In Progress...
Carl Story is often termed the "father of bluegrass gospel music" although he did
not actually use a 5-string banjo on his recordings until 1955. Nonetheless, many
of his earlier discs often came close to bluegrass with a spirited mandolin often
played by Red Rector. His bluegrass image was solidified by a long series of bluegrass
albums during the 1960s for Starday Records as well as steady appearances at bluegrass
festivals almost until the time of his death.
A native of Lenoir in Caldwell County, North Carolina, Carl grew up in a family with
an old time fiddler father who often bought Charlie Poole's Columbia recordings with
"Monkey on a String" being a particular favorite. Like his father, Carl was
initially a fiddle player, but later shifted to guitar.
By the mid-1930s, Carl was working in a Mead Corporation paper mill where he won
a talent contest and soon obtained a quarter-hour weekly show at 250-watt WLVA in
Lynchburg, Virginia. Later he and boyhood friend banjo picking Johnnie Whisnant
worked in a group, J. E. Clark's Lonesome Mountaineers at WSPA Spartanburg, South
Carolina. Story, Whisnant and a couple of others soon went on their own calling themselves
the Rambling Mountaineers.
In 1938 the Rambling Mountaineers moved to brand new WHKY Hickory and then
to WWNC Asheville in 1939. In Asheville, the band did fairly well, adding former Wade
Mainer sideman Jack Shelton to their group and had a sponsor, the Vim Herb Company. But
the approach of World War II and then Pearl Harbor began to create havoc. Shelton was
drafted early in 1942 followed by Whisnant and Dudley Watson. Ray Atkins and Buster
Moore were with him briefly. Carl, as virtually the only Rambling Mountaineer left, opted
to join Bill Monroe as a fiddler in early 1943 for about eight months until he, too, entered
the U. S. Navy until October 1945.
Back in civilian life, Carl organized a new Rambling Mountaineers band at WWNC with Jack
Shelton and his brother Curly on mandolin, former Carlisle sideman Claude Boone, and Hoke
Jenkins, another 5-string banjo pioneer. After two months they went to WNOX Knoxville, still
sponsored by the Vim Herb product, Scalf's Indian River Medicine. The band was based in
Knoxville for about five years. Carl went to WCYB Bristol briefly and then to WAYS in
Charlotte doing both radio and TV.
Meanwhile, Carl and the band landed a record contract with Mercury, then on their way
to major label status. He did his first session in September 1947 and would remain with
them through 1952 recording over fifty numbers of his best work. By and large, the better
the band the better they sounded. Various band members came and went although Claude Boone
was a regular for some twenty years. Other than that, Red Rector with his ability to sing
both lead and tenor was a key figure. Others were Clyde and Hack Johnson, Cotton Galyon,
Tater Tate, Fred Smith, Willie and Bud Brewster, and sometimes either Clyde and Marie
Denny or Bonnie Lou and Buster Moore (the latter also had a regular morning TV program
at WJHL in Johnson City, but worked personals with Carl).
In August of 1950, Johnny Sippel told readers of The Billboard that Charley Lamb had resigned
from the Mercury Records label and became manager of Carl Story and the Rambling Mountaineers.
At that time, the group included Carl Story, Claude Boone, Red Rector, Cotton Gaylon and Kentucky Slim.
Gospel numbers became increasingly, but never exclusively, associated with the band. His
best known numbers included "My Lord Keeps a Record," "If You Don't Love Your Neighbor,"
"God Had a Son in Service," and quality arrangements of songs
like "He Will Set Your Fields on Fire" and
"From the Manger to the Cross" were outstanding. Rapid delivery songs with
Red Rector on mandolin were probably the best.
After a couple of years in Charlotte, Carl went back to Knoxville about 1953 for
another three years. Rock and roll began to take a toll on more traditional
sounding groups about this time. And even if he was not doing TV, he increasingly
relied on musicians who worked for Cas Walker, such as Boone and the Brewsters.
In 1953, Carl and the Rambling Moutaineers were performing over WNOX in
Knoxville, Tennessee. Carl also had a hymn program that was on Sundays at
7:30am.
