Ralph Stanley

Biography

Ralph Stanley was the high-lonesome voice who carried Appalachian harmonies beyond the hollers, first rising to prominence as the younger half of the Stanley Brothers and then as a solo artist whose aching tenor and clawhammer banjo work kept traditional bluegrass standards alive.

In later decades he mentored younger players, lent his spirit to the O Brother, Where Art Thou? soundtrack, and received enduring respect for putting mountain music on the world stage before resting at Hills of Home Cemetery.