Interview with Bill Emerson, May 8, 2006

Partial Transcript: Um, we're here in Vienna, Virginia.

Segment Synopsis: Bill Emerson is introduced. He talks about his early exposure to bluegrass music through his neighbor, who was from South Africa. He talks about learning to play guitar and ukulele but quickly switching to banjo.

Keywords: Banjo players; Banjos; Bethesda (Md.); Earl Scruggs (Artist); Exposure; Guitars; Influences; Learning to play; Neighbors; Records; Scruggs, Earl (Artist); South Africa; Teenagers; Ukuleles; Washington (D.C.)

Subjects: Bands (Music); Banjo music (Bluegrass); Bluegrass music.; Bluegrass musicians; Music--Instruction and study.; Musical ability in children.; Musical ability.; Musical groups.; Musical instruments.; Musicians; Practicing (Music)

Partial Transcript: Well, I know that when people are young, you know, and they're attracted to an instrument, one of the things that really accelerates the learning curve is, is playing with other people.

Segment Synopsis: Emerson talks about how he came to play on the radio with Uncle Bob and the Blue Ridge Partners in the 1950s.

Keywords: 1950s; Jobs; Money; Payment; Radio shows; Salary; Uncle Bob and the Blue Ridge Partners (Artist)

Subjects: Bands (Music); Banjo music (Bluegrass); Bluegrass music.; Bluegrass musicians; Music--Performance.; Musical ability in children.; Musical ability.; Musical groups.; Musical performance; Musicians; Radio programs.; Radio stations.

Partial Transcript: Um, so, eventually, um, you know, we all know that you at one point started playing with Buzz Busby.

Segment Synopsis: Emerson talks about beginning to play in Buzz Busby's band, alongside Don Stover. He talks about the lessons he learned from Buzz Busby about showmanship and having a unique identity as a band.

Keywords: Banjo players; Banjos; Baritone singing; Busby, Buzz (Artist); Buzz Busby (Artist); Concerts; Different; Don Stover (Artist); Gigs; Identity; Learning to play; Lessons; Mandolin players; Musical styles; On stage; Professional musicians; Showmanship; Shows; Singing; Songs; Stover, Don (Artist); Talent; Teaching; Television shows; Unique

Subjects: Bands (Music); Banjo music (Bluegrass); Bluegrass music.; Bluegrass musicians; Music--Instruction and study.; Music--Performance.; Musical ability.; Musical groups.; Musical performance; Musicians

Partial Transcript: Well, there is this very famous story that many of us know, but, but many of us don't, uh, about how your work with Buzz Busby evolved into the founding of the Country Gentlemen.

Segment Synopsis: Emerson talks about the creation of the band The Country Gentlemen as a replacement for Buzz Busby's band which could not play due to a car accident. He talks about the early members, how they decided on the band's name, and their desire to play unique music. He talks about leaving the Country Gentlemen.

Keywords: Adcock, Eddie (Artist); Atkins, Chet (Artist); Band members; Band names; Banjo players; Banjos; Bill Harrell (Artist); Busby, Buzz (Artist); Buzz Busby (Artist); Car accidents; Carl Nelson (Artist); Carter Stanley (Artist); Charlie Waller (Artist); Chet Atkins (Artist); Copying; Country Gentlemen, the (Artist); Cox, Jim (Artist); Crossroads (Venue); Different; Dixie Records; Duffey, John (Artist); Eddie Adcock (Artist); Fill-ins; Going to the Races (Song); Groveton Lunch (Venue); Harrell, Bill (Artist); Heavenward Bound (Song); Identity; Influences; Jim Cox (Artist); John Duffey (Artist); Kuykendall, Pete (Artist); Learning; Leaving; Lessons; Meeting; Morgan, Tom (Artist); Nelson, Carl (Artist); Pete Kuykendall (Artist); Philosophy; Radio shows; Replacements; Roy Self (Artist); Self, Roy (Artist); Seven Daniels (Venue); Songs; Stanley, Carter (Artist); Starday Records; Teaching; The Country Gentlemen (Artist); Tom Morgan (Artist); Unique; WARL (Radio station); Waller, Charlie (Artist)

Subjects: Bands (Music); Banjo music (Bluegrass); Bluegrass music.; Bluegrass musicians; Music--Instruction and study.; Music--Performance.; Musical ability.; Musical groups.; Musical performance; Musicians; Radio programs.; Radio stations.; Records.; Songs.; Sound recordings.; Sound studios; Sound--Recording and reproducing

Partial Transcript: Many people, uh, when you mention Bill Emerson--the name Bill Emerson, um, many people immediately associate that with the time that you spent with Jimmy Martin...

