The Bailey Brothers and the Happy Valley Boys
Encyclopedia
The Bailey Brothers and the Happy Valley Boys are an American bluegrass
act widely considered to be among the first to cultivate the duo harmony
vocal technique widely used in modern bluegrass music today . Charlie Bailey (February 9, 1916 in Klondyke, Happy Valley, Tennessee – March 12, 2004 in Bear, Delaware) began his musical career in 1936. His brother, Danny Bailey (1 December 1919, Klondyke, Happy Valley
, Tennessee
– 22 March 2004, Knoxville, Tennessee), teamed up with him in 1940, and the brothers began making frequent appearances on Tennessee radio stations in the Knoxville area. Danny formed the Happy Valley Boys after Charlie joined the military in 1941 and in 1944 the Happy Valley Boys relocated to Nashville
where they regularly appeared on the Grand Ole Opry
and also made regular appearances on WSM radio in Nashville. At that time, Danny was the youngest person to ever perform on the Grand Ole Opry . When Charlie returned from his military service in 1946 the brothers were reunited as a duo but only stayed in Nashville briefly before returning to radio work in Knoxville where they started. .
The Bailey brothers came from a very musical family and began playing music early in their lives. Charlie displayed a desire to pursue music very early in his life buying his first guitar for $1.75. Their parents had hoped that Danny would become a doctor but sensing that the pull toward music was stronger, they encouraged Danny to join his brother who had already begun making a name for himself musically. .
The Bailey Brothers and the Happy Valley Boys members included from 1949:
Other members included from 1946:
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...
act widely considered to be among the first to cultivate the duo harmony
Harmony
In music, harmony is the use of simultaneous pitches , or chords. The study of harmony involves chords and their construction and chord progressions and the principles of connection that govern them. Harmony is often said to refer to the "vertical" aspect of music, as distinguished from melodic...
vocal technique widely used in modern bluegrass music today . Charlie Bailey (February 9, 1916 in Klondyke, Happy Valley, Tennessee – March 12, 2004 in Bear, Delaware) began his musical career in 1936. His brother, Danny Bailey (1 December 1919, Klondyke, Happy Valley
Happy Valley, Tennessee
Happy Valley is an unincorporated community in Blount County, Tennessee, United States, near the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Although it is not a census-designated place, the ZIP Code Tabulation Area for the ZIP Code that serves Happy Valley had a population of 529 as of the 2000 U.S...
, Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
– 22 March 2004, Knoxville, Tennessee), teamed up with him in 1940, and the brothers began making frequent appearances on Tennessee radio stations in the Knoxville area. Danny formed the Happy Valley Boys after Charlie joined the military in 1941 and in 1944 the Happy Valley Boys relocated to Nashville
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
where they regularly appeared on 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...
and also made regular appearances on WSM radio in Nashville. At that time, Danny was the youngest person to ever perform on the Grand Ole Opry . When Charlie returned from his military service in 1946 the brothers were reunited as a duo but only stayed in Nashville briefly before returning to radio work in Knoxville where they started. .
The Bailey brothers came from a very musical family and began playing music early in their lives. Charlie displayed a desire to pursue music very early in his life buying his first guitar for $1.75. Their parents had hoped that Danny would become a doctor but sensing that the pull toward music was stronger, they encouraged Danny to join his brother who had already begun making a name for himself musically. .
The Bailey Brothers and the Happy Valley Boys members included from 1949:
- Charles L. Bailey, mandolin, guitar, vocals
- Daniel Q. Bailey, guitar, vocals
- Carl Bailey, guitar
- E.P. "Jake" Tullock, bass
Other members included from 1946:
- L.E. White, fiddle
- Wiley Birchfield, banjo
- Ray Brewster, guitar and mandolin
- Willie G. Brewster, vocals, guitar, mandolin
- "Cotton" Gaylon, Hawaiian guitar
- George ShufflerGeorge ShufflerGeorge Shuffler is an innovative bluegrass guitar player and an early practitioner of the crosspicking style. During his career Shuffler played with The Bailey Brothers, The Stanley Brothers and Ralph Stanley's Clinch Mountain Boys...
, bass - "Slap Happy Jake" - comedian
- Larry Mathis - banjo