically since then however...management, ownership, etc.etc. No dress code is one, and there are more.                                                                                                                                                                                                                 

I answered your question as best I could.

s

Edited by - The Chief on 03/14/2017 20:09:31

The Chief - Posted - 03/14/2017:  20:26:34

Gary. Yes we did one appearance on Hee Haw...I never liked the idea of the pigs and cows running across the screen whilst we were trying to perform a serious song or two. Seemed to me as though they were making like we were all a bunch of uneducated, hicks from Tennessee, and we might have been just that, but you don't need to broadcast it to the world....do you? So they agreed to do as we wished that one time and I guess after all was said and done, 

they figured that their way was best. YEP, WE DID HEE HAW ONE TIME.  

Didn't hurt us that bad though.

S

chuckv97 - Posted - 03/14/2017:  20:28:54

Jimmy must have been one of a kind. Opry or no Opry, I'm glad he was who he was and appreciative of all that good music he gave us.

From Greylock to Bean Blossom - Posted - 03/14/2017:  20:58:33

Jimmy Martin, even very late in his career when age had somewhat diminished his wonderful abilities, had the very great ability to engage a crowd and make them respond to him. And people that have not heard him that much, I challenge them to really listen to his music and his voice. Put on a pair of really good headphones and listen to the voice.Hear the emotion in it. It was special and though many successful  singers have people that try to clone them, I don't think anyone has been able to do that with him. He was a special good. He was unique and he was Jimmy.  Jimmy thru all his idiosyncrasies, was a gifted, developed, musician, a very  soulful singer and wonderful entertainer. He was a giant and one of the best of all time. imo.

ken

HPNomad - Posted - 03/14/2017:  21:52:09

Jimmy Martin is up there with the greats in the vocal department. Just a shame his son is a shadow in his fathers legacy.

From Greylock to Bean Blossom - Posted - 03/15/2017:  09:00:08

quote:

---

Originally posted by HPNomad

 

Jimmy Martin is up there with the greats in the vocal department. Just a shame his son is a shadow in his fathers legacy.

---

How many sons, students, fans, or anyone live up to that standard of greatness. IMO it is a bit harsh to put those expectations on anyone because much of what Jimmy had was a God given gift and you just need to appreciate it when we are blessed to have a few like that. 

And when I speak of being  a great musician, that includes on the instrument as well as being a great band leader that repeatedly puts together new configurations and brings out the best in them. The ones that come immediately to mind in doing that are Monroe, Stanley, Crowe, and Lawson.  I saw Jimmy once, after a late night of carrying on and "trying" get his guys into the bus and teach them all the different harmony parts to a song and he just made that song better and better and totally a new thing with a bunch of young guys. Man, I have to say Jimmy loved it with all his heart and one thing I appreciate in someone for sure is passion - the opposite of apathy. I think he had that passion for his music all through his life and after so many years, so many cheap motels,  so many  miles of travel and so many miles of shows in every sort of venue from honky-tonks to the opry stage.

ken

Edited by - From Greylock to Bean Blossom on 03/15/2017 09:10:22

The Chief - Posted - 03/15/2017:  16:11:43

Ken, Corey, Chuck, You are all dead right. Jim was one of a kind and if he had used his head he could well have accomplished 10 times more than he did. He could have done as much, if not more than the rest of us combined. As I said, he was his own worst enemy and thought the world was against him.

I first became acquainted with him when I was 13...he was 23...he was responsible for my being a legitimate Bluegrass Boy, working with Bill Monroe at 14, and I probably didn't belong there, but...Jim, Bobby, and I did 6 sides for RCA in 1954 and if you were to listen to them today, you would find that they hold up after 63 years..amazing...I saw Jim in the hospital, shortly before he passed from this life, he was really a sick boy, and he held my hands and said, "Me'n, you'n, and Bob made some of the best records that was ever made. I love you Sonny...you'n Bob!" That was a special moment that I'll never forget.

I admit, there were times that I didn't like Jimmy very much, and there were times I liked him a lot...One thing though, his voice, and HIM, were one of a kind. Like a few others, there won't be any more like that.

s   

chuckv97 - Posted - 03/15/2017:  17:07:31

There is some great music on these albums. I liked Jimmy's voice back then ,and the harmonies were super...

