Roy Lee Centers

b. 8 November 1944, Jackson, Kentucky, USA, d. 2 Might 1974, Breathitt Region, Kentucky, USA. Centers was raised in Breathitt Region, a location noted not merely because of its bluegrass music also for the lawlessness caused by various family members feuds. An excellent vocalist, he discovered to play acoustic guitar and banjo and after relocating to Ohio, he started performing with Fred Spencer as the Lee Brothers and in addition played as an associate of Jack port Lynch’s Miami Valley Young boys. After Carter Stanley passed away Ralph Stanley was pressured to reorganise the Clinch Hill Young boys and he ultimately hired Centers as an alternative when his business lead vocalist Larry Sparks remaining to pursue a single profession. The uncanny resemblance of Centers’ vocals to the people of the past due Carter Stanley actually caused sibling Ralph to comment ‘He sounded the same as Carter – I couldn’t inform them aside.’ Middle’s profession with Stanley lasted for 4 years and was ended when on the trip to his house region, he became a sufferer of a number of the lawlessness there. Whether he was included or simply an innocent bystander is normally unclear but Centers’ many promising career finished due to a gunshot on 2 Might 1974. Apparently his murderer escaped abuse. During his years with Stanley, he produced countless recordings using the group performing business lead on albums over the Rebel, Jessup and Ruler Bluegrass brands. He also documented with other performers including Keith Whitley and Ricky Skaggs, Curly Ray Cline (with most of whom he previously performed in Stanley’s group), Frank Wakefield, and in addition his previous friend Lee Allen, who afterwards wrote and documented his tribute ‘In Storage Of Roy Lee Canters’. In the 70s, Vetco Information released two albums offering live recordings of Centers with Fred Spencer and Vernon McIntyre. He still left a wife and three kids; his kid Lennie implemented his father in to the bluegrass music picture for a while and used the sets of Lee Allen as well as the Goins Brothers.