Segment Synopsis: Emerson talks about how he came to work with Jimmy Martin. He talks about the lessons he learned from Jimmy Martin about the music business. He describes what touring and traveling as a band were like in the late 1950s and early 1960s.

Keywords: Allen, Harley “Red” (Artist); Banjo players; Banjos; Bass; Cadillacs; Canada; Cars; Conway, Zeb (Artist); Craft, Paul (Artist); David Grisman (Artist); Fill-ins; Frank Wakefield (Artist); Grisman, David (Artist); Harley “Red” Allen (Artist); Influences; Interstate highways; Interstates; Jimmy Martin (Artist); Jobs; Learning; Lifestyles; Martin, Jimmy (Artist); Martins Ferry (Ohio); Material; Mentors; Mumps; Music business; Musical styles; On the road; Paul Craft (Artist); Paul Williams (Artist); Radio shows; Replacements; Roads; Songs; Touring; Tours; Traveling; Tryouts; Wakefield, Frank (Artist); Williams, Paul (Artist); Zeb Conway (Artist)

Subjects: Bands (Music); Banjo music (Bluegrass); Bluegrass music.; Bluegrass musicians; Music--Instruction and study.; Music--Performance.; Musical ability.; Musical groups.; Musical performance; Musicians; Radio programs.; Radio stations.; Records.; Songs.; Sound recordings.; Sound studios; Sound--Recording and reproducing; Travel

Partial Transcript: So what were the, the--I mean you mentioned two--songs that you did record with Jimmy?

Segment Synopsis: Emerson talks about writing instrumental songs. He talks about recording with Jimmy Martin. He describes the process of collaborating with other musicians to write songs, including Jimmy Martin. He talks about Martin's attitude as a band leader.

Keywords: Albums; Attitudes; Banjo players; Banjos; Bill Monroe (Artist); Bluntness; Bradley's Barn; Collaboration; Control; Decca Records; Different; Discipline; Gospel music; Instrumentals; Jimmy Martin (Artist); Jimmy Martin and the Sunny Mountain Boys (Artist); Martin, Jimmy (Artist); Material; Monroe, Bill (Artist); Musical styles; Original; Paul Williams (Artist); Recording studios; Rules; Songwriting; Sound; Sweet Dixie (Song); Teaching; Theme Time (Song); Unique; Versions; Williams, Paul (Artist)

Subjects: Bands (Music); Banjo music (Bluegrass); Bluegrass music.; Bluegrass musicians; Lyric writing (Popular music); Music--Instruction and study.; Music--Performance.; Musical ability.; Musical groups.; Musical performance; Musicians; Popular music--Writing and publishing.; Records.; Songs.; Sound recordings.; Sound studios; Sound--Recording and reproducing

Partial Transcript: So eventually at some time you decide to leave Jimmy--

Segment Synopsis: Emerson talks about his reasons for leaving Jimmy Martin's band. He talks about how he came to form the band Emerson & Waldron with Cliff Waldron. He talks about the other members of the band. He talks about their desire to play unique material, including songs by Tina Turner and Gordon Lightfoot, and talks about how the stigma against bluegrass music changed over time.

Keywords: "Hillbilly"; Adaptation; Alderman, Garland (Artist); Audiences; Auldridge, Mike (Artist); Banjo players; Banjos; Bill Poffenberger (Artist); Brown, Earl (Artist); Busby, Buzz (Artist); Buzz Busby (Artist); Cars; Cliff Waldron (Artist); Concerts; Contemporary; Country Gentlemen, the (Artist); Decisions; Different; Dobro players; Earl Brown (Artist); Emerson & Waldron (Artist); Fiddle players; Fox on the Run (Song); Garland Alderman (Artist); Genres; Gigs; Gordon Lightfoot (Artist); Grand Ole Opry (Radio program); Gray, Tom (Artist); Guitar players; Identity; Innovation; Leaving; Lightfoot, Gordon (Artist); Mandolin players; Martins Ferry (Ohio); Material; Mike Auldridge (Artist); Money; Moving; Musical styles; Nashville (Tenn.); Payment; Poffenberger, Bill (Artist); Proud Mary (Song); Quitting; Red Fox (Venue); Rhythm; Salary; Shows; Stigma; Tempo; The Country Gentlemen (Artist); Tom Gray (Artist); Traditional; Unique; Waldron, Cliff (Artist); Wayne Yates (Artist); Yates, Wayne (Artist)