From Greylock to Bean Blossom - Posted - 03/15/2017:  21:10:01

quote:

---

Originally posted by chuckv97

 

There is some great music on these albums. I liked Jimmy's voice back then ,and the harmonies were super...

---

Yeah, Bluegrass, real true bluegrass is the best music ever.

ken

The Chief - Posted - 03/23/2017:  08:51:41

I just heard a preview of The Grascals new CD coming out in a couple Months. I don't even think it's titled yet, but it's good GOOD. We'll talk more about it when I know more. Some of the newer bands are playing REAL Bluegrass..good sincere vocals, and really good playing. We old guys got to give it up sooner or later, and in some cases its being replaced by some pretty good folks...just like the "old days" before us. 

Does anyone remember a band from Missouri called CEDAR CREEK, or CEDAR HILL? They were really good but I haven't heard anything from them in a while. I remember one thing they did...a song about a dog...Better than good.

s

From Greylock to Bean Blossom - Posted - 03/23/2017:  10:11:33

Sonny,

Are these the guys you are talking about?

cedarhillbluegrass.com/

youtube.com/watch?v=DjitwTWs5O4

Ken

Edited by - From Greylock to Bean Blossom on 03/23/2017 10:13:42

The Chief - Posted - 03/23/2017:  16:16:15

Thank you Ken. That's the band...not the same song though. The song I'm referring to is titled just the dog's name. Great song and equally great performance. I know Frank Ray, have for a long time. Nice man.

Tell you another couple bands who are playing good music is Feller and Hill, and Joe Mullins. Just straight ahead Bluegrass.

s

chuckv97 - Posted - 03/23/2017:  16:47:25

youtu.be/vLzsP0y4q0s     Sonny, you might be thinking of this song. It's a great one.

Edited by - chuckv97 on 03/23/2017 16:48:05

The Chief - Posted - 03/24/2017:  11:13:26

That's it....I love dogs.

This song and performance is one of the very best. I doubt it could ever be done better.

Thank you Chuck...

s

chuckv97 - Posted - 03/24/2017:  11:20:27

You're very welcome, Sonny, I'm glad you mentioned it - I hadn't heard it before. I've had a few dogs in the past, and watching the video photos and listening to that song got me choked up a bit. "Man's best friend" ,for sure.

HPNomad - Posted - 03/24/2017:  15:55:20

Sonny, could you give some insight when you recorded this album? youtube.com/watch?v=QNKDqninK28

The Chief - Posted - 03/24/2017:  19:52:53

Corey..where are you getting this old stuff. I have never seen this particular album. I know when it was recorded however. Some in the winter of 1952, some in early 1953. Man, I played like a kid too, huh? But remember...I had nothing to go on. Earl was my main interest and he was only available on 78 rpm records and radio..and most times they were so far away from Ohio that you could only get an early morning show. It wasn't like it is now. Everything is available.

Fiddle was played by Joe Stuart and Billy Thomas. Mandolin was Bobby (brother) and/or Enos Johnson. Guitar was Carlos Brock on some...Junior Husky (later became the great bass player) on the other. Bass was Smokey Ward on some, I can't remember who played on the rest. All was recorded at the Gateway Studios on Spring Grove Ave. in Cincinnati, Ohio.

S

The Chief - Posted - 03/24/2017:  19:54:47

Hey Corey, how far are you from Tokyo?

s

HPNomad - Posted - 03/24/2017:  21:11:28

Sonny, I'm getting them from a Japanese man who apparently has a lot of old bluegrass vinyls. And I'm about an hour from Tokyo.

The Chief - Posted - 03/26/2017:  06:49:11

Chuck; What a song and what a performance. It just doesn't get any better.

I don't hunt, nor do I have hound dogs, but I have Pepper...a 17 lb. Rat terrior (ist) ! Man's best friend is right on the mark and their love is unconditional. My Dad used to go hunting every few days with Charlie Woods. In Kentucky, we lived on Thousand Sticks...about five miles from Hyden...Which, was wilderness in 1937. He and Charlie went with their dogs and he would talk about their different voices. I remember it about 1940. 

