Byard Ray

[NOSPAM...@aol.com]

Byard Ray, fiddler from western North Carolina -- anyone know in what
year he was born? Is he still living? I've been enjoying the Field
Recorders Collective CD with him, Manco Sneed and Mike Rogers which I
am supposed to review for the Old Time Herald.
Any additional info would be appreciated. If anyone has info about
Mike Rogers, I'd love to know about that too. I am curious as to how
much difference there was in age between the three men.
If Peter Hoover is reading this -- Thank you for making these
recordings!
Suzy T.

[j_ns...@msn.com]

Byard Sneed Ray (1910-1988).

Joseph Scott

[NOSPAM...@aol.com]

I didn't know that his middle name was Sneed. I assume he was kin to
Manco Sneed?
Suzy

[sawye...@usa.net]

Byard made a record with his cousin, Obray Ramsey that included drums,
piano and some horns. They called themselves 'White Lightnin'.
The liner notes say Byard's father and grandfather both played, and he
started when he was 7 years old. This was in New River, TN. They
recorded the record in NY and this description from the album paints a
lucid picture:
"(the other big city musicians) never backed up two good old mountain
men like Byard and Obray before, but there they are, and here it is,
and if you've ever wondered what moonshine whiskey tastes like, and
just how bright the Carolina moon is, and just how things look from on
top of Old Smoky, if you have a taste for simpler things, in this
bloated, greedy year of rock and roll suicide, then here is a record to
remind you of the times in your life when you really cared for living."
I'm pretty sure he is not among the living. I believe at least one or
maybe both of them lived in Madison Co, NC, just north of Asheville.
My husband is from there and has been rabbit hunting in his youth with
Obray.
Byard also made a record on the Riverside label called "Music for
Moonshiners."

[NOSPAM...@aol.com]

I read about White Lightnin and apparently there was at least one or
maybe 2 other LPs in a similar vein that were released. Has anyone on
this list every heard any of this stuff? Other musicians appearing
supposedly include (this is a really motley crew!) Judy Collins, Dave
Frishberg, Eric Andersen, and a black gospel group, the Mighty Clouds
of Joy. Also, evidently Obray Ramsey and Byard Ray did music for a
late 60's Western, the name of which I forgot, and I think a soundtrack
album was released.

Sounds like he was definitely game to hang out with the hippies....
Suzy T.

[vagabond9]

Suzy,
I'll send you some more info after I get home and dig it out. He had
several LPs and did some recordings with Ramsey apart from the
terribly-produced White Lightning debacle. Palmer Loux learned a lot of
fiddling from Mr. Ray, so perhaps Greg will join in this thread. I got
some recordings of Mr. Ray from them many years ago.
-Kerry

[Wayne Erbsen]

Hi Suzy

I saw your post about Byard Ray. It's probably been almost twenty years
ago that he died. He was in his mid seventies then. I'm just guessing
about this. His band consisted of several women (including Joan Moser
and Christa Bridgeman) who both work at Warren Wilson College where I
teach. In fact, on Monday of this week, I played some tunes with Joan.
Byard's daughter is a fine old-time and ballad singer and his
grandaughter is a really good ballad singer. Biard's mother, Rilla Ray,
played banjo (and packed a gun in her purse) and is pictured on page 27
of my Backpocket Bluegrass Songbook, if you can get hold of that.

Take care,
Wayne Erbsen (ba...@nativeground.com)

[Greg Loux]

Suzy,

I have White Lightnin on vinyl.

We have two other recordings of Byard, one of which has a booklet with
a 13-page article, Byard Ray: His Life and His Music, by Joan Moser.
The album is titled Traditional Music of Southern Appalachia - Byard
Ray on SGS (Sounds Good Studio, Durham NC). The album features Byard
on fiddle and banjo, backed up by Vivian Hartsoe on guitar. It is from
1981.

The other album, Appalachian Folk, is not as good a statement of his
music.

A number of years ago, I sat down and keyed in the entire booklet and
sent it to Kerry Blech. I have searched my drives and cannot locate a
copy, though, so I'm wondering if Kerry still has it. If so, maybe he
could send you a soft-copy. Or, I could rekey it in if he doesn't have
it. Maybe Ray Alden could get permission from Joan Moser to publish
the article on the FRC web site as a resource.

