- The Stanley Brothers【 133 songs in total 】
- The Stanley Brothers were an American bluegrass duo of singer-songwriters and musicians made up of brothers Carter Stanley (1925–1966) and Ralph Stanley (1927–2016). Ralph and Carter performed as The Stanley Brothers with their band, The Clinch Mountain Boys, from 1946 to 1966. Ralph kept the band name when he continued as a solo after Carter's death, from 1967 until his own death in 2016.
Careers
The brothers formed a band, the Lazy Ramblers, and performed as a duo on WJHL radio in Johnson City, Tennessee. World War II interrupted their musical career, but once both brothers returned from the United States Army, they resumed their musical pursuits. They formed their band, the Stanley Brothers and the Clinch Mountain Boys, in 1946 as the first band to copy the Monroe sound. Carter played guitar and sang lead, while Ralph played banjo and sang with a strong, high tenor voice. Additional members of this early band were Darrell 'Pee Wee' Lambert on mandolin and Bobby Sumner on fiddle. Sumner was soon to be replaced by Leslie Keith.
On December 26, 1946, the band began performing at radio station WCYB in Bristol, Tennessee as stalwarts of the famed Farm and Fun Time radio show. They made their recording debut in September 1947 for Rich-R-Tone Records which had been founded the year before. Their records sold well, 'outselling even Eddy Arnold' regionally. Up to now, Ralph had been playing his banjo with two fingers on recordings and in concerts, but in 1948, he switched to the three-finger style (popularised by Earl Scruggs). In March 1949, the Stanley Brothers began recording for Columbia Records. During this time, Bill Monroe was not particularly fond of groups like the Stanley Brothers and Flatt & Scruggs who he believed 'stole' his music by copying it; they were seen as 'economic threats.'
Financially hard times in the early 1950s forced the brothers to take a short break in their musical career. They began working for the Ford Motor Company in Detroit. Eventually, Monroe and the Stanley Brothers became friends, and Carter performed for several months with Bill Monroe in the summer of 1951. In August 1951, Ralph was involved in a serious automobile accident that almost ended his career. Following his recovery, Carter and Ralph reunited to front their Clinch Mountain Boys.
As bluegrass music grew less popular in the late 1950s, the Stanley Brothers moved to Live Oak, Florida, and headlined the weekly Suwannee River Jamboree radio show on WNER from 1958 to 1962. The three-hour show was also syndicated across the Southeast. In 1966, the brothers toured Europe, and upon returning home they continued to perform together until Carter's death in December 1966.
Many years later, Ralph revived the Clinch Mountain Boys. He performed with them through 2013. He recorded one last album in 2014, Side By Side, with his son, Ralph II. Among the musicians who have played in the revived Clinch Mountain Boys were Ricky Skaggs, Keith Whitley, Larry Sparks, Curly Ray Cline, Jack Cooke, Roy Lee Centers, Charlie Sizemore, Ray Goins, and Ralph Stanley II. Ralph's career received a big boost with his prominent role on the very successful soundtrack recording of the 2000 feature film, O Brother, Where Art Thou?, which featured the song 'Man of Constant Sorrow' among others.
Personal lives and deaths
Carter Stanley died in December 1966.
Ralph Stanley died on June 23, 2016.
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Song
Lyricist
Composer
Date
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1
A Few More Years
1961
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2
A Life of Sorrow (Remastered)
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3
A Life Of Sorrow
Carter Stanley, Ralph Stanley
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4
A Lonesome Night
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5
A Vision of Mother
Carter Stanley
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6
A Voice from On High (Remastered)
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7
A Voice From on High
Bessie Maudlin, Bill Monroe
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8
Angel Band (Remastered)
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9
Angel Band
J Hascall and W Bradbury
J Hascall and W Bradbury
2000
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10
Angels Are Singing (In Heaven Tonight)
Carter Stanley, Ralph Stanley
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11
Are You Afraid to Die (Remastered)
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12
Are You Afraid to Die
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13
Baby Girl
Stanley Carter
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14
Bootleg John
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15
Bound to Ride (Live)(Provided)
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16
Calling From Heaven
Carter Stanley
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17
Campin' in Canaan Land
1961
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18
Could You Love Me (One More Time)
Carter Stanley
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19
Cry From the Cross
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20
Darkest Hour Is Just Before Dawn
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21
Don't Cheat in Our Home Town
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22
Dream of a Miner's Child (Live)
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23
Dream of A Miner's Child
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24
East Virginia Blues (Live)(Provided)
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25
Gathering Flowers for the Master's Bouquet (Remastered)(Provided)
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26
Gathering Flowers for the Master's Bouquet (Remastered)(Provided)
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27
Gathering Flowers For The Master's Bouquet
Marvin E Baumgardner
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28
Hand In Hand With Jesus
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29
Handsome Molly (Live)
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30
Handsome Molly
2004
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31
Harbor Of Love
C Stanley
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32
Have You Someone (In Heaven Waiting)
Carter Stanley
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33
Hey! Hey! Hey!
