Pete Kuykendall
Encyclopedia
Peter "Pete" Van Kuykendall (born January 15, 1938) also known as Pete Roberts, is an American bluegrass musician, songwriter, discographer and a magazine and music publisher. He is a co-founder of Bluegrass Unlimited
magazine and its editor since 1970. He was instrumental in the formation of the International Bluegrass Music Association
(IBMA) in 1985 and the International Bluegrass Music Museum
(IBMM) in 1991. In 1996, he was inducted into the International Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame.
, he grew up in Arlington, Virginia, attending Washington–Lee High School
.
An avid record collector from a young age, Kuykendall would listen to country and bluegrass music on the WARL, WGAY and WWVA
radio stations. His mother was a piano teacher and Kuykendall played clarinet in his junior and high school concert bands. He learned to play all the bluegrass
instruments, but his primary instrument is the five-string banjo. He played banjo as a member of The Country Gentlemen
in 1958–1959.
and recorded Mississippi John Hurt
there in 1964 and many other blues, bluegrass and country music performers over the years. He produced several albums for the Country Gentlemen, including Nashville Jail
in 1964.
, Reno and Smiley
, Flatt and Scruggs
and the Stanley Brothers
." Folklorist and music scholar Neil V. Rosenberg has called him "the first discographer of bluegrass music."
, and volunteers Dianne and Vince Sims. In 1970 he became its editor and has written many articles for it." From 1972 to 1980, Bluegrass Unlimited, i.e. Kuykendall, produced the Indian Springs Bluegrass Festival near Hagerstown, Maryland, 17 times. The International Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame has stated that Bluegrass Unlimited magazine is "a publication affectionately referred to as the 'bible of bluegrass music'".
, said: "When the magazine started publishing, bluegrass was pretty much at a low point. The magazine spread the word and highlighted the artistic aspect of the music, which helped to bring it out of the bars where it was in the 1950s. Without him I don’t know where the bluegrass industry would be today."
Bluegrass Unlimited
Bluegrass Unlimited is a monthly music magazine "dedicated to the furtherance of bluegrass and old-time musicians, devotees and associates." First published in 1966, as of 2008 the magazine had a circulation of more than 25,000 copies and is widely considered the premier magazine for bluegrass music...
magazine and its editor since 1970. He was instrumental in the formation of 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...
(IBMA) in 1985 and the International Bluegrass Music Museum
International Bluegrass Music Museum
The International Bluegrass Music Museum ) is a bluegrass music museum in RiverPark Center near downtown Owensboro, Kentucky, United States. The museum has inter-active exhibits, posters, costumes, live instrument demonstrations, and the International Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame. The museum has...
(IBMM) in 1991. In 1996, he was inducted into the International Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame.
Early life
Born in 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....
, he grew up in Arlington, Virginia, attending Washington–Lee High School
Washington-Lee High School
Washington-Lee High School is one of three traditional public high schools in the Arlington Public Schools district in Arlington, Virginia, covering grades 9-12. As of 2009-2010, the school had over 1,800 students and 120 teachers...
.
An avid record collector from a young age, Kuykendall would listen to country and bluegrass music on the WARL, WGAY and WWVA
WWVA (AM)
WWVA is an AM radio station that broadcasts on a frequency of 1170 kHz with studios in Wheeling, West Virginia, USA, and towers formerly located in St. Clairsville, Ohio, before they were destroyed in an August 2010 storm...
radio stations. His mother was a piano teacher and Kuykendall played clarinet in his junior and high school concert bands. He learned to play all the bluegrass
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...
instruments, but his primary instrument is the five-string banjo. He played banjo as a member of The Country Gentlemen
The Country Gentlemen
The Country Gentlemen were a bluegrass band that originated during the 1950s in the area of Washington, DC, United States, and recorded and toured with various members until the death in 2004 of Charlie Waller, one of the group's founders who in its later years served as the group's "focal point...
in 1958–1959.
