'Josh' Graves, 27 Sept. 1928 - 30 Sept. 2006

Thanks to Roger Ryan and Colin Henry for forwarding information on the sad news that Burkett Howard ('Buck' or 'Uncle Josh') Graves, father of bluegrass resophonic guitar playing, died on the morning of Saturday 30 September. Since 2000 he had had severe health problems involving the amputation of both legs, but had continued to perform with the aid of a device built for him by Eddie Adcock to enable him to hold the instrument. He entered hospital in critical condition earlier this year.

Born in Tellico Plains, Monroe County, east Tennessee, he was nicknamed 'Buck' as a child after the cowboy hero Buck Jones; he later used the name 'Uncle Josh' as part of a comedy routine (a common feature of bands at that time). Taking up guitar, mandolin, and steel-body National guitar, he worked with the Pierce Brothers, Esco Hankins, Wilma Lee & Stoney Cooper, and Mac Wiseman before joining the Flatt & Scruggs band in 1955 as a bass player. His talent as a dobro player was soon recognised and became an essential part of the band's sound; he further developed the instrument's capability under the influence of Earl Scruggs's banjo rolls - which had themselves been influenced by the dobro playing of Pete 'Bashful Brother Oswald' Kirby with the Roy Acuff band. The later achievements of such players as Mike Auldridge and Jerry Douglas, and the current strength of the dobro in country and acoustic music, are direct results of his work.

He remained with Flatt & Scruggs till their split in 1969, when he played first with Lester Flatt & the Nashville Grass and then with the Earl Scruggs Revue. He later performed and recorded in a duo with Kenny Baker, doyen of bluegrass fiddlers, and in 1991-2 as a member of The Masters with Eddie Adcock, Jesse McReynolds, and Kenny Baker. He was in demand as a session player, and his own recordings included King of the dobro (1996), Sultan of slide (2000), and Memories of Foggy Mountain (2002). In 1992 he received an IBMA Distinguished Achievement Award in recognition of his unique contributions to bluegrass, and in 1997 he was inducted into the IBMA Hall of Honor.

Josh was to have appeared on the evening of 30 September in a 'Legends' section of the IBMA's Fan Fest at Nashville, TN. Instead, Randy Kohrs brought on stage Leroy Mack, Phil Leadbetter, Rob Ickes, and other well known dobroists, who played 'Fireball' and 'Foggy Mountain Rock' in tribute to him.


Tribute to 'Josh' Graves at IBMA Fan Fest, 30 September 2006. Photo by Carol Hawkins

For news stories, see this link. Additional information from Barry R. Willis, America's music: bluegrass (1997), and from the official website. Tributes can be found on the Bluegrass Blog.

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Apologies for changes in the dates given for Josh's year of birth, which originally appeared here as 1925. On the official website it is 1928; other sources give 1927.

The following remarks by Earl Scruggs, made before Josh's death, appear in a major interview with Earl in the September/October 2006 issue of Bluegrass Music Profiles magazine:

I always look forward to going and seeing Josh... He's always 'up' and never has pity for himself, it seems, and I always come back feeling better myself. I go to try to cheer him up but he makes me feel better. He's a prince of a guy.