Johnson Mountain Boys
Encyclopedia
The Johnson Mountain Boys were a popular bluegrass
band throughout the 1980s from the Washington, D.C.
area. Their style favored a more traditional approach to bluegrass than some of their contemporaries. They released ten albums and toured widely, playing venues such as Madison Square Garden
, The White House, the Lincoln Center and the Grand Ole Opry
in the United States
. Other tours took them around the world to England
, Japan
, and Africa
. The group was frequently recognized with nominations for Grammy Awards, International Bluegrass Music Association
awards, and awards from the Society for the Preservation of Bluegrass Music in America. Many of the band's members are still active in other musical groups and settings.
and Ron Welch on guitar
and Eddie D'Zmura on mandolin
. The band was renamed, "The Johnson Mountain Boys" after learning of another folk band already using the "Johnson Boys" name. The name The Johnson Mountain Boys was suggested by George Connnell, Dudley's father; this band is a tribute to George Connnell who was a true gentleman and a great banjo player as well and a wonderful person. There is no such place as "Johnson Mountain" in Montgomery County, Maryland
from which many of the band members come. The group was a full five-piece band by 1978 that featured Connell on guitar, Franny Davidson on banjo--replaced by Richard Underwood after the band's first recording session--[Eddie D'Zmura] (musician), Eddie Stubbs
on fiddle
, and Larry Robbins playing bass. The groups self-titled first album won considerable acclaim. Subsequent albums made the group young standard bearers of traditional bluegrass in the 1980s. In 1986, there were two personnel changes. Marshall Wilborn replaced Larry Robbins on bass and Tom Adams
replaced Richard Underwood on banjo.
. The February 20, 1988 concert was recorded and released the following year as a double live album, At the Old Schoolhouse. Critics hailed the release as one the group's finest moments and it was ultimately nominated for a Grammy
. It may have been the success of this album that prompted the band to book a couple of "reunion shows" at festivals starting in 1989 and ultimately to reform into a part-time band. The longest-running lineup of this "part-time" version of the band consisted of Connell, Stubbs, McLaughlin, Adams and the group's newest member, Earl Yager on bass. The group even released another album, Blue Diamond, in 1993 (nominated for a Grammy
), but called it quits for good following their performance at the bluegrass festival in Myrtle Beach, SC in November 1996.
and later an archivist for the National Council for the Traditional Arts. Eddie Stubbs relocated to Nashville where he continued to play fiddle for acts such as Johnnie Wright
and Kitty Wells
. Stubbs also became a DJ and announcer for the Grand Ole Opry
on WSM-AM. He has won Broadcast Personality of the Year awards from the Country Music Association
(2002) and from the International Bluegrass Music Association
(1996, 2002). David McLaughlin formed a duo with Josh Crowe, has worked with several other bands, and operates a recording studio in Winchester, VA. Tom Adams
has worked as a banjo player in the Lynn Morris Band, Blue Highway
, and in bands headed by Rhonda Vincent
and Dale Ann Bradley. Adams was awarded Banjo Player of the Year three times (1992, 1993, 2002) by the International Bluegrass Music Association. He was most recently (July 6, 2009 - May 9, 2011) the guitarist and lead singer for Michael Cleveland & Flamekeeper. Marshall Wilborn, bassist, singer and songwriter, was most recently (Fall, 2007 - May 9, 2011) a member of Michael Cleveland and Flamekeeper.
Bluegrass music
Bluegrass music is a form of American roots music, and a sub-genre of country music. It has mixed roots in Scottish, English, Welsh and Irish traditional music...
band throughout the 1980s from the Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
area. Their style favored a more traditional approach to bluegrass than some of their contemporaries. They released ten albums and toured widely, playing venues such as Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden, often abbreviated as MSG and known colloquially as The Garden, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in the New York City borough of Manhattan and located at 8th Avenue, between 31st and 33rd Streets, situated on top of Pennsylvania Station.Opened on February 11, 1968, it is the...
