earlsgranada - Posted - 09/13/2011:  11:57:36

I just got off the phone with Jim Mills, and I told him about how today, being Sept. 13th, would've been Bill Monroe's 100th b-day today. However, he also told me that (yes, it's true), Wade Mainer passed away at age 104. He helped start three-finger style banjo, and played with his older brother, J.E. Mainer. He passed away yesterday at his home, near Weaverville, NC.

If you would like to, please leave a comment on this page, to share your memories about Wade.

I know I miss him already.

~Craig

davepicks5 - Posted - 09/13/2011:  12:03:24

Sad to hear.........one of the TRUE PIONEERS of acoustic string music......REST IN PEACE

David

tombriarhopper - Posted - 09/13/2011:  12:08:24

I interviewed Wade at Bluegrass Park in Reidsville many years ago.  He taught me his style of two-finger.  A giant left with a whisper.  Will have to watch the DVD I have with Wade and the Morris Brothers, the Briarhoppers, and Bill Monroe all performing in Charlotte...I hope he finds his Maple on the Hill.

earlsgranada - Posted - 09/13/2011:  12:12:27

Thanks for replying, guys. Yes, (just for ones who don't know, or have checked the Wiki page) Wade passed away.

He lived a long life, and he taught generations many tunes, and he played at The White House for FDR in I believe 1935. Wade and J.E. had played there, and so did The Coon Creek Girls.

~Craig

plunka5 - Posted - 09/13/2011:  12:22:10

Terrible to hear this!  I have always relished the interview David Holt did with Wade and his wife.  "I Can't Sit Down", is one of my all-time favorites!  I met his great-nephew at this year's Merlefest, he told me several stories about Wade that were great to hear.  Prayers and thoughts sent towards all of the Mainer family.

loggerhead - Posted - 09/13/2011:  13:10:44

I came to banjo late in my life, but hearing Wade Mainer was one of the reasons I did. He will be missed.

fgodbey - Posted - 09/13/2011:  13:21:14

Back in 1979 Tom Morgan asked me to play with The Morgans & Curly Fox at the Berea College Celebration of Old Time Music.  Also on the show were Wade & Julia Mainer, and Marty & I got to visit with them during the workshops and before the main shows.  They were both very gracious and friendly; a pleasure to be around.  Here are a couple of photographs from that day.

--Frank

Edited by - fgodbey on 09/13/2011 13:22:35

Wade & Julia Mainer 1979

Wade & Julia Mainer 1979

Banjophobic - Posted - 09/13/2011:  13:48:36

What a legend and role model as a player and human being. He will be sorely missed.

earlsgranada - Posted - 09/13/2011:  13:51:53

Again, thank y'all for replying. Those are some very nice pictures, Frank! Just out of curiosity, how old were Wade and Julia in 1979? My guess would be in their seventies.  Wade's b-day was on Apr. 21st. Jim Mills told me he met Wade a couple of times, back when he was about 90. I also feel sad, too, John. (banjophobic)

~Craig

Edited by - earlsgranada on 09/13/2011 13:56:23

fgodbey - Posted - 09/13/2011:  13:55:48

Wade was born, I think, in 1907, so he  would have been 72 in 1979. 

--Frank

KANINJACK - Posted - 09/13/2011:  14:42:42

Seeing Julia bark like a little dog and them playing "I can't sit down" are my favorite memories.

mladair - Posted - 09/13/2011:  14:59:03

mlive.com/entertainment/flint/...er_d.html

chuckb - Posted - 09/13/2011:  17:17:15

He seemed to be such a genuine, unpretentious man. The last paragraph of his obiturary in the Washington Post speaks volumes.

1935tb-11 - Posted - 09/13/2011:  18:14:57

very sad news indeed,,, just imagine if you can,,, what all he saw and did in his 104 years on this earth.
all the changes he saw and went through. around this music before bluegrass was even born.
it is hard to take in.


terry m

earlsgranada - Posted - 09/13/2011:  18:43:25

Sorry, y'all, I thought Wade still lived back in Carolina.

csrat - Posted - 09/13/2011:  20:10:38

I played his banjo at Elderly Instruments the last day of Banjo Camp back in 2005. I memory serves that banjo was at the Whitehouse 5 times! What a life he led. A toast to Mr. Wade Mainer.

Westvon - Posted - 09/13/2011:  21:00:49

I used to live in the Detroit area, and had the honor of playing with my band at his birthday parties in Fenton, MI.  Bluegrass, and string bands from all over used to turn out to honor Wade, and then we'd get to jam with him at the end of the party.  He was a cool dude, and I'll miss him.  See you on the other side my friend, and thank you for your great contribution to the world of music.

rendesvous1840 - Posted - 09/13/2011:  21:03:16

Thanks for the info,Craig. We've been expecting this since the post a few days ago, but it's still sad.l Wade was one of the masters.
Paul

John Allison - Posted - 09/14/2011:  04:59:07

I met both Julia and Wade at the Midwest Banjo Camp in 2007. This was, in some respects a celebration of his 100th birthday. They were very special people and a pleasure to meet and to talk to. At the faculty concert, Mike Seeger interviewed both Wade and Julia and later the played a number of tunes for the audience. Wade still played a mean banjo and his singing had not changed much (if at all) and Julia's guitar playing and singing was just as good. It was an evening many of us will never forget. Now both Mike and Wade have passed and our probably looking down on us and picking a few good numbers together. RIP in piece Wade, you are missed.

raybob - Posted - 09/14/2011:  08:18:35

Paul Brown did a nice piece on Wade on this morning's news.  You can listen to the story using the link, and it also has a couple Youtubes to see.

npr.org/blogs/allsongs/2011/09...lint-mich

minstrelmike - Posted - 09/14/2011:  09:03:54

Good article in the Washington Post.

washingtonpost.com/local/obitu...tory.html

He spilled ice cream on Mrs. Roosevelt in the White House.

