Interview with Ray and Melvin Goins, May 10, 2005

Partial Transcript: Pleased to have the Goins Brothers here this morning.

Segment Synopsis: Ray and Melvin Goins talk about the people in their family who play music. They talk about the first song they learned to play, "Cripple Creek." They talk about their early interest in music, including the radio show "Farm & Fun Time."

Keywords: Clawhammer banjo style; Coal miners; Cousins; Cripple Creek (Song); Family; Family farms; Farm & Fun Time (Radio program); Fiddle music; Goins Brothers, the (Artist); Influences; Learning; Playing music; Songs; Square dances; The Goins Brothers (Artist); Tracy Dillon; WCYB (Radio station); Walking; West Virginia

Subjects: Banjo music (Bluegrass); Bluegrass music.; Bluegrass musicians; Families.; Fiddle tunes.; Music--Instruction and study.; Music--Performance.; Musical ability in children.; Musical families; Musical performance; Practicing (Music)

Partial Transcript: By the way, Ray, while we're talking, why don't we tell them how we come about getting our first instruments--

Segment Synopsis: Ray and Melvin Goins talk about growing up poor as the sons of a miner, but tell a story about how their father supported their interest in music. They discuss how they made a trade for their first banjo and how their father later traded it away. They talk about working to earn the money for their second banjo and their trip to town to buy it. Melvin talks about his first guitar.

Keywords: Chickens; Cline, Ezra (Artist); Coal miners; Country stores; Cousin Ezra and the Lonesome Pine Fiddlers (Artist); Deals; Ezra Cline (Artist); Family; Fathers; Gibson RB-100 banjo; Horse traders; Jobs; Kingston banjo; Lonesome Pine Fiddlers (Artist); Money; Musical instruments; Payment; Plowing gardens; Poor; Poverty; Recording studios; Straw hats; Supportive; Trades; Work

Subjects: Banjo music (Bluegrass); Bluegrass music.; Bluegrass musicians; Families.; Guitar music (Bluegrass); Music icons; Music--Instruction and study.; Music--Performance.; Musical ability in children.; Musical performance; Practicing (Music)

Partial Transcript: We learned to play pretty good, you know.

Segment Synopsis: Ray and Melvin Goins talk about building a wooden stage on their family's land to practice playing their music, which they performed for their dogs. They talk about riding the bus to their first radio show carrying their guitar in a feed sack. Ray talks about his first professional job playing banjo with Ezra Cline. He talks about his wages for that job, as well as what he made for recording sessions.

Keywords: "Candy shows"; Bluefield (Va.); Building; Buses; Cline, Curly Ray (Artist); Cline, Ezra (Artist); Contracts; Cousin Ezra and the Lonesome Pine Fiddlers (Artist); Curly Ray Cline (Artist); Demo tapes; Dogs; Ezra Cline (Artist); Guitar cases; Guitar strings; Harmony guitar; Humphrey, Paul McCoy (aka Williams, Paul); Kingston banjo; Lonesome Pine Fiddlers (Artist); Microphones; Paul McCoy Humphrey (aka Paul Williams); Payment; Professional musicians; RCA Records; Radio programs; Radio shows; Recording sessions; Stages; WKOY (Radio station); Wages

Subjects: Bands (Music); Banjo music (Bluegrass); Bluegrass music.; Bluegrass musicians; Music icons; Music--Economic aspects.; Music--Performance.; Musical groups.; Musical performance; Radio programs.; Radio stations.; Songs.; Sound recordings.; Sound studios; Sound--Recording and reproducing

Partial Transcript: We recorded--well then uh--there was a couple of sessions done there.

Segment Synopsis: Ray and Melvin Goins talk about their experience staying at the Drake Hotel during their early days in the music business. They talk about sneaking food to cook in their room to save money and hiding a full pan of cooking food in a bureau. They tell a story about Ralph Stanley sitting on a wad of chewed gum before a show. They tell other humorous stories about performers eating beans instead of playing shows, stealing Slim Jims from a store, rooming in a house with many cats, and arguments between performers.