Group members included in 1953 included:
- Carl Story
- Claude Boone (B: February 18, 1916 — D: February 23, 2007)
- Cotton Galyon (B: November 15, 1925 — D: November 17, 2002)
- Red Rector (B: December 15, 1929 — D: May 31, 1990)
Carl also went with Columbia Records in 1953 for a couple of years cutting a new
arrangement of "My Lord Keeps a Record," and a Louvin
composition "Love and Wealth" as most notable among the sixteen songs on that
label. Rector, Boone, and Ray Atkins helped furnish support as well as
some Nashville session musicians.
Carl Story and Don Gibson were part of a special night on the Tennessee Barn Dance in
Knoxville in late 1954. It was dubbed WNOX World Premiere Night. Why? Don and Carl were
going to introduce their latest Columbia record releases. Don premiered "Symptoms of Love"
and "Many Times I Waited." Carl premiered "Step It Up And Go" and "Have You Come To Say Goodbye."
The show aired from the WNOX auditorium/studio located at 110 South Gay Street in Knoxville.
The auditorium/studio was filled to capacity with 750 people. Lowell Blanchard served
as emcee for the show, which included 30 minutes broadcast over the CBS network.
By August 1955, he was back with Mercury and did two four-song sessions that
year, and two more in 1957; he had gone full bluegrass. Ironically, when many
country artists were trying to sound more modern, Carl went in the opposite
direction. Bluegrass he became and bluegrass he remained. His first session on
February 25, 1957 included Tater Tate on fiddle, Willie Brewster on mandolin,
and Bud Brewster on banjo.. The songs included "Light at the River" which eventually
ranked with "My Lord Keeps a Record" as Carl's best known numbers and
the instrumental "Mocking Banjo." It was the first full bluegrass treatment
of a tune that later became more famous via the movie soundtrack on
Deliverance. An August session yielded another Story standard
"Family Reunion" and more original banjo tunes, but with Bobby Thompson on banjo.
In 1957, the entire band went to WLOS-TV in Asheville where they were based for about two
years. From 1958, he primarily did deejay work at various locales, but also
made personal appearances on a regular basis.
Through the 1960s, Carl Story and the Rambling Mountaineers turned out about a dozen
albums for Starday Records, most often with Claude Boone and the Brewster Brothers, and
Tater Tate sometimes on fiddle. Like the Stanley Brothers who often recorded for other
firms between contracts, Carl did the same, so he had albums on Rimrock, Scripture,
Spar, and Songs of Faith in between. By the end of the 1960s, the Jones
Brothers (Bruce and Lee) replaced the Brewsters and they had a weekly TV
program at WCCB in Charlotte. By this time Carl lived in Greer, South Carolina
and did deejay work through the week. The Jones Brothers also
did three Starday albums (SLP 411. 438, & 447) with Carl in the 1968-1970 period and
another for Pine Tree. By this time bluegrass festivals were keeping them busy on
warm weather weekends.
Bluegrass festival work enabled Carl to maintain a quality band, at least through the
festival season although there were frequent personnel changes. Mitchell Moser was a
frequent bass player, Larry Beasley (banjo), Harold Austin (lead vocal-guitar), Fred Richardson (banjo),
George Hazelwood (mandolin), and Billy Baker (fiddle) were among them. Red Rector also
came back and did some session work, but did not travel with the band. He even recorded
a final Starday album (SLP 488) in the seventies, but it was so scarce, one sometimes
doubts if it was actually released. But Carl did have new albums that appeared
on several labels in the seventies and early eighties, but those on CMH probably
had the best distribution. All but one was gospel. Some of his earlier Mercury and
Columbia material also appeared on such labels as Cattle in Germany and Old Homestead
which were aimed at the collector market. With plenty of material available Carl seems
to have cut back on recording from the mid 1980s.
