Help: Emmylou and Ricky?

Subject: Emmylou and Ricky?
From: wysiwyg
Date: 19 Apr 01 - 01:29 AM

My old tape of ROSES IN THE SNOW has a J-card but no liner notes! But... isn't that a very young Ricky Skaggs on there several times singing duets with our Emmylou, and wouldn't that be him on mandolin then too? Did he fiddle on that one as well?

If I am already supposed to know this, sorry! Did she "discover" him? I thought he got famous even before then... my eyes are bad but the tape looks like it's dated 1980.

~Susan

Subject: RE: Help: Emmylou and Ricky?
From: Stewie
Date: 19 Apr 01 - 02:38 AM

Yes, Skaggs played mandolin, fiddle, guitar and banjo on various tracks, and did duet and harmony vocals.

No, she did not 'discover' him. His first important band was Ralph Stanley's - he was a mere slip of a lad then, along with Keith Whitley (both still school-aged) and Roy Lee Centers.

--Stewie.

Subject: RE: Help: Emmylou and Ricky?
From: Stewie
Date: 19 Apr 01 - 04:05 AM

Susan, here's Skaggs' involvement:

Roses in the snow: banjo, fiddle
Wayfaring stranger: fiddle, acoustic guitar, harmony vocals
Green pastures: acoustic guitar, duet vocal
The Boxer: banjo
Darkest Hour: fiddle, mandolin, acoustic guitar, lead and harmony vocals
I'll go stepping too: mandolin, fiddle and harmony vocals (with Tony Rice)
You're learning: fiddle, acoustic guitar, duet vocal
Jordan: mandolin (also Albert Lee), harmony vocals (with Tony Rice and Johnny Cash)
Miss the Mississippi: fiddle, acoustic guitar
Gold watch and chain: lead acoustic guitar, lead and harmony vocals

Other musicians involved included Tony Rice, Albert Lee, Emery Gordy Jr, Jerry Douglas, Brian Ahern, The Whites and Linda Ronstadt (harmony and duet vocals on 'Gold watch').

--Stewie.

Subject: RE: Help: Emmylou and Ricky?
From: wysiwyg
Date: 19 Apr 01 - 09:04 AM

Thanks, Stewie!

I had not heard that tape in years, and years, and YEARS... and have since developed the appreciation I have for RS. So it was quite a shock when I took Emmy in the kitchen to wash dishes with me yesterday and, unmistakably, realized that Ricky had dropped in as well!

They are so good together I don't think they will need me to do any of the washing up today-- I'll just leave it to them!

I knew I had seen a piece about little Ricky on one of the recent history of country music TV shows, but I could not pull up the whole memory-- his talent (musta been at the Opry) washed away the rest of the picture.

~Susan

Subject: PS
From: wysiwyg
Date: 19 Apr 01 - 09:07 AM

Oh and Stewie-- thanks also for the songlist and musician lineup-- I will print that, and include it as I add the tape to the Gospel Tape Lending Library.

~S~

Subject: RE: Help: Emmylou and Ricky?
From: GUEST
Date: 19 Apr 01 - 01:19 PM

Ricky tells a great story of his Roses In Te Snow Sessions. Having played his solo( on viola) on the awesome 'Darkest Hour Is Just before Dawn' he broke his bow over his knee; knowing that he would never play a more soulful break. One of Emmylou's finest works...but then they all are. Anyone for Merlefest this year? PJ Curtis.(The Burren, Ireland.)

Subject: RE: Help: Emmylou and Ricky?
From: wysiwyg
Date: 19 Apr 01 - 03:44 PM

Hi PJ, welcome to Mudcat. Hope you will join up.

That is a great story!

~S~

Subject: RE: Help: Emmylou and Ricky?
From: DougR
Date: 19 Apr 01 - 09:04 PM

Stewie: Did Ricky Skaggs play in a bluegrass group that performed at a pub in Georgetown, just outside Washington, D.C. in the early 70s? I heard the group several times and am under the impression he was part of the group.

Another group I heard there one night was a Japanese group and not one member of the group spoke English. They had learned all their songs by listening to Bill Monroe's band on records. They were really good too.

I think the name of the Pub was the Shamrock.

DougR

Subject: RE: Help: Emmylou and Ricky?
From: catspaw49
Date: 19 Apr 01 - 09:18 PM

I think Emmylou has always had a thing for good mando players. While going through some old VCR tapes a few months ago, I ran across one of Garrison Keillor's TV versions of "Prairie Home Companion" and Emmylou was on that episode. Watching it I was surprised to see her mando player was Vince Gill. At the time I first taped it he was just another sideman.......but a helluva' good mandolin player!

Spaw

Subject: RE: Help: Emmylou and Ricky?
From: Peter T.
Date: 20 Apr 01 - 09:02 AM

Damn. This means I have to take up the mandolin. I hate when that happens....

yours, Peter T.

Subject: RE: Help: Emmylou and Ricky?
From: Bedubya
Date: 20 Apr 01 - 09:56 AM

DougR: Probably the band you are referring to is Boone Creek which featured Skaggs and Jerry Douglas both (and probably another well-known or two that I don't remember). The band broke up when Ricky decided to join Emmylou's band.

BTW, Ms Harris's band has always had a "front-man" or "bandleader". That is the position that Ricky held during his tenure with her, and the one more recently held by Sam Bush with her "Nash Ramblers" band. It's a pretty hands-off style of band management isn't it? Hire somebody great to front your band, let them deal with the hassles of running a band, and you just sing. Sure seems to work for her.

Subject: RE: Help: Emmylou and Ricky?
From: Peter T.
Date: 20 Apr 01 - 10:00 AM

Oh, well, if it's hands-off, then I have no interest. yours, Peter T.

Subject: RE: Help: Emmylou and Ricky?
From: wysiwyg
Date: 20 Apr 01 - 10:52 AM

Good training for the lucky leader, too. Ideal work study!

Peter, I don't see why you could not work on your audition skills just in case. You may already have some of the necessary ones down pat.

*G*

~S~

Subject: RE: Help: Emmylou and Ricky?
From: DougR
Date: 20 Apr 01 - 05:37 PM

Bedubya: That sound right about The Boone Creek band. Thanks.

DougR

Subject: RE: Help: Emmylou and Ricky?
From: Stewie
Date: 20 Apr 01 - 07:56 PM

Hi Doug, I don't know the answer to your question. Bedubya's suggestion of Boone Creek may well be right. However, that band formed in 1975 according to Jack Tottle on his notes to the first Rounder album (1977), but Rosenburg, in his 'Bluegrass', gives the date as 1977. He might have been going on the album date but, in any case, 1975 may be a bit late for you - you referred to 'early 1970s'. I think Skaggs was with Ralph Stanley only in 1971 and subsequently did work with the Country Gentlemen and J.D. Crowe and the New South before leaving Crowe to form Boone Creek. Either of those may be a possibility. He joined Crowe's band in 1974 and left soon after with Douglas - so that too may be a bit late. That leaves the Country Gentlemen as the best bet for your time frame.

The other two members of the original Boone Creek were Wes Golding, who wrote some of the band's material, and Terry Baucom.

--Stewie.

Subject: RE: Help: Emmylou and Ricky?
From: wysiwyg
Date: 20 Apr 01 - 09:29 PM

Hey Stewie, can you come over and see the "Damn MELODY" thread and sort me out a bit?

~S~