Keywords: Albums; Arguments; Audiences; Beans; Bill Napier (Artist); Blackwood (Va.); Bluefield (Va.); Brown, Hylo (Artist); Bubblegum; Carter Stanley (Artist); Cats; Choking; Cline, Curly Ray (Artist); Cline, Ezra (Artist); Concerts; Cooking; Cousin Ezra and the Lonesome Pine Fiddlers (Artist); Crowds; Curly Ray Cline (Artist); Desperate; Drake Hotel; Dresser drawers; Ezra Cline (Artist); Fighting; Food; Gigs; Grandmothers; Hartford (Ga.); Hazard (Ky.); Hiding; Hylo Brown (Artist); Injuries; Jeff Kiser (Artist); Jobs; Kiser, Jeff (Artist); Lonesome Pine Fiddlers (Artist); Money; Napier, Bill (Artist); Payment; Pikeville (Ky.); Price of admission; Ralph Stanley (Artist); Records; Redfox (Ky.); Shows; Slim Jims; Sound systems; Stanley Brothers and the Clinch Mountain Boys, the (Artist); Stanley, Carter (Artist); Stanley, Ralph (Artist); Television programs; Television shows; The Stanley Brothers and the Clinch Mountain Boys (Artist); The Strand Theater; Venues; WCYB (Radio station); WHIS (Radio station); WLSI (Radio station); Wages; Whitesburg (Ky.); Working

Subjects: Bands (Music); Banjo music (Bluegrass); Bluegrass music.; Bluegrass musicians; Music audiences; Music fans.; Music icons; Music--Economic aspects.; Music--Performance.; Musical groups.; Musical performance; Radio programs.; Radio stations.

Partial Transcript: Ray, you know, uh, we could sit here and talk till this time next week of all the stories, you know, that we went through in our lives.

Segment Synopsis: Ray and Melvin Goins mention the struggles of their early career but say they do not regret anything. They made many friends and got to play music with their heroes. They offer advice to future Bluegrass musicians.

Keywords: Advice; Bill Monroe (Artist); Cripple Creek (Song); Experiences; First song; Flatt, Lester (Artist); Friends; Future of bluegrass; Generations; Heroes; Lester Flatt (Artist); Melody; Money; Monroe, Bill (Artist); Struggles; Timing; Tune; Young musicians

Subjects: Bands (Music); Bluegrass music.; Bluegrass musicians; Music icons; Music--Instruction and study.; Music--Performance.; Musical groups.; Musical performance; Songs.

Partial Transcript: Well you want to get to--

Segment Synopsis: Ray and Melvin Goins play the first song Ray ever learned on the banjo, "Cripple Creek." Ray talks about coming into possession of the banjo he is currently playing. Melvin talks about some of the guitars he has played over the years and how he came into possession of the guitar he is currently playing.

Keywords: Bill Monroe (Artist); Concerts; Cripple Creek (Song); Endorsements; Florentine Gibson banjo; Gigs; International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA); Jim Smith; Martin guitars; Missouri; Monroe, Bill (Artist); Musical instruments; Shows; Smith, Jim; Tributes

Subjects: Banjo music (Bluegrass); Bluegrass music.; Bluegrass musicians; Guitar music (Bluegrass); Music--Performance.; Music.; Musical performance; Musicians; Songs.

Partial Transcript: Well would you like to do one more? Why don't we sing one?

Segment Synopsis: Ray and Melvin Goins talk about the origins of the song "Windy Mountain" and talk about when it was recorded. They then play the song.

Keywords: "Hobo" Jack Adkins (Artist); Adkins, "Hobo" Jack (Artist); Cousin Ezra and the Lonesome Pine Fiddlers (Artist); Lonesome Pine Fiddlers (Artist); RCA-Victor; Recording sessions; Recording studios; Singing; Songwriters; Songwriting; WLSI (Radio station); Windy Mountain (Song)

Subjects: Banjo music (Bluegrass); Bluegrass music.; Bluegrass musicians; Guitar music (Bluegrass); Music--Performance.; Music.; Musical performance; Musicians; Songs.

Partial Transcript: And Ray, you know, speaking of "Windy Mountain" here's another song was on that same session.

Segment Synopsis: Ray and Melvin Goins talk about the origins of the song "Ain't No Curb Service Anymore" and talk about when it was recorded. They then play the song.

Keywords: Ain't No Curb Service Anymore (Song); Curbside service; RCA Records; RCA-Victor

Subjects: Banjo music (Bluegrass); Bluegrass music.; Bluegrass musicians; Guitar music (Bluegrass); Music--Performance.; Music.; Musical performance; Musicians; Songs.

Partial Transcript: Well Ray you know there's a lot of women who used to come out to our shows...

Segment Synopsis: Ray and Melvin Goins talk about the origins of the song "Dirty Dishes Blues" and talk about when it was recorded. They then play the song.

