I mentioned Grayson & Whitter in the bluegrass thread, and it prompted me to get out my County CD of their music to hear it again. I realize that many people may not know their music... or if they do, they know it from a couple of songs on the Anthology Of American Folk Music. I was greatly entertained by the CD and amazed at how many songs they recorded that have become standards.
G.B. Grayson & Henry Whitter met at a fiddler's convention in Tennessee in 1927. When I listen to them play, it sounds like they have played music together since birth. Grayson sang and played fiddle and Whitter played guitar, keeping the rhythm solid and adding just enough bass runs to compliment the fiddle. Grayson also recorded just with his fiddle, which is remarkably difficult. Pete Stampfell of the Holy Modal Rounders used to do Omie Wise, just with fiddle in his pre-HMR days, and back when I used to play fiddle just to irritate the neighbor's dog, I quickly found out how hard it is to play fiddle and sing at the same time.
In addition to the many classic songs they recorded, including Banks of the Ohio, Tom Dooley, Little Maggie, Omie Wise and Handsome Molly, Grayson also wrote Going Down The Lee Highway.
Bluegrass musicians? Naaah... just good ole boys.
Train 45 never ceases to make me laugh. "Where you goin' Henry? I'm going to Larrawhooper, Tennessee." After all these years of laughing at that line, I finally pulled out an Atlas to confirm what I suspected.
There is no Larrawhooper, Tennessee. Sure would like to go there, if it really existed. Maybe that's where Grayson & Whitter went when they died.