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

Partial Transcript: One of the things that, that we haven't focused on--(clears throat)--yet, but I'd like to get your thoughts on is singing.

Segment Synopsis: Emerson talks about the unique style of singing in bluegrass music. He describes how in bluegrass, some syllables are often skipped over.

Keywords: "Me and Joe"; "Shoulder lifting time"; Acoustic instruments; Carter Stanley (Artist); Emphasis; Flatt, Lester (Artist); Genres; Jimmy Martin (Artist); Lead singers; Lester Flatt (Artist); Martin, Jimmy (Artist); Pull; Relaxed; Rhythm; Singing; Skipping over; Sound; Square; Stanley, Carter (Artist); Style; Syllables; Vocalists (singers); Words

Subjects: Bands (Music); Bluegrass music.; Bluegrass musicians; Music--Performance.; Musical ability.; Musical groups.; Musical performance; Musicians; Songs.

Partial Transcript: In terms of like songwriting, um, when you put together an instrumental that's one thing...

Segment Synopsis: Emerson talks briefly about songwriting.

Keywords: Banjo players; Banjos; Face From Another Place (Song); George McCeney (Artist); Hartford, John (Artist); Instrumentals; John Hartford (Artist); Lyrics; McCeney, George (Artist); Songwriting; Tunes; Words

Subjects: Bands (Music); Banjo music (Bluegrass); Bluegrass music.; Bluegrass musicians; Lyric writing (Popular music); Music--Performance.; Musical ability.; Musical groups.; Musical performance; Musicians; Popular music--Writing and publishing.; Records.; Songs.; Sound recordings.; Sound studios; Sound--Recording and reproducing

Partial Transcript: Um, when, when you, um, left Cliff Waldron I think you went back with the Country Gentlemen, is that right?

Segment Synopsis: Emerson talks about rejoining the Country Gentlemen. He talks about the members of the band at that time. He talks about recording with the band and the types of songs they were playing, again focusing on unique material. He talks about the popularity of bluegrass bands playing more contemporary music in the Washington, D.C. scene.

Keywords: Adaptation; Adcock, Eddie (Artist); Auldridge, Mike (Artist); Banjo players; Banjos; Ben Eldridge (Artist); Bill Yates (Artist); Charlie Waller (Artist); Contemporary; Country Gentlemen, the (Artist); Cowboys and Indians (Song); Different; Doyle Lawson (Artist); Duffey, John (Artist); Eddie Adcock (Artist); Eldridge, Ben (Artist); Fill-ins; Gaudreau, Jimmy (Artist); Gordon Lightfoot (Artist); Jimmy Gaudreau (Artist); John Duffey (Artist); Lawson, Doyle (Artist); Lead singers; Lightfoot, Gordon (Artist); Material; Mike Auldridge (Artist); Mother of a Miner's Child (Song); Music scene; Oberlin College; Ohio; Popularity; Redwood Hill (Song); Replacements; Seldom Scene, the (Artist); The Country Gentlemen (Artist); The Seldom Scene (Artist); Touring; Tours; Traditional; Unique; Waller, Charlie (Artist); Yates, Bill (Artist); Yesterday (Song)

Subjects: Bands (Music); Banjo music (Bluegrass); Bluegrass music.; Bluegrass musicians; Lyric writing (Popular music); Music--Performance.; Musical ability.; Musical groups.; Musical performance; Musicians; Popular music--Writing and publishing.; Records.; Songs.; Sound recordings.; Sound studios; Sound--Recording and reproducing; Washington (D.C.)

Partial Transcript: Well, when, um--most people know that--(clears throat)--that at, um, at a, at--when you left the countr--Country Gentlemen for the second time I guess, um, that you decided to go into the Navy.