Keywords: Concerts; Crowds; Dirty Dishes Blues (Song); Gene Masters (Artist); Gigs; Masters, Gene (Artist); Music audiences; Music fans.; Shows; Songwriters; Songwriting; Women

Subjects: Banjo music (Bluegrass); Bluegrass music.; Bluegrass musicians; Guitar music (Bluegrass); Music--Performance.; Music.; Musical performance; Musicians; Songs.

Partial Transcript: Why don't we do, um, just a verse and a chorus of, uh, the one, uh, first one we done, uh, for Victor, uh, "Brown Eyed Darling"?

Segment Synopsis: Ray and Melvin Goins talk about the origins of the song "My Brown Eyed Darling" and talk about when it was recorded. They then play the song.

Keywords: Humphrey, Paul McCoy (aka Williams, Paul); My Brown Eyed Darling (Song); Paul McCoy Humphrey (aka Paul Williams); Songwriters; Songwriting

Subjects: Banjo music (Bluegrass); Bluegrass music.; Bluegrass musicians; Guitar music (Bluegrass); Music--Performance.; Music.; Musical performance; Musicians; Songs.

Partial Transcript: Wouldn't you like to call some of them old years back and know what we know now?

Segment Synopsis: Ray and Melvin Goins talk more about their careers and state that they have no regrets. They talk more about making friends and playing music with their heroes and pioneers of Bluegrass. They talk about some of the ways they have been honored, including induction into the Bill Monroe Bluegrass Hall of Fame. They talk about the popularity of the Bluegrass industry, including the film "Oh Brother Where Art Thou?" and the younger generation's growing interest in Bluegrass.

Keywords: Accomplishments; Awards; Bean Blossom (Ind.); Beanblossom (Ind.); Bill Monroe Bluegrass Hall of Fame; Bluegrass Promoter of the Year; Bluegrass pioneers; Booking; Carlton Haney; Country Music Highway; Different; Dolly Parton (Artist); Don Reno (Artist); Dr. Ralph Stanley Festival; Experiences; Fincastle (Va.); Friends; Future of bluegrass; Generations; Grand Ole Opry; Haney, Carlton; Heroes; History; O Brother, Where Art Thou? (Album); O Brother, Where Art Thou? (Motion picture); Parton, Dolly (Artist); Payment; People; Popularity; Porter Wagoner (Artist); Proud; Regrets; Reno, Don (Artist); Sons; Television programs; Television shows; The Beverly Hillbillies (Television program); Wages; Wagoner, Porter (Artist); Watermelon Park; Young people

Subjects: Bands (Music); Bluegrass festivals; Bluegrass music.; Bluegrass musicians; Music audiences; Music fans.; Music festivals.; Music icons; Music--Performance.; Musical groups.; Musical performance

Partial Transcript: I'd like to tell a little story about Mr. Bill Monroe.

Segment Synopsis: Ray and Melvin Goins tell stories about Bill Monroe, including the time he was left at a truck stop by his band and a time he fed a stray dog.

Keywords: Bessie Lee Monroe (Artist); Bill Monroe (Artist); Buses; Dogs; Drive-in restaurants; Logan (W. Va.); Monroe, Bessie Lee (Artist); Monroe, Bill (Artist); Teeth; Truck stops

Subjects: Bands (Music); Bluegrass musicians; Musical groups.; Musicians; Travel.

Partial Transcript: Boy, and I tell you what, back when I, I worked with the Stanley Brothers, man I tell you what: I got a master's degree.

Segment Synopsis: Melvin Goins talks about the lessons he learned while playing with the Stanley Brothers. He talks about a bass falling off of the top of a car. He tells a story about Ralph Stanley making him tell Carter Stanley he was fired from the band. He talks about some of Carter Stanley's pranks and jokes, including putting laxatives in people's drinks, and re-tuning Shot Jackson's steel guitar.

Keywords: Arguments; Barefoot; Bass; Carter Stanley (Artist); Concerts; Fights; Firing; George Shuffler (Artist); Gigs; Grapes; Harold Bradley "Shot" Jackson (Artist); Jackson, Harold Bradley "Shot" (Artist); Jokes; Laxatives; Learning; Mac Wiseman (Artist); Matinee schools; Mischievous; Notice; Perry County (Ky.); Pranks; Ralph Stanley (Artist); Restaurants; Shows; Shuffler, George (Artist); Stanley, Carter (Artist); Stanley, Ralph (Artist); Trailers; Tricks; Tuning; Wiseman, Mac (Artist)

Subjects: Bands (Music); Bluegrass musicians; Music--Social aspects.; Musical groups.; Practical jokes.

