Remembering Carl Story with BU

Carl Moore Story (1916-95), born in Lenoir, NC, was one of the first generation of bluegrass musicians, having started a 'hillbilly' band in his mid teens as a fiddle player, together with Johnny/Johnnie 'Half-Pint' Whisnant playing three-finger style banjo. His long career included playing fiddle with Bill Monroe's Blue Grass Boys in 1942-3, before he went on to become known as the 'father of bluegrass gospel'. His story up to 1985 is told in a major article by Roy Thigpen, published in Bluegrass Unlimited magazine in Feb. 1985, which can now be read from BU's online archives. BU has also made available a Spotify playlist of fifty of his recordings.

PS: In this video from 1977 of an ensemble led by Bill Monroe and Ralph Stanley, singing 'I'll fly away', Carl Story is on the right in a white shirt - perhaps the same outfit he has on in one of the photos in Roy Thigpen's article.

© Richard Hawkins