Those banjo players. Can't take them anywhere. ;-)

pastorharry - Posted - 09/14/2011:  13:51:15

Weep not, he is in good hands! R.I.P. Mr. Mainer.

CurtissWhite - Posted - 09/14/2011:  19:52:52

Most of us stand on the shoulders of Earl Scruggs. Earl stands on the shoulders of Wade Mainer, among others, as Earl wrote.

Iderhobanjer23 - Posted - 09/15/2011:  03:35:08

to a true legend. what a life lived. thank you.

christian0oo - Posted - 09/15/2011:  04:28:46

newstimes.com/news/article/Cou...70306.php

Thats the news article if you guys want to read it, just read it right before getting to the hangout. Gonna be a sad day =/ 

Tyler8 - Posted - 09/15/2011:  10:25:00

RIP to Wade and condolences to his wife and family. Sad day.

On the other hand, I got to see Wade and his wife play at the Midwest Banjo Camp at Michigan State a few years ago. Excellent show and awesome playing for a guy over 100 at the time.

Tyler

Banjo173 - Posted - 09/15/2011:  12:17:41

RIP to Wade. We should all be so fortunate as to live half as long and claim credit for a hundredth of his accomplishments.


obits.mlive.com/obituaries/fli...fhid=4727

nytimes.com/2011/09/15/arts/mu...?_r=1&hpw

DoubleG - Posted - 09/26/2011:  20:36:55

I have only recently discovered Wade Mainer and found out today that he died earlier this month on September 12, 2011 at 104. I just got a book about him today entitled "Banjo on the Mountain by Dick Spottswood. The subtitle is "Wade Mainer's First Hundred Years. Just Googled his name and discovered he died. What a good man he seems to have been. 

Edited by - DoubleG on 09/26/2011 20:45:55

Kurt Kemp - Posted - 09/27/2011:  01:24:39

He and Julia lived not too far from me. I recall a number of his birthday parties. They were the friendliest people you could imagine. He reminded me alot of my own grandpa. Got to pick his banjo a couple times over the years too.

DoubleG - Posted - 09/27/2011:  11:48:35

Wow Kurt! Did you actually get to play with him? You should get the book I mentioned. Either way you have a unique memory there.

Ian_banjo - Posted - 09/28/2011:  03:00:32

He was certainly one of the greats and his passing marks the end of an era.

Incidentally, you might be interested and pleased to know that full obituaries to Wade appeared in at least three quality newspapers in the UK.

I was listening to some of his recordings recently and noted the significant change in his styles between two of them. "Blue Ridge Mountain Blues" is very distinctively two-finger picking and there is a clear connection with the playing of, say, Charlie Poole. On the other hand "The Girl I Left in Sunny Tennessee" has more Scruggsy type licks and, although I think it is still two-finger picking, it feels as if WM's playing had been influenced by Scruggs and other three finger pickers. Unfortunately, as I bought these tracks as MP3s, I don't have any label information, so don't know the recording dates.



Does anyone know the dates when each of those two tracks were recorded?

Edited by - Ian_banjo on 09/28/2011 03:12:01

rendesvous1840 - Posted - 09/28/2011:  21:54:41

This is hard to pinpoint, as Wade may have recorded some songs more than once, and you don't have any info on dates or other players. In a session in Cincinnati November 19, 1951, Wade recorded several songs, including The girl I left in Sunny Tennessee. The notes for this session in Banjo On The Mountain lists Wade Mainer- vocal, guitar or banjo; Lloyd Burge-tenor vocal,mandolin;Marion Hall-vocal, guitar; Troy Brammer-banjo,bass. It doesn't say on which songs Wade or Troy played banjo, so that may be why it sounds different. Blue Ridge Mountain Blues, recorded in (?)North Wilkesboro, Nc,1952 lists Wade Mainer-vocal,banjo; Jesse (Lost John) Ray-fiddle; unknown-two guitars. The info I have here is from pages 121 and 122 of Banjo On the Mountain Wade Mainers First Hundred Years,by Dick Spottswood, copyright2010 University Press Of Mississippi. Page 26 also states that Troy Brammer mixed Mainer and Bluegrass elements in his playing. I don't see another recording listed for either of these two songs, but I may have overlooked something in my searching. Wouldn't be the first time.
Paul

Ian_banjo - Posted - 09/29/2011:  03:18:18

Many thanks for the information Paul.  That is quite interesting and I could easily believe that it was Troy Brammer playing on "The Girl I Left In Sunny Tennessee".



If you go to the Amazon UK website, there are lots of Wade Mainer MP3 tracks available for download (many more than on the Amazon.com site, for some reason).  Here's the link  If you listen to the samples from two tracks (9 and 10 in the list) you'll hear the clear difference in styles.  These tracks are from compilation albums, so the information might be limited.