Partial Transcript: What else can we do?

Segment Synopsis: Ray and Melvin Goins talk about the origins of the song "Pike County Breakdown" and talk about when it was recorded. They then play the song. They talk about young Bluegrass musician Sonny Osborne.

Keywords: Bill Monroe (Artist); Bluefield (Va.); Cline, Ezra (Artist); Differences; Earl Scruggs (Artist); Ezra Cline (Artist); Flatt and Scruggs (Artist); Idols; Monroe, Bill (Artist); Osborne, Sonny (Artist); Pike County Breakdown (Song); Practice; Scruggs, Earl (Artist); Sonny Osborne (Artist); Styles

Subjects: Bands (Music); Banjo music (Bluegrass); Bluegrass music.; Bluegrass musicians; Guitar music (Bluegrass); Music icons; Music--Performance.; Music.; Musical ability in children.; Musical ability.; Musical groups.; Musical performance; Musicians; Practicing (Music); Songs.

Partial Transcript: I thought one of Monroe--speaking of Monroe, I thought one of Monroe's greatest instrumentals he ever recorded was, uh, was "Rawhide."

Segment Synopsis: Ray and Melvin Goins talk about recording sessions for various songs. They talk about other musicians' radio shows. They tell a story of their own radio show and holding an audition for a new fiddle player at which "Fiddlin' Dewey" Shepherd and Red Onion tried out. They tell another story about their radio show when they were accidentally on the air during the news program.

Keywords: "Fiddlin' Dewey" Shepherd (Artist); Auditions; Bill Monroe (Artist); Bluefield (Va.); Carter Stanley (Artist); Charles Spradlin; Christmas lights; Corn fields; Fiddle players; Hats; Microphones; Monroe, Bill (Artist); News; On the air; Radio shows; Rawhide (Song); Recording sessions; Red Onion (Artist); Shepherd, "Fiddlin' Dewey" (Artist); Stanley Brothers and the Clinch Mountain Boys, the (Artist); Stanley, Carter (Artist); Stealing; The Stanley Brothers and the Clinch Mountain Boys (Artist); WCYB (Radio station); WNBA (Radio station); WPRT (Radio station)

Subjects: Bands (Music); Bluegrass music.; Bluegrass musicians; Music--Performance.; Musical groups.; Musical performance; Musicians; Radio programs.; Radio stations.; Sound studios

Partial Transcript: Ray--------??

Segment Synopsis: Ray and Melvin Goins tell more stories about pranks by other performers that they witnessed, including buttering a fiddle bow, and bringing a snake backstage. They talk about Bill Monroe's personality and his feelings about other musicians. They talk about an argument between Ezra Cline and Kentucky Slim which began over a dead squirrel in the road.

Keywords: "Big" Al Hall (Artist); Apple pie; Arguments; Bean Blossom (Ind.); Bean Blossom Festival, Indiana; Beanblossom (Ind.); Bill Monroe (Artist); Branham, Eddie (Kentucky Slim); Brown, Hylo (Artist); Butter; Car doors; Cline, Ezra (Artist); Country music; Cousin Ezra and the Lonesome Pine Fiddlers (Artist); Electric guitar; Eyes; Ezra Cline (Artist); Fiddle bows; Fiddle players; Fights; Food; Guard rails; Hall, "Big" Al (Artist); Hylo Brown (Artist); Ice cream; Jokes; Kentucky Slim (Eddie Branham); Lonesome Pine Fiddlers (Artist); Mac Wiseman (Artist); Monroe, Bill (Artist); Pranks; Schools; Shy; Singers; Snakes; Songs; Squirrels; Uncles; Wiseman, Mac (Artist)

Subjects: Bands (Music); Bluegrass musicians; Music--Performance.; Musical groups.; Musical performance; Musicians; Practical jokes.; Travel.

Partial Transcript: When we first started out--

Segment Synopsis: Ray and Melvin Goins talk about the tradition of having a comedian in Bluegrass bands. They discuss some of the famous Bluegrass comedians, including Lindy "Tennessee Mort" Clear. They talk about Clear's fear of another band member, Chubby Anthony. Melvin Goins talks about his own work as a comedian playing the character "Big Wilbur" for the Stanley Brothers. He tells some of his classic jokes. He talks about accidentally selling James Brown records as Stanley Brothers records.

