Byron Parker

Known beneath the amusing but relatively dusty stage name of “the Outdated Employed Hand,” this performer’s real forte was being a radio announcer. Nevertheless, the loose mixture of live radio creation and music that dominated the traditional days of nation music, old-time, and early bluegrass radio broadcasting allowed him to build up a fascinating persona that was half-disc jockey and half-frontman vocalist; although he also tended to include someone using a smoother tone of voice to do something as the true lead singer. Even more vital that you bluegrass fans, he presided more than a loose aggregation of bluegrass pioneers structured out of SC through the ’40s on his radio and documenting tasks. The combo frequently included the titanic tandem group of fiddler Homer “Pappy” Sherill and DeWitt “Snuffy” Jenkins, aswell as guitarists and performers such as for example Leonard Stokes, Clyde Robbins, Floyd Lacewell, and Gene Ray. Whether Parker’s impact was harmless or large handed, the musical outcomes cannot be rejected. This influence contains the first Bluebird recordings, using their incomprehensible traces of what would ultimately be looked at bluegrass; and the beautiful country tunes from the afterwards Deluxe days, like the anthemic “Gonna LAY OUT My Aged Guitar,” frequently pulled out being a preferred track in the Rounder label’s initial volume in it is START of Bluegrass series. Jenkins and Sherrill had been on hand through the entire Parker combo tenure, discovering instrumental touches which have been regarded key influences in the intensifying bluegrass advancements of players such as for example Earl Scruggs and Don Reno. Following a leader’s loss of life in 1948, the group itself used his older nickname and became referred to as the Employed Hands. Parker was also among the first members from the Monroe Brothers music group, and continues to be acknowledged with playing an integral role within their success as well as the popularization of bluegrass that resulted. He used the Monroes from 1934 to 1937, showing up in the group’s initial recordings for Victor in 1936. His departure also coincided with your choice by brothers Costs Monroe and Charlie Monroe to choose their separate methods. At this time, Parker arranged his initial music group, the Hillbillies. Afterwards he’d refine the name just somewhat, changing to Byron Parker & His Mountaineers, or usually the Aged Employed Hands & His Mountaineers. A ’70s turntable disk jockey called Byron Parker is certainly no relationship, although there are those listeners whose mortal concern with the ’70s disco picture have got led them to trust he is some type of wicked reincarnation. If therefore, there is perhaps also another wicked twin in the similarly frightening globe of past due-’50s and early-’60s hi-fi demo discs. There, a Byron Parker is available who documented as the first choice of the percussion ensemble for theWestminster label.