Segment Synopsis: Emerson talks about being offered a job with the U.S. Navy's country/bluegrass band, Country Current. He talks about his decision to join the Navy. He talks about the type of material and the types of shows they played. He talks about how his decision to join the Navy band helped his career, and talks about trying to convince other musicians to join.

Keywords: Active service; Band members; Banjo players; Banjos; Benefits; Billets; Bob Kaufman (Artist); Careers; Country Current (Artist); Doyle Lawson (Artist); Kaufman, Bob (Artist); Lawson, Doyle (Artist); Leadership; Material; Military rank; Musical directors; Navy bands; Navy music program; Recruitment; Regrets; Rhythm guitar players; Ricky Skaggs (Artist); Skaggs, Ricky (Artist); Songs; Venues

Subjects: Bands (Music); Banjo music (Bluegrass); Bluegrass music.; Bluegrass musicians; Country music.; Military life.; Military service, Voluntary.; Music--Performance.; Musical ability.; Musical groups.; Musical performance; Musicians; United States. Navy--Recruiting, enlistment, etc.; United States. Navy.; Vietnam War, 1961-1975

Partial Transcript: And I'm, I'm doing--working on some projects with those guys right now.

Segment Synopsis: Emerson talks about a current project he is working on called the Sweet Dixie Band. He talks about his idea to bring many musicians together, some he was worked with previously and some he has not. These musicians will form various configurations to record songs for an album. He talks about the possibility of touring with this group if their record becomes popular enough.

Keywords: Albums; Band members; Banjo players; Banjos; Brad Corbin (Artist); Configurations; Corbin, Brad (Artist); Different; Diversified; Goble, Pete (Artist); Jimmy Martin (Artist); Joe Wheatley (Artist); Mark Newton (Artist); Martin, Jimmy (Artist); Newton, Mark (Artist); Pat White (Artist); Personal appearances; Pete Goble (Artist); Singing; Sweet Dixie Band (Artist); Taylor, Wayne (Artist); Tony Trischka (Artist); Touring; Tours; Travel; Trischka, Tony (Artist); Unique; Wayne Taylor (Artist); Wheatley, Joe (Artist); White, Pat (Artist)

Subjects: Bands (Music); Banjo music (Bluegrass); Bluegrass music.; Bluegrass musicians; Music--Performance.; Musical ability.; Musical groups.; Musical performance; Musicians; Records.; Songs.; Sound recordings.; Sound--Recording and reproducing; Travel.

Partial Transcript: You know, as a matter of fact, some stuff that I've done that I've thought was, uh, was gonna be great before I ever walked in the studio was the worst stuff on the project.

Segment Synopsis: Emerson describes the business side of music, including the details of recording contracts and budgets, record distributors, and the changes that have occurred between the use of records, compact discs, and digital music files.

Keywords: Audiences; Budgets; Changes; Concerts; Demand; Digital music; Gigs; Jimmy Martin (Artist); Martin, Jimmy (Artist); Music files; Popularity; Radio hits; Record contracts; Record distribution; Record distributors; Record sales; Shows; iPods

Subjects: Bands (Music); Banjo music (Bluegrass); Bluegrass music.; Bluegrass musicians; Music business; Music--Economic aspects.; Music--Performance.; Musical ability.; Musical groups.; Musical performance; Musicians; Records.; Songs.; Sound recordings.; Sound studios; Sound--Recording and reproducing

Partial Transcript: I know that, like, before you did this, like, you were involved in this and I think owned Webco Records at a time--

Segment Synopsis: Emerson talks about recording with Webco Records and then later buying the studio. His son ran the studio so he later gave sole ownership of the business to his son. The company was later sold to Pinecastle Records.

Keywords: A&R directors; Busbice, Wayne; Emerson, John; Goble, Pete (Artist); Hits; John Emerson; Pete Goble (Artist); Record companies; Record distributors; Record labels; Record producers; Recording studios; Sons; Tennessee 1949 (Song); U.S. Navy; Wayne Busbice; Webco Records; Webco-Pinecastle Records

Subjects: Bands (Music); Banjo music (Bluegrass); Bluegrass music.; Bluegrass musicians; Music business; Music--Economic aspects.; Music--Performance.; Musical ability.; Musical groups.; Musical performance; Musicians; Records.; Songs.; Sound recordings.; Sound studios; Sound--Recording and reproducing

Partial Transcript: And I know that also since your retirement, and even before then, that you've taught banjo.