Carl Story Record Reviews From The Billboard and Cash Box
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|
Date |
Label |
Rec No. |
Review |
3/13/1948 (BB) |
Mercury |
6093 |
Love Is A Game —
Bouncy, with twangy guitars lending satisfactory support. (Overall Rating: 65)
I Heard My Mother Weeping —
Slow-paced Western wailer. Sob vocal sells. (Overall Rating: 77)
|
5/22/1948 (BB) |
Mercury |
6106 |
I'm Gonna Change My Way Of Living —
Revival shoutin', hill style, heavy with the screeching. (Overall Rating: 40)
I Heard My Name On the Radio —
Orthodox rural spiritual, sung with more cohesion and restraint than the flip. (Overall Rating: 58)
|
10/16/1948 (BB) |
Mercury |
6128 |
She's A Two-Timin' Woman —
Routine country blues features so-so chanting. Orking spots fiddle and guitar bits. (Overall Rating: 54)
Who's That Man? —
Brightly paced warbling by Carl and the boys. Sparkling guitar bits add to good effect. (Overall Rating: 77)
|
2/12/1949 (BB) |
Mercury |
6082 |
You're A Prisoner In My Heart —
Mountain warbler does a warm sincere vocal on a simple back country torcher. Ingenuous, boyish
quality in his voice is engaging. (Overall Rating: 75)
I Wanna Be A Railroad Man —
Same appeal is projected on strong piece of novelty material. String backing well played. (Overall Rating: 75)
|
3/12/1949 (BB) |
Mercury |
6165 |
The Circle Was Broken —
This is a happy blend of country religion and sentiment done with full feeling and
conviction by Story and his group. (Overall Rating: 77)
My Lord Keeps A Record —
Story and his group turn in a relaxed etching of a good piece of mountain religion. (Overall Rating: 79)
|
3/12/1949 (BB) |
Mercury |
6165 |
I Watched You Walk Away —
Nothing special happens on this side. (Overall Rating: 61)
Tennessee Border —
Story's lusty rendition of the up-and-comin' mountain ditty should make a fair bid for juke play. (Overall Rating: 79)
|
6/24/1949 (BB) |
Mercury |
6220 |
Heaven's Inside —
Story's group snaps out some ferent sacred shouting in the back-country tradition. (Overall Rating: 75)
I'm Pressing On —
Lacks some of the melodic and rhythmic interest of flip. (Overall Rating: 70)
|
2/4/1950 (BB) |
Mercury |
6229 |
Will There Be A Traffic Light —
Mountain harmony group speculates about the possibility of stop lights in the streets heareafter. (Overall Rating: 63)
Why Don't You Haul Off And Get Religion —
Title tells the story—an exhortation to belief, projected in nasal mountain style by Story
and group with much evangelical conviction. (Overall Rating: 72)
|
10/11/1952 (BB) |
Mercury |
6413 |
Lead Me Out —
Foot-tapping sacred item is handed a good reding by Story and the vocal group. Should go well
in the South-Western market. (Overall Rating: 76)
Are You Afraid To Die? —
The warbler and the vocal group do a nice job with this serious religious opus. (Overall Rating: 71)
|
5/30/1953 (BB) |
Mercury |
70157 |
Way Down Deep In My Soul —
Spirited gospel effort receives an effective vocal rendition by Story and the group over a
hoe-down backng. For the Southern and Western family market. (Overall Rating: 73)
I'll Live With God (To Die No More) —
The hill country may go for this sacred side which features a group vocal and some
nice solo work by the warbler on the medium-tempo tune. (Overall Rating: 69)
|
1/30/1954 (BB) |
Columbia |
21205 |
My Lord Keeps A Record —
Down home reading by Story and the vocal group should please many country buyers. (Overall Rating: 68)
Someone To Lean On —
More of the same kind of revival-meeting type of sacred music. (Overall Rating: 68)
|
5/29/1954 (BB) |
Columbia |
21250 |
Have You Come To Say Goodbye —
Okay reading of some okay material. (Overall Rating: 68)
Step It Up and Go —
Same comment. (Overall Rating: 68)
|
11/27/1954 (BB) |
Columbia |
21327 |
It's A Lonesome Road —
Gospel opus is chanted to a pleasant beat in the string ork. Should do well in the rural areas. (Overall Rating: 67)