, The White House, the Lincoln Center and the Grand Ole Opry
Grand Ole Opry
The Grand Ole Opry is a weekly country music stage concert in Nashville, Tennessee, that has presented the biggest stars of that genre since 1925. It is also among the longest-running broadcasts in history since its beginnings as a one-hour radio "barn dance" on WSM-AM...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Other tours took them around the world to England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, and Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
. The group was frequently recognized with nominations for Grammy Awards, International Bluegrass Music Association
International Bluegrass Music Association
The International Bluegrass Music Association, or IBMA, is a trade association to promote bluegrass music.Formed in 1985, IBMA established its first headquarters in Owensboro, Kentucky. In 1988 they announced plans to create the International Bluegrass Music Museum as a joint venture with...
awards, and awards from the Society for the Preservation of Bluegrass Music in America. Many of the band's members are still active in other musical groups and settings.
Early years
The first incarnation of the band, initially known as "The Johnson Boys", formed in 1975 as a duo featuring Dudley Connell on banjoBanjo
In the 1830s Sweeney became the first white man to play the banjo on stage. His version of the instrument replaced the gourd with a drum-like sound box and included four full-length strings alongside a short fifth-string. There is no proof, however, that Sweeney invented either innovation. This new...
and Ron Welch on guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
and Eddie D'Zmura on mandolin
Mandolin
A mandolin is a musical instrument in the lute family . It descends from the mandore, a soprano member of the lute family. The mandolin soundboard comes in many shapes—but generally round or teardrop-shaped, sometimes with scrolls or other projections. A mandolin may have f-holes, or a single...
. The band was renamed, "The Johnson Mountain Boys" after learning of another folk band already using the "Johnson Boys" name. The name The Johnson Mountain Boys was suggested by George Connnell, Dudley's father; this band is a tribute to George Connnell who was a true gentleman and a great banjo player as well and a wonderful person. There is no such place as "Johnson Mountain" in Montgomery County, Maryland
Montgomery County, Maryland
Montgomery County is a county in the U.S. state of Maryland, situated just to the north of Washington, D.C., and southwest of the city of Baltimore. It is one of the most affluent counties in the United States, and has the highest percentage of residents over 25 years of age who hold post-graduate...
from which many of the band members come. The group was a full five-piece band by 1978 that featured Connell on guitar, Franny Davidson on banjo--replaced by Richard Underwood after the band's first recording session--[Eddie D'Zmura] (musician), Eddie Stubbs
Eddie Stubbs
Eddie Stubbs is a radio disc jockey broadcasting old-style country music on WSM, a radio station with a nighttime clear channel signal broadcast from Nashville, Tennessee...
on fiddle
Fiddle
The term fiddle may refer to any bowed string musical instrument, most often the violin. It is also a colloquial term for the instrument used by players in all genres, including classical music...
, and Larry Robbins playing bass. The groups self-titled first album won considerable acclaim. Subsequent albums made the group young standard bearers of traditional bluegrass in the 1980s. In 1986, there were two personnel changes. Marshall Wilborn replaced Larry Robbins on bass and Tom Adams
Tom Adams (musician)
Tom Adams is a bluegrass musician born in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. Featured as a banjo player on recordings made between 1974 and 2006 with The Adams Brothers, The Johnson Mountain Boys, The Lynn Morris Band, Blue Highway, Rhonda Vincent, Dale Ann Bradley, Michael Cleveland and many others, the...
replaced Richard Underwood on banjo.
Initial break-up and "reunion shows" (1988–1996)
In 1987, the Johnson Mountain Boys announced their plans to disband after a farewell concert in Lucketts, VirginiaLucketts, Virginia
Lucketts is an unincorporated historic hamlet in Loudoun County, Virginia along U.S. Route 15 north of Leesburg. It was originally known as Black Swamp due to the large number of Black Oak trees growing in the area at the time of its settlement...
. The February 20, 1988 concert was recorded and released the following year as a double live album, At the Old Schoolhouse. Critics hailed the release as one the group's finest moments and it was ultimately nominated for a Grammy
Grammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
. It may have been the success of this album that prompted the band to book a couple of "reunion shows" at festivals starting in 1989 and ultimately to reform into a part-time band. The longest-running lineup of this "part-time" version of the band consisted of Connell, Stubbs, McLaughlin, Adams and the group's newest member, Earl Yager on bass. The group even released another album, Blue Diamond, in 1993 (nominated for a Grammy
Grammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
), but called it quits for good following their performance at the bluegrass festival in Myrtle Beach, SC in November 1996.
