The Galaxy Playlist

March 2, 1998

A Tribute to Grandpa Jones

Louis Marshall "Grandpa" Jones was one person who aged right into his makeup. Like his real appearance, however, his actual background and role in country music were deceptive, and more complex than they seem. Beginning in the 1920's, he began attracting attention with his boisterous performing style, old-time banjo performing and powerful singing, and by the 1940's, with hits like "Rattler" and "Mountain Dew," he began receiving national attention. He joined the Grand Ole Opry in 1947, and remained there throughout his career; in the 1960's, with hits like "T For Texas," he continued making a place for himself on the country charts, and as a regular on Hee Haw since its inception in 1969, he became a television celebrity.

But Jones' influence went much further than that chain of successes would indicate--he was almost single-handedly responsible for keeping the banjo alive as a country music instrument during the 1930's and 1940's, and in addition to his own work and songs, he was an important associate and collaborator of influential guitarist and songwriter Merle Travis. He recorded numerous albums and toured extensively, often with his wife Ramona joining him on fiddle and guitar and singing harmony. He was elected to the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1978. Noted country music scholar Charles K. Wolfe wrote in his 1982 book Kentucky Country, "Grandpa's career shows that it is possible to be a major influence on country music and never have a million seller. In many ways, Grandpa's career has paralleled the growth of country music and mirrored its changes and moods."

He performed regularly on the Opry up to, and including, January 3, 1998, when Grandpa suffered a stroke after his performance. After spending several weeks in Baptist Hospital in Nashville, he was moved to a private long-term care facility. On February 19, 1998, Grandpa Jones passed away from complications following his stroke. He was 84 years old. Jones is survived by Ramona, his wife of more than 50 years, three children, Mark, Eloise and Alisa and a number of grandchildren. A daughter, Marsha, preceded him in death.

On a February 21st tribute held in honor of Grandpa Jones at the Opry, Opry President and General Manager Bob Whittaker said, "If we could say today, 'Grandpa, what’s for supper?' I believe he would say:

"Oh, a table full of friends you would all like to see.
A bowl of health too complete to believe.
Music so sweet and laughter so loud,
You know that this supper was prepared in the clouds.
The Host of Hosts is all around,
And the love up here knows no bounds."

Here on the Galaxy, we are proud to pay honor to those artists that have touched our lives so deeply with their dedication to music, their inspired playing, and their heartfelt voices. Grandpa Jones was one such artist, a man who practically devoted his life to entertaining us through music. For him we pay our deepest respects with a set devoted to his music. Thank you, Grandpa, for blessing us so much with your songs and your heart. We will miss you.
This tribute was compiled using quotations from his artist's entry that can be found at The Grand Ole Opry (where you can also find an article describing a memorial service held at the Opry and attended by 1,000 musicians and other persons), and from his bio found on the All Music Guide.

Composer's name is listed where notable (i.e. Classical Performance, Jazz Performance).
Links are to Artist's Home Page, if one exists, or to a quality source of information. Otherwise, link is to Yahoo Search for information about the composer, performer, or other related information.

Composer	Performer	Title	Genre	Label	Notes
Lewis Marshall "Grandpa" Jones -w- various instrumentalists, including wife Ramona		The All-American Boy	Country	Decca	Various Performances recorded between 1956 and apx. 1969; several songs written by Jimmie Rogers, one of his primary influences; Don't Bring Your Banjo Home a take-off on a Johnny Cash tune, "Don't Bring your Guns to town; T for Texas his only Top 5 hit; Cindy recorded live at the Opry
		T For Texas		Sony
		Mountain Dew		Decca
		Brakeman's Blues		Sony
		Rattler's Pup		Decca
		Peach Pickin time in Georgia		Sony
		Daylight Saving's Time		Decca
		Don't Look Back		Sony
		Don't Bring Your Banjo Home		Decca
		Waiting on a Train		Sony
		Old Towser		Decca
		My Carolina Sunshine Girl		Sony
		Away Out on the Mountain		Sony
		Picking Time		Decca
		Cindy		Decca
Lester Flatt & Ernest Scruggs -w- the Foggy Mountain Boys		The Ballad of Jed Clampett (Theme from The Beverly Hillbillies	Bluegrass	Columbia, 1962	Different recording than what is heard on the television show
		Earl's Breakdown		Columbia, 1951
		Foggy Mountain Breakdown (Theme from Bonnie and Clyde)		Columbia, 1967
		Foggy Mountain Chimes		Columbia, 1953
		Petticoat Junction		Columbia, 1964	Theme from the television show of the same name
Patsy Cline		So Wrong	Country	Columbia, 1962
Bob Dylan		Like a Rolling Stone	Folk Rock	Columbia, 1965	Taken from the album "Highway 51 Revisited"
		Ballad of a Thin Man
		Tombstone Blues
B. B. King		Heartbreaker	Blues	MCA	requested music
		I'd Rather Drink Muddy Water
		Paying the Cost to Be the Boss
Samuel Barber	Thomas Hampson, bar.; Cheryl Studer, sop.; John Browning, piano; Emerson String Quartet	Dover Beach	Classical, 20th Century	Deutsche Grammophon, 1994	Recorded in 1991-1992; Emerson String Quartet accompanied TH on Dover Beach, J. Browning provides accompaniment on the rest; Songs are all solo pieces, TH and CS alternate on vocals; lyrics taken from different poets.
		Love At the Door
		Serenades
		Love's Caution
		Night Wanderers
		Of That So Sweet Imprisionment
		Strings in the Earth and Air
		Beggar's Song
		Three Songs, Op. 45 - Now Have I Fed and Eaten Up the Rose; A Green Lowland of Pianos; O Boundless, Boundless Evening
Nusrat Fatah Ali Khan and Party		Mazaq Aa Gaya	Middle Eastern	Caroline, 1988 (?)	Taken from a 1997 collection
		Mast Aankon Ki Kasam
John Coltrane - Lee Morgan, Curtis Fuller, Kenny Drew, Paul Chambers, Philly Joe Jones		Blue Train	Jazz, Traditional	Blue Note, 1957	Alternate Take; Taken from new Enhanced CD rerelease of Blue Trane, that includes video of Coltrane with Miles Davis, and audio interviews of Archie Shepp, Roy Haynes, and other Coltrane contemporaries
Charlie Mingus -w- Eric Dolphy, Booker Ervin, Ted Curson, Dannie Richmond		Wednesday Night Prayer Meeting	Jazz, Traditional	Atlantic, 1960	Recorded live at the Antibies Jazz Festival, 1960
		What Love
		Folk Forms I
		Better Git Hit In Your Soul
The Stevens Sisters		What About me	Country	Rounder, 1997

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Last Update: March 3rd, 1998

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