Love Me Like You Used To Do —
Most attractive element here is the tight harmony of the vocal combo supporting Story. (Overall Rating: 67)
|
3/12/1955 (BB) |
Mercury |
70547 |
They Have Gone Home —
Story and the boys team up nicely on an above average sacred opus which should do well with
Bible Belt customers. (Overall Rating: 72)
Follow Him —
Moregood sacred music done in a warm fashion. (Overall Rating: 72)
|
5/14/1955 (BB) |
Mercury |
70606 |
Troubles and Trials —
Story and the Ramblin' Mountaineers get pretty excited as they happily contemplate
the day when earthly tribulations will be over. A lively upbeat number that will please
Bible Belt customers. (Overall Rating: 74)
Land Of Eternal Peace —
A prettily harmonized vision of the world beyond. The material is smoothly read and given a pleasant,
bouncy beat. (Overall Rating: 72)
|
6/11/1955 (BB) |
Columbia |
21399 |
Reunion In Heaven —
Fair sacred side, with authentic country instrumentation. (Overall Rating: 71)
I Love The Hymns They Sang At Mother's Grave —
Same comment. (Overall Rating: 71)
|
9/24/1955 (BB) |
Columbia |
21444 |
You've Been Tom Cattin' Around —
Amusing tongue-in-cheek warbling on a slick novelty with good lyrics. Story penned the tunes
on both sides of the platter. Should pull considerable spins, with title making it a good juke
bet in particular. (Overall Rating: 78)
What A Line —
Same comment. (Overall Rating: 75)
|
9/24/1955 (BB) |
Mercury |
70687 |
Echoes From The Burning Bush —
A superb performance of a sacred standard which had not been recorded in quite a while. Story
and the Ramblin' Mountaineers are in top form as they swing this popular material. (Overall Rating: 77)
By The Hands Of God —
Story and the group harmonize effectively on this new gospel song which ought to become a favorite
of sacred customers, too. It is handled with taste and sincerity and bosts a good beat. (Overall Rating: 75)
|
1/28/1956 (BB) |
Mercury |
70785 |
God Put A Rainbow In The Clouds —
The simple tale of God's goodness is told againin an effective and multi-versed version. Sotry and male
group sound fine. (Overall Rating: 76)
Get On Board Little Children —
Group sounds good again in enthusiastic reading of a spiritual standard. (Overall Rating: 62)
|
5/5/1956 (BB) |
Mercury |
70856 |
Mother Is Old —
In the personal appearances of Story and his Ramblin' Mountaineers, this has always been a much-requested
number. They do a splendid harmonizing job on this sentimental material. (Overall Rating: 78)
Road Of Prayer —
This upbeat tune is attractive and is rendered excitingly by the singer. Both sides should enjoy
considerable radio exposure and sales in the Bible Belt. (Overall Rating: 77)
|
4/13/1957 (BB) |
Mercury |
71088 |
Mocking Banjo —
Some mighty flashy banjo pickin' in a rapid-fire tempo. Great country jock programming and it could
be a good juke coin puller. (Overall Rating: 71)
Light At The River —
A fervent sacred reading with banjos prominent. Choral group shouts out the back-country religious
philosophy. Flip side is stronger programming. (Overall Rating: 68)
|
11/4/1957 (BB) |
Mercury |
71218 |
Banjolina —
A swingy virtuoso performance In fancy banjo pickin'. A lot of bright sound on the instrumental
side with flashy tiddling also In evidence. Good juke material for the right areas. (Overall Rating: 72)
Family Reunion —
This has the backwoods, down-home feeling aplenty. Violin and banjo back the solos which
are interspersed with folksy chorus work. Side also has a touch of the sacred. For the traditional
minded. (Overall Rating: 70)
|
2/17/1958 (BB) |
Mercury |
71218 |
Saviour's Love —
Lively gospel tune is sung with spirit by Carl Story and a vocal group. Good wax for the
sacred market. (Overall Rating: 73)
Fire On The Banjo —
Coupling features some very listenable banjo and fiddle work on a lively instrumental in hoedown style.