Career
After high school, he studied at Capitol Radio and Electronics Institute (CREI) and was a deejay for WKIK in Leonardtown, Maryland and WFCR (WEEL, now WDCT) in Fairfax, Virginia. Graduated from CREI, he got married and worked for a short time as a recording division technician in the Library of Congress, transferring recordings from fragile discs and cylinders to magnetic tape. He built Wynwood Recording Studio in the basement of his house in Falls Church, VirginiaFalls Church, Virginia
The City of Falls Church is an independent city in Virginia, United States, in the Washington Metropolitan Area. The city population was 12,332 in 2010, up from 10,377 in 2000. Taking its name from The Falls Church, an 18th-century Anglican parish, Falls Church gained township status within...
and recorded Mississippi John Hurt
Mississippi John Hurt
John Smith Hurt, better known as Mississippi John Hurt was an American country blues singer and guitarist.Raised in Avalon, Mississippi, Hurt taught himself how to play the guitar around age nine...
there in 1964 and many other blues, bluegrass and country music performers over the years. He produced several albums for the Country Gentlemen, including Nashville Jail
Nashville Jail
Nashville Jail is an album by the progressive bluegrass band Country Gentlemen — their first classic lineup . Recorded in 1964 when the band was with Mercury Records, the album was not released until 1990 by Copper Creek Records.- Track listing :# Nashville Jail 2:04# This World's No Place to Live...
in 1964.
Discographer
In the late 1950s, Kuykendall wrote several articles and discographies for Disc Collector magazine which were "the first serious writing about the discographical aspects of the careers of [Bill] MonroeBill Monroe
William Smith Monroe was an American musician who created the style of music known as bluegrass, which takes its name from his band, the "Blue Grass Boys," named for Monroe's home state of Kentucky. Monroe's performing career spanned 60 years as a singer, instrumentalist, composer and bandleader...
, Reno and Smiley
Reno and Smiley
Reno and Smiley were a musical duo composed of Don Reno and Red Smiley. They were one of the most acclaimed duos in country music of the 1950s and early '60s.-How They Met:...
, Flatt and Scruggs
Foggy Mountain Boys
The Foggy Mountain Boys were an influential bluegrass band founded by Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs in 1948, shortly after leaving Bill Monroe’s band. They recorded and performed together up until 1969.-Biography:...
and the Stanley Brothers
The Stanley Brothers
The Stanley Brothers were an American bluegrass duo made up of brothers Carter and Ralph Stanley.-Biography:Carter and Ralph Stanley hailed originally from Dickenson County, Virginia. The family soon moved to McClure, Virginia where their parents worked a small farm in the Clinch Mountains...
." Folklorist and music scholar Neil V. Rosenberg has called him "the first discographer of bluegrass music."
Songwriter
He composed and arranged songs, often using his stage-name, Pete Roberts, that are now standards in bluegrass, including: "Down Where The Still Waters Flow", "I Am Weary (Let Me Rest)" – used in the soundtrack of the movie O Brother Where Art Thou, "Journey's End", "No Blind Ones There", "Out On The Ocean", "Remembrance Of You" and "Rollin' Stone". His own music publishing company is Wynwood Music.Bluegrass Unlimited
Bluegrass Unlimited magazine was co-founded by Kuykendall in 1966, with Gary Henderson, Dick Freeland, Dick SpottswoodRichard K. Spottswood
Richard K. "Dick" Spottswood is a musicologist and author from Maryland who has catalogued and been responsible for the reissue of many thousands of recordings of vernacular music in the United States. He earned his B.A. from the University of Maryland in 1960, and his Master's degree in Library...
, and volunteers Dianne and Vince Sims. In 1970 he became its editor and has written many articles for it." From 1972 to 1980, Bluegrass Unlimited, i.e. Kuykendall, produced the Indian Springs Bluegrass Festival near Hagerstown, Maryland, 17 times. The International Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame has stated that Bluegrass Unlimited magazine is "a publication affectionately referred to as the 'bible of bluegrass music'".
Influence
Steve Spence, former managing editor at Bluegrass Unlimited, called Kuykendall "one of the foremost authorities on the history of bluegrass" and also said of him: "Kuykendall is as integral a part of the success of bluegrass music over the past five decades as any one person you are likely to find. He has been a performer, a songwriter, a magazine and music publisher, an event promoter, a disc jockey, a record producer, booking agent..." Speaking of Kuykendall and the influence of Bluegrass Unlimited, David Freeman, owner of Rebel RecordsRebel Records
In 1980, Freeland sold the label to David Freeman, the founder of County Records. Rebel currently has 140 titles in print from more than 35 different artists and groups. In 2008, the label released 8 new titles, including ones from Ralph Stanley and Larry Sparks.-Notable artists:...
, said: "When the magazine started publishing, bluegrass was pretty much at a low point. The magazine spread the word and highlighted the artistic aspect of the music, which helped to bring it out of the bars where it was in the 1950s. Without him I don’t know where the bluegrass industry would be today."
Sources
- Rosenberg, Neil V. Bluegrass: A History "Music in American Life" series. University of Illinois Press (1993). ISBN 025206304X. 447 pp.
External links
- Citation inducting Peter V. Kuykendall into the IBM Hall of Fame, 1996.