Goodness.

s                                                                                                                                                                     

chuckv97 - Posted - 03/26/2017:  09:12:48

I went up through that eastern Kentucky area only once with the truck about 11 years ago, coming up from Kingsport,TN. I went through Hazard , then over to London and up I-75. Trouble was it got late and dark so I didn't see much, unfortunately. Thousand Sticks is an interesting name so I looked it up - seems the early pioneers saw a lot of burned out tree stumps there from a forest fire.
A lot of good musicians came out of eastern Kentucky, as well as further west (Monroe, Travis, Yandell)

The Chief - Posted - 03/27/2017:  09:32:19

Southeast Kentucky, Northeast Tennessee, Southwest Virginia, All of West Virginia..;-) is beautiful to see, hell to drive a semi, or bus through, and equally share the music that came from them there hills. I need to form a list...which I will.

s

bbanjoboy - Posted - 03/31/2017:  08:06:39

Sonny, I'm sure you've probably addressed this before somewhere, but I just looked at that video above and to the side on youtube popped up some of Little Roy's albums... Which seeing you and him side by side brought up some old memories.. I remember as a kid at so many festivals over the years you guys would pop out on stage with your crazy antics always trying to out-do each other.. One such memory is you two coming out on stage with 'googly eyed' glasses with springs in them singing 20-20 vision.. 40 some years later it still makes me chuckle... That being said, Little Roy, and yourself were so inspirational.. and as a musician, I believe Little Roy's playing was SO under rated and under appreciated... Everyone knows -- or should know, you are THE man, but I mean, his antics often overshadowed his abilities... He is a banjo players banjo player.. I sure do miss those days... Early Lewis Family stuff with all 6 brothers and sisters is incredible stuff.. the harmonies were so tight and the music and timing were dead on perfect.. the girls hairdos were pretty groovy too! Thanks for the memories Sonny!

bbanjoboy - Posted - 03/31/2017:  08:08:55

PS, one other thing that impressed me so much about Little Roy's playing was about half of their songs they modulated mid stream.. and one time I asked him how did he do it.. I mean I get the 4 string thing, but how do you modulate your 5th string.. he answered with a twinkle in his eye 'you just avoid it'... lol.. gotta love that answer!

gospelman97 - Posted - 03/31/2017:  08:27:14

quote:

---

Originally posted by bbanjoboy

 

PS, one other thing that impressed me so much about Little Roy's playing was about half of their songs they modulated mid stream.. and one time I asked him how did he do it.. I mean I get the 4 string thing, but how do you modulate your 5th string.. he answered with a twinkle in his eye 'you just avoid it'... lol.. gotta love that answer!

---

I think the biggest reason that they changed keys was that the women would be singing the melody and Roy would be playing out of the D or C position.  For his breaks they would modulate to open G for a Scruggs style break before modulating back to sing another verse.  Pretty clever arrangements to highlight everyone's strengths.

bbanjoboy - Posted - 03/31/2017:  08:34:22

exactly.. so you'd have to 'avoid' that 5th..lol

The Chief - Posted - 04/02/2017:  08:28:38

Yep..avoid "The Fifth" in all instances, including the banjo.

Playing with Roy was interesting, and at times funny. He was always in such a hurry that it made me nervous! Every time I get in too big of a hurry, I make mistakes and make poor decisions. I've been in a hurry a lot in my life!!!!!

s

Spike2 - Posted - 04/05/2017:  12:26:31

quote:

---

Originally posted by HPNomad

 

Sonny, could you give some insight when you recorded this album? youtube.com/watch?v=QNKDqninK28

---

Hey Corey, I happen to own this album!! I found it years ago on eBay. 

momo - Posted - 04/08/2017:  13:50:04

Thats an Interesting title' Sonny Osborne and His Sunny Mt Boys"

The Chief - Posted - 04/11/2017:  16:00:21

Bobby and Jimmy Martin used that name in the very early 50's before Bobby became a Marine and went to Korea. We just assumed that they (we) would pick up where they left off when Bobby returned. It didn't happen that way, exactly. Seems as though Bobby and Jimmy had some issues that I didn't know about.  

He was mustered out in October and we went to Knoxville, beginning the career of The Osborne Brothers on November 6, 1953. WROL radio in Knoxville...Working for Cas Walker. We joined back up with Jimmy in August of 54, on WJR in Detroit. Neither of us wanted to use Sunny Myn. Boys.

I recorded under The Sunny Mtn. Boys. Thinking the above would happen, it didn't and the Name was on the records...once they are there, they are there for good. 