Keywords: "Big Wilbur"; "Hot dog machine"; "Ms. Bureau"; "Oh Henry"; "Old Black Joe"; Anthony, Donald Lee "Chubby" (Artist); Auditions; Bean Blossom (Ind.); Bean Blossom Festival, Indiana; Beanblossom (Ind.); Bill Napier (Artist); Brown, James (Artist); Candy; Carter Stanley (Artist); Charlie Monroe (Artist); Clear, Lindy "Tennessee Mort" (Artist); Commercials; Concerts; Cranking; Dancing; Donald Lee "Chubby" Anthony (Artist); Falling asleep; Fiddle players; Fiddles; Flatt and Scruggs (Artist); Frontman; Frontwork; Funny; Gigs; James Brown (Artist); Jokes; Lindy "Tennessee Mort" Clear (Artist); Model T Ford; Monroe, Charlie (Artist); Napier, Bill (Artist); Outfits; Ralph Stanley (Artist); Rocks; Routines; Selling albums; Shows; Singing; Skip to My Lou (Song); Stage names; Stanley Brothers and the Clinch Mountain Boys, the (Artist); Stanley, Carter (Artist); Stanley, Ralph (Artist); Straightman; Suits; Television programs; Television shows; The Stanley Brothers and the Clinch Mountain Boys (Artist)

Subjects: Bands (Music); Bluegrass festivals; Bluegrass music.; Bluegrass musicians; Comedians.; Comedy.; Music festivals.; Music--Performance.; Musical groups.; Musical performance; Musicians

Partial Transcript: I never will forget it, Joe Meadows...

Segment Synopsis: Ray and Melvin Goins talk about some of the pranks Joe Meadows played, including putting smoke bombs under the hoods of cars. Melvin talks about a prank that was played on him making him think his car had leaked a lot of oil. They tell a story about a time their car rolled down a hill with Ray sleeping inside it.

Keywords: Billy Edwards (Artist); Buggy; Cars; Cline, Ezra (Artist); Concerts; Cousin Ezra and the Lonesome Pine Fiddlers (Artist); Cousin Winesap; Edwards, Billy (Artist); Ezra Cline (Artist); Gigs; Hedges; Ice block; Joe Meadows (Artist); Leaking oil; Lonesome Pine Fiddlers (Artist); Meadows, Joe (Artist); Motor oil; Names; Oil leaks; Pranks; Runaway cars; Shows; Smoke bombs

Subjects: Bands (Music); Bluegrass musicians; Music--Social aspects.; Musical groups.; Practical jokes.

Partial Transcript: Flatt and Scruggs was the, was the featured band there that day.

Segment Synopsis: Ray and Melvin Goins describe a banjo contest and some recordings. They talk about their wages in the early days of performing, having to ride with the bass inside the car when it rained, and arguments between performers.

Keywords: Arguments; Banjo contests; Banjo players; Bass; Bobby Osmond (Artist); Cars; Charlie Monroe (Artist); Cline, Curly Ray (Artist); Cline, Ezra (Artist); Comedians; Cousin Ezra and the Lonesome Pine Fiddlers (Artist); Cozy Records; Curly Ray Cline (Artist); Eleanor Parker (Artist); Ezra Cline (Artist); Fights; Flatt and Scruggs (Artist); Larry Richmond (Artist); Lonesome Pine Fiddlers (Artist); Monroe, Charlie (Artist); Morgan, Ray (Artist); Osmond, Bobby (Artist); Pain In My Heart (Song); Parker, Eleanor (Artist); Parker, Rex (Artist); Payment; Rain; Ray Morgan (Artist); Rex Parker (Artist); Rex and Eleanor and the Merrymakers (Artist); Richmond, Larry (Artist); Shoe polish; Wages

Subjects: Bands (Music); Bluegrass musicians; Music--Performance.; Musical groups.; Musical performance; Transportation; Travel.

Partial Transcript: We got all that.

Segment Synopsis: Ray and Melvin Goins play the song "Get In Line Brother If You Want To Go Home." They mention having good memories of their career. The interview is concluded.

Keywords: Bluegrass gospel music; Future of bluegrass; Get In Line Brother If You Want To Go Home (Song); Memories

Subjects: Banjo music (Bluegrass); Bluegrass music.; Bluegrass musicians; Guitar music (Bluegrass); Music--Performance.; Music.; Musical performance; Musicians; Songs.