Bluegrass Bluesman: A Memoir

A pivotal member of the hugely successful bluegrass band Flatt and Scruggs and the Foggy Mountain Boys, Dobro pioneer Josh Graves was a living link between bluegrass music and the blues, maintaining ties with black artists and comporting himself as a classic bluesman with a gold tooth and snappy headgear. In lively anecdotes, Graves describes his upbringing in Tennessee and the climate in which bluegrass music emerged in the 1940s. Deeply influenced by the blues, he adapted Scrugg's revolutionary banjo style to the Dobro. His accounts of life on the road in the 1950s and 1960s resonate with the band's dedication to musical excellence. Includes tributes from 20+ contemporaries and disciples, and material on his instruments and repertoire. 133 pp.