I'm so glad you're researching this...

Best regards,
-Greg

[pmit...@email.unc.edu]

NOSPAM...@aol.com wrote:
> I read about White Lightnin and apparently there was at least one or
> maybe 2 other LPs in a similar vein that were released. Has anyone on
> this list every heard any of this stuff? Other musicians appearing
> supposedly include (this is a really motley crew!) Judy Collins, Dave
> Frishberg, Eric Andersen, and a black gospel group, the Mighty Clouds
> of Joy.

Hello Suzy,
I must admit, those White Lightning LP's were my introduction to the
great music of Byard and Obray. What a lousy introduction! Also on
the LP's as I recall (I jettisoned them a long time ago) was
Kenny Kosek playing electric guitar.

Another location for Byards music, that hasn't been mentioned, is the
yearly LP's from Fiddlers Grove. I know for a fact that Byard, a very
young J.P. Fraley (as well as other 70's oldtime music luminaries)
appear frequently on these things (they're great time capsules).

You might also try contacting Norm Boggs (a wonderful fiddler, IMHO)
who also learned a great deal about fiddling from Byard.

Paul

[vagabond9]

Greg Loux wrote:

> A number of years ago, I sat down and keyed in the entire booklet and
> sent it to Kerry Blech. I have searched my drives and cannot locate a
> copy, though, so I'm wondering if Kerry still has it.

I do, Greg, I'll get a copy to Suzy.
K

[NOSPAM...@aol.com]

Thanks to everyone who has replied. This is why I enjoy reviewing for
the Old Time Herald, nearly every review sends me on some interesting
journey that I wouldn't have otherwise taken. Meanwhile, does anyone
know anything at all about the third fiddler on the FRC album, Mike
Rogers?
Suzy

[pmit...@email.unc.edu]

NOSPAM...@aol.com wrote:
Also, evidently Obray Ramsey and Byard Ray did music for a
> late 60's Western, the name of which I forgot, and I think a soundtrack
> album was released.

Hello again, Suzy!
As luck would have it, I came across a copy of White Lightnings'
second LP in Nice Price Books at lunch time (it's still there, FWIW).
Inside were some odious notes explaining how Obray and Byard learned
their music in "Bloody" Madison county, whenever they could manage to
get their uncles sober, or from Lunsford, who learned the words from a
9 year old who dreamed them!, ugh. Along the way I learned that the
movie in question was "Zachariah" (1971) which starred Country Joe and
the Fish as "The Crackers" and members of The James Gand as "Job Cain's
gang"!

You can google for more info, though this is probably more than you
wanted!

Paul (I do like Country Joe, though)

[ssan...@ycst.com]

Hi Suzy - For whatever its worth, I have a video of one of the Alan
Lomax PBS shows, in which (if I am remembering correctly) Byard Ray
appeared. I think it was a show in which he accompanied Bascom Lamar
Lunsford on his travels. Best regards, Shel Sandler

[Frosty]

Suzy,
FYI - there is an interesting recording in the online Warren Wilson
archives in which Byard talks about learning how to fiddle.

Link:
http://www.aca-dla.org/cgi-bin/viewer.exe?CISOROOT=/WarrenWilson&CISOPTR=390

[vagabond9]

I remember a non-Lomax show with Obray Ramsey, not Mr. Ray, hanging out
with Lunsford.Lost John Ray was in it though. It was issued twice,
once in the '60s as Music Makers of the Blue Ridge, I believe, and then
re-edited as Ballad of a Mountain Man in the 1980s. don't have all
those Lomax American Patchwork episodes. Are you sure that Byard Ray is
in one? I'd look for it if so.
-kerry

[ssan...@ycst.com]

You know Kerry, I think you're right. It was Lost John Ray that I
remembered seeing (was he either blind or cross-eyed - I kind of recall
something unusual about his eyes.) Its tough getting old. And since I
have "Music Makers of the Blue Ridge" that must have been where I saw
it. I'll go back and check my American Patchworks to be sure, but I
think you are correct, and my caveat about remembering correctly proved
accurate. Shel