Coupling of a pop instrumental with a gospel side doesn't seem wise. (Overall Rating: 71)
|
8/31/1959 (BB) |
Starday |
411 |
Old Country Baptizing —
Sincere country chanting by Story on fervent c&w item. For traditional c&w jocks. (Rating: * * *)
Angel Band —
Moving sacred tune is sung with feeling by Story and chorus. (Rating: * * *)
|
8/31/1959 (BB) |
Starday |
449 |
Set Your House In Order —
Carl Story, accompanied by a vocal group, handles this traditional country tune strategically. Worth
country exposure. (Rating: * * *)
Old Gospel Ship —
A rhythmic gospel effort is sung with excitement by the group as they explain how they want to take
a trip on the old gospel ship. (Rating: * * *)
|
5/9/1960 (BB) |
Starday |
492 |
Sweeter Than The Flowers —
A weeper, done by Story in the traditional styl, with authentic instrumentation. For devotees
of the real thing. (Rating: * * * *)
On The Radio (I Heard My Name) —
An uplifting inspirational side. Lyric reflects the modern touch,
but the picking and singing is in the traditional style strictly. (Rating: * * *)
|
Carl was a contributor to Country Song Roundup magazine in its Coast-to-Coast Roundup section
of the magazine during 1954. He would report what was going on in North Carolina with country music.
Carl also wrote many tunes:
- He's Waiting There
- Hand In Hand
- I Love The Hymns They Sang At Mother's Grave
- I Heard My Mother Weeping
- I'll Be A Friend
- God Had A Son In Service (co-written with Lowell Blanchard)
- I Overlooked An Orchid (co-written with Carl Smith and Shirley Lynn
- I'm With A Crowd But So Alone (co-written with Ernest Tubb)
In the early 1990s, Carl assembled a new group of Rambling Mountaineers made up
of young pickers that included Danny Arms on mandolin, Brett Dalton on banjo,
and Jim Clark on bass (one of many with that name). One compact disc, Thank
the Lord for Everything, came out in 1994 on the Minnesota-based Pure White
Dove label. The last time I talked with Carl via phone, he was quite excited
about it and rightly so. The next call a few months later came from former
Rambling Mountaineer Harold Austin who informed me that Carl had just died
on March 31, 1995.
When inducted into the Bluegrass Hall of Honor in 2007, widow Helen Story
accepted his plaque. Helen kept the band together for a year or so afterward. She soon
married Lloyd Bell (sister of Bonnie Lou Moore) and not long after was widowed
again. A chapter on Carl appeared in my book Folk Music in Overdrive: A Primer on
Traditional Country and Bluegrass Music (Knoxville, 2018), by which time
Bear Family in 2011 had released a four CD box set containing his entire pre-1960
output. In all a nice achievement for a nearly sixty-year career for a musician who
never had a single hit on the Billboard charts.
Credits & Sources
- Hillbilly-Music.com would like to express its thanks to Ivan M. Tribe,
author of Mountaineer Jamboree —
Country Music in West Virginia and other
books that can be found on Amazon.com
and numerous articles in other publications for providing us with information about this artist.
- Country Song Roundup No. 15; December 1951; American Folk Publications, Inc.; Derby, CT
- WNOX World Premiere Night; December 1954; Cowboys Songs; Issue No. 38; American Folk Publications, Inc.; Derby, CT
- Inside Story; December 1951; Country Song Roundup; Issue No. 15; American Folk Publications, Inc.; Derby, CT
- Folk Talent and Tunes; Johnny Sippel; August 12, 1950; The Billboard; Cincinnati, OH
- Stars On The Horizon; March 1952; Issue No. 19; Cowboy Songs; American Folk Publications, Inc.; Derby, CT
- Bluegrass Legend Story Dies At Age 78; Dale Perry; April 2, 1995; The Greenville News; Greenville, SC
- Carl Story, father of bluegrass gospel, dies; Dale Perry; April 2, 1995; The Greenville News; Greenville, SC
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