Long explanation for what should have been a short sentence.

s

chuckv97 - Posted - 04/11/2017:  19:01:06

Not long at all, Sonny. Interesting to hear that bit of bluegrass history. You guys must have hit some rough bar gigs in Detroit,,, then again ,maybe you didn't have to play those places.

Edited by - chuckv97 on 04/11/2017 19:02:15

RB00 - Posted - 04/11/2017:  19:08:02

Like the new picture Sonny!

HPNomad - Posted - 04/12/2017:  01:40:27

Is that Mr. Osborne playing a banjer I see?

Also Sonny, I was browsing through videos and found this really cool gem. Aaron McDaris playing Rocky Top on your original RB-3

youtube.com/watch?v=r8tahbxEpeE

rbfour5 - Posted - 04/12/2017:  04:40:59

Cool video Corey- Aaron does a fine job on that RB-3 too!

I agree with Len, and good to see that 75 in the hands of the Master.

Norm2704 - Posted - 04/12/2017:  05:59:03

I agree... That is a great picture of the master and his instrument (I`m not speaking of mine...LOL)!!

It`s nice to see you Sonny with a banjo in your hands, where it belongs! :)

Edited by - Norm2704 on 04/12/2017 06:00:15

The Chief - Posted - 04/12/2017:  09:13:37

The picture was sent to me, and shot in Pigeon Forge, TN. by Brandon Hinson, from Charlotte NC. Brandon owns the banjo I am holding. We met there on a "learning mission!" Brandon is a good banjo player, and a pretty good guy, I might add. He brought his Dad, they were scared of me I think.

Holding a banjo is about all I can do but it feels good to just be able to do that little.

Chuck...we played a couple times at The Roosevelt Lounge, and a place called Ted's Ten High..but that's about the only bars we played. While in Detroit we played every Friday in Windsor, Ontario  which is just across from Detroiot (as Gordon Lightfoot would say) on CKLW-TV and Saturday and sometimes Sunday at 12101 Mack Ave. at the National Guard Armory...with Casey Clark and The Lazy Ranch Boys. That Sat. night show was broadcast on WJR, the 50,000 watt voice of Detroit. Buddy Emmons was in the Casey Clark band. I was 16 and Buddy was 17. We were big time for sure...just chirdren.

s

Jeff Markham - Posted - 04/12/2017:  19:21:16

Sonny, after you had gotten the Granada, did you ever record again with the RB-3?

The Chief - Posted - 04/13/2017:  08:27:27

Jeff, I don't think I did. The first Chief, number 00, was built in June of 1998 and I did record some with that banjo, but I don't believe I recorded with the 3 after I got the Granada. I remember playing it a couple times on the Opry, but never recorded.

The RB3 was always very hard for me to play. I was never able to get the tone that Aaron gets out of it. I don't know why. The Granada was so easy to play, sustain was very good, and the tone of that banjo was simply unreal. It produced everything to perfection that I was able to hear. Simply the very best banjo I ever had the pleasure of playing. Banjo players are constantly searching for something that sounds better, plays better, looks better, just something better than the banjo they have. After I got the Granada, there was no other. I never seriously did that again. Quite an instrument. Thank you Lord.

s  

HPNomad - Posted - 04/13/2017:  15:27:28

Respectfully, I have to disagree with you Sonny. You made that RB-3 talk.

Jeff Markham - Posted - 04/14/2017:  12:25:08

That Granada is the best banjo that I've ever played by far. Just unreal! Thanks for letting me play it.

I'll bet that 00 is incredible now. There's been some good music played through that banjo.

I wish that Aaron would record a solo project so we could get a good listen to the -3. 

HPNomad - Posted - 04/14/2017:  14:51:01

Jeff, as a matter of fact he did! Sonny sent me a copy of Aaron's CD 'All About the Banjo'. It's a real work of art.

From Greylock to Bean Blossom - Posted - 04/14/2017:  14:56:44

Sonny, Here is a George Jones song that I think could be done bluegrass with some great harmonies. But maybe it would not sound as good as I think it might. I was just wondering if you thought this could make a good bluegrass song, if so who should/could match with it and cut it and lastly, would you have enjoyed doing something with this on the banjo?

Thanks,

Ken

youtube.com/watch?v=aD7f37Zngt...-comments