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Jack was born on December 6, 1936. A life-long resident of
Norton, Virginia, Jack has been a Clinch Mountain Boy since 1970.
His 36 year tenure as bass player makes him the longest serving
Clinch Mountain Boy except for Ralph Stanley. What many fans may
not realize is that Jack had two stints as a Clinch Mountain Boy.
In 1955 Jack joined forces with Carter and Ralph Stanley as bass
player. After that, Jack served as a Bluegrass Boy and Bill
Monroe's lead vocalist for four and a half years (1956-1960)
Jack's also played with the Virginia Mountain Boys, Earl Taylor,
and the Stoneman Family before returning to the Clinch Mountain
Boys for good in 1970. As a teenager, Jack told his sister, "I'm
never going to work. I'm going to let this guitar do it for me."
In addition to his musical career, Jack served half of a term as
mayor of Norton Virginia in 1963. He views his appearances at the
Grand Old Opry, Ryman Auditorium and his three trips to Japan to
be the most interesting places he's performed during his long and
distinguished musical career. Jack recently released his first
solo album “Sittin’ On Top Of The World” which was produced by
Jim Lauderdale. |