Segment Synopsis: Emerson talks about his work as a banjo tutor. He gives advice to young people wanting to learn to play banjo and wanting a career in the music business.

Keywords: Advice; Arlington Music; Banjo players; Banjos; Books; Buster Sexton (Artist); Desire; Don Reno (Artist); Duffey, John (Artist); Earl Scruggs (Artist); Genres; Influences; Irwin, Smitty (Artist); John Duffey (Artist); Mentors; Music lessons; Music students; One-on-one; Personal; Reno, Don (Artist); Scruggs, Earl (Artist); Sexton, Buster (Artist); Smitty Irwin (Artist); Teachers; Teaching; Tutors; Videos; Young people

Subjects: Bands (Music); Banjo music (Bluegrass); Bluegrass music.; Bluegrass musicians; Music--Instruction and study.; Music--Performance.; Musical ability in children.; Musical ability.; Musical instruments.; Musical performance; Musicians; Practicing (Music)

Partial Transcript: Um, when you look--I mean you have such perspective, um, and when you look out across what's going on in bluegrass today there are a lot of things going on.

Segment Synopsis: Emerson gives his thoughts and opinions on the future of bluegrass music. He talks about broadening the appeal to a wider audience through musicians like Alison Krauss and Ricky Skaggs. He talks about the trend of trying to re-integrate bluegrass with country music, which he does not agree with. He talks about changes due to technology. He talks about new fans of bluegrass who are interested in the more "hardcore" style of bluegrass played by musicians like Del McCoury.

Keywords: Alison Krauss (Artist); Audiences; Banjo players; Banjos; Broad appeal; Changes; Del McCoury (Artist); Del McCoury Band (Artist); Effort; Exposure; Genres; Gill, Vince (Artist); Growth; Hardcore bluegrass; Hopes; Improvements; International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA); Krauss, Alison (Artist); Live music; Man of Constant Sorrow (Song); McCoury, Del (Artist); New fans; O Brother, Where Art Thou? (Album); O Brother, Where Art Thou? (Motion picture); Phenomenon; Popularity; Presentation; Re-integration; Recording business; Ricky Skaggs (Artist); Roots; Roots of bluegrass; Separate; Skaggs, Ricky (Artist); Stigma; Technology; Vince Gill (Artist)

Subjects: Bands (Music); Bluegrass music.; Bluegrass musicians; Country music.; Music audiences; Music business; Music fans.; Music--Performance.; Musical ability.; Musical groups.; Musical performance; Musicians; Records.; Songs.; Sound recordings.

Partial Transcript: I just have a--one last question for you as--

Segment Synopsis: Emerson talks about what he would like to be remembered for.

Keywords: Banjo players; Banjos; Country Gentlemen, the (Artist); Creating; Creations; Founders; Instrumentals; Legacies; Remembered; Songs; Songwriting; The Country Gentlemen (Artist); Unique

Subjects: Bands (Music); Banjo music (Bluegrass); Bluegrass music.; Bluegrass musicians; Music--Performance.; Musical ability.; Musical groups.; Musical performance; Musicians; Popular music--Writing and publishing.; Records.; Songs.; Sound recordings.; Sound--Recording and reproducing

Partial Transcript: That's about all I have really.

Segment Synopsis: Emerson says that the three most influential banjo players were Ralph Stanley, Earl Scruggs, and Don Reno. He talks about each of their unique styles and their influence on the bluegrass genre. The interview is concluded.

Keywords: Banjo players; Banjos; Current; Different; Don Reno (Artist); Earl Scruggs (Artist); Emulating; Improvements; Influences; Influential; Musical styles; Niches; Osborne, Sonny (Artist); Ralph Stanley (Artist); Reno, Don (Artist); Scruggs, Earl (Artist); Sonny Osborne (Artist); Stanley, Ralph (Artist); Talent; Techniques

Subjects: Bands (Music); Banjo music (Bluegrass); Bluegrass music.; Bluegrass musicians; Music--Performance.; Musical ability.; Musical groups.; Musical performance; Musicians