Carter Stanley, Ralph Stanley
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34
Hills of Roane County
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35
How Mountain Girls Can Love (Remastered)
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36
How Mountain Girls Can Love
Ruby Rakes
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37
I Am the Man, Thomas
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38
I Am Weary, Let Me Rest
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39
I Don't Want Your Rambling Letters
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40
I Hear My Savior Calling
Bill Monroe
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41
I Love No One But You
Carter Stanley
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42
I Saw the Light
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43
I'll Meet You in Church Sunday Morning (Remastered)
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44
I'll Meet You in Church Sunday Morning
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45
I'll Never Grow Tired of You (Remastered)
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46
I'll Never Grow Tired of You
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47
I'm a Man of Constant Sorrow (Remastered)
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48
I'm a Man of Constant Sorrow
Carter (arr) Stanley, Traditional
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49
I'm Better Off Now That You're Gone
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50
I'm Lonesome Without You
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51
I'm Lost, I'll Never Find the Way
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52
If That's the Way You Feel (Remastered)
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53
If That's The Way You Feel
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54
If We Never Meet Again
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55
It's Never Too Late to Start Over
Carter Stanley, Ralph Stanley
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56
It's Never Too Late
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57
It's Raining Here This Morning (Remastered)
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58
Just A Little Talk With Jesus
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59
Keep a Memory (Remastered)
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60
Kneel at the Cross
1961
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61
Let Me Be Your Friend
Carter Stanley
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62
Let Me Walk, Lord, By Your Side (Remastered)
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63
Let Me Walk, Lord, By Your Side
Carter Stanley
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64
Let's Part the Best of Friends
Carter Stanley
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65
Little Glass Of Wine
Carter Stanley
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66
Little Maggie
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67
Lonely Tombs
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68
Man of Constant Sorrow (Live)
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69
Maple on the Hill
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70
Medicine Springs
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71
Memories Of Mother
C Stanley
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72
Mother's Footsteps Guide Me On (Remastered)
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73
Mother's Only Sleeping
1961
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74
Mountain Dew (Remastered)
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75
Mountain Dew
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76
My Long Skinny Lanky Sarah Jane (Live)
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77
Never Again
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78
Next Sunday Darling Is My Birthday (Remastered)
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79
Nobody's Love Is Like Mine
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80
O Death
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81
Oh Death
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82
Old Country Church
1961
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83
Old Rattler (Remastered)
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84
Orange Blossom Special (Live)
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85
Orange Blossom Special (Remastered)
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86
Orange Blossom Special (Remastered)
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87
Orange Blossom Special
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88
Our Last Goodbye
Carter Stanley
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89
Over In the Gloryland
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90
Poison Lies (Remastered)
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91
Poison Lies
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92
Precious Memories
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93
Rank Stranger (Remastered)
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94
Rank Stranger (Remastered)
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95
Rank Strangers
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96
Ridin' That Midnight Train
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97
Say Won't You Be Mine
Carter Stanley
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98
Somebody Touched Me
John Reedy
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99
Sweeter Than the Flowers (Remastered)
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100
Sweetest Love
Carter Stanley, Ralph Stanley
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101
Take Your Shoes Off, Moses
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102
That Happy Night (Remastered)
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103
That Home Far Away (Remastered)
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104
The Cry from the Cross (Remastered)
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105
The Drunkard's Hell
Carter Stanley
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106
The Fields Have Turned Brown (Remastered)
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107
The Fields Have Turned Brown
Carter Stanley
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108
The Lonesome River
Carter Stanley
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109
The Old Home
Carter Stanley, Ralph Stanley
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110
The Only Way to Say Goodbye
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111
The Story of the Lawson Family (Live)
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112
The Wandering Boy
A.p. Carter, Maybelle Carter, Sara Carter
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113
The White Dove
Carter Stanley
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114
The Window Up Above
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115
Think of What You've Done (Remastered)
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116
Think of What You've Done
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117
This Weary Heart You Stole Away
C Stanley
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118
This Wicked Path of Sin (Remastered)
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119
Too Late to Cry
Carter Stanley, Ralph Stanley
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120
Tragic Love (Live)
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121
Tragic Love (Remastered)
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122
Tragic Love
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123
Tragic Romance (Remastered)
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124
We'll Be Sweethearts in Heaven
Carter Stanley
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125
What a Friend We Have In Jesus
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126
What About You
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127
White Dove (Remastered)
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128
Who Will Call You Sweetheart (Remastered)
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129
Who Will Call You Sweetheart
B Monroe, C Stanley
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130
Will He Wait a Little Longer
Ralph Stanley
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131
Will the Circle Be Unbroken
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132
Wings of Angels (Remastered)
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133
Zion's Hill