Since the final break-up (Since November 1996)
The band's various members independently continued to pursue active careers. Dudley Connell became the guitarist and lead singer of the Seldom Scene and became the head of the mail-order division of the Folkways Record Collection at the Smithsonian InstitutionSmithsonian Institution
The Smithsonian Institution is an educational and research institute and associated museum complex, administered and funded by the government of the United States and by funds from its endowment, contributions, and profits from its retail operations, concessions, licensing activities, and magazines...
and later an archivist for the National Council for the Traditional Arts. Eddie Stubbs relocated to Nashville where he continued to play fiddle for acts such as Johnnie Wright
Johnnie Wright
Johnnie Robert Wright, Jr. , known professionally as Johnnie Wright, was an American country music singer-songwriter who spent much of his career working with Jack Anglin as the popular duo Johnnie & Jack, and was also the husband of Kitty Wells.-Early life and career:Born in Mount Juliet,...
and Kitty Wells
Kitty Wells
Ellen Muriel Deason , known professionally as Kitty Wells, is an American country music singer. Her 1952 hit recording, "It Wasn't God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels", made her the first female country singer to top the U.S. country charts, and turned her into the first female country star...
. Stubbs also became a DJ and announcer for the Grand Ole Opry
Grand Ole Opry
The Grand Ole Opry is a weekly country music stage concert in Nashville, Tennessee, that has presented the biggest stars of that genre since 1925. It is also among the longest-running broadcasts in history since its beginnings as a one-hour radio "barn dance" on WSM-AM...
on WSM-AM. He has won Broadcast Personality of the Year awards from the Country Music Association
Country Music Association
The Country Music Association was founded in 1958 in Nashville, Tennessee. It originally consisted of only 233 members and was the first trade organization formed to promote a music genre...
(2002) and from the International Bluegrass Music Association
International Bluegrass Music Association
The International Bluegrass Music Association, or IBMA, is a trade association to promote bluegrass music.Formed in 1985, IBMA established its first headquarters in Owensboro, Kentucky. In 1988 they announced plans to create the International Bluegrass Music Museum as a joint venture with...
(1996, 2002). David McLaughlin formed a duo with Josh Crowe, has worked with several other bands, and operates a recording studio in Winchester, VA. Tom Adams
Tom Adams (musician)
Tom Adams is a bluegrass musician born in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. Featured as a banjo player on recordings made between 1974 and 2006 with The Adams Brothers, The Johnson Mountain Boys, The Lynn Morris Band, Blue Highway, Rhonda Vincent, Dale Ann Bradley, Michael Cleveland and many others, the...
has worked as a banjo player in the Lynn Morris Band, Blue Highway
Blue Highway
Blue Highway is an American contemporary bluegrass band. They have released eight CDs, their sixth and seventh – Wondrous Love , and Marbletown – received Grammy Award nominations.-Personnel:...
, and in bands headed by Rhonda Vincent
Rhonda Vincent
Rhonda Lea Vincent is a bluegrass singer, songwriter, mandolin player, guitarist, and fiddle player.Her musical career started as a child in her family's band, The Sally Mountain Show, and has spanned almost four decades...
and Dale Ann Bradley. Adams was awarded Banjo Player of the Year three times (1992, 1993, 2002) by the International Bluegrass Music Association. He was most recently (July 6, 2009 - May 9, 2011) the guitarist and lead singer for Michael Cleveland & Flamekeeper. Marshall Wilborn, bassist, singer and songwriter, was most recently (Fall, 2007 - May 9, 2011) a member of Michael Cleveland and Flamekeeper.
Discography
- The Johnson Mountain Boys (1978; 1981, RounderRounder RecordsRounder Records, originally of Cambridge, Massachusetts, but now based in Burlington, Massachusetts, is a record label founded in 1970 by Ken Irwin, Bill Nowlin and Marian Leighton-Levy, while all three were still university students...
) - Walls of Time (1982 Rounder)
- Working Close (1983 Rounder)
- Live at the Birchmere (1984 Rounder)
- The Johnson Mountain Boys (1984, Copper Creek)
- We'll Still Sing On (1985, Rounder)
- Let the Whole World Talk (1987, Rounder)
- Requests (1988, Rounder)
- At the Old Schoolhouse (1989, Rounder)
- Blue Diamond (1993, Rounder)