The War interrupted any thoughts of a musical career, and it was not until both brothers returned from the service that they were able to make their own mark in music -- ultimately ending up on WCYB Bristol, Tennessee, where they would remain for over ten years as stalwarts of the famed "Farm and Fun Time" radio show. Their music initially followed a more old time style favored by Mainer's Mountaineers, with Ralph playing the banjo in the old two-finger style, interspersed with old time clawhammer playing, before taking a stab at the new three-finger style popularised by Earl Scruggs.
They formed The Clinch Mountain Boys in 1946. They were perhaps the first band to adopt the new music style created by Bill Monroe in the mid-1940s that later became known as bluegrass. Carter played guitar and sang lead while Ralph played banjo and sang with a strong, high tenor voice. Their harmonies are much admired, and many consider Carter Stanley to be one of the greatest singers in the history of country music. The brothers also wrote many of their own songs and Carter had a particular knack for writing deceptively simple lyrics that portrayed strong emotion. The Stanley's style can best be described as a traditional "mountain soul" sound that remained close to the Primitive Baptist vocal stylings they learned from their parents and others near their southwestern Virginia home.
The early Stanley Brothers recordings on Rich-R-Tone (of Johnson City, Tennessee) included Pee Wee Lambert on mandolin. They later added an innovative touch to their traditional sound with the guitar solos of George Shuffler who often used a crosspicking style.
Carter performed briefly with Bill Monroe while Ralph was recovering from injuries received in an automobile accident in 1951. As bluegrass music grew less popular in the late 1950s, the Stanley Brothers moved to Live Oak, Florida to headline the weekly Suwannee River Jamboree radio show on WNER. The three-hour show was also syndicated across the Southeast. Otherwise the brothers performed together until 1966 (from 1961 on as a duo). After Carter's death Ralph revived the Clinch Mountain Boys and is still performing in 2006. Among the musicians who have played in the revived Clinch Mountain Boys are Ricky Skaggs, Keith Whitley, Larry Sparks, Curly Ray Cline, Jack Cooke, and Ralph Stanley II. Ralph's career received a big boost with his prominent role on the phenomenally successful soundtrack recording of the 2000 film, "O Brother, Where Art Thou?." The Stanley Brothers were inducted into the International Bluegrass Music Hall of Honor in 1992.
Among the Stanley Brothers' best known recordings are:
* I'm A Man of Constant Sorrow (1950, Columbia)
* Rank Stranger
* Angel Band
* How Mountain Girls Can Love
* How Far to Little Rock? (novelty)
* Still trying to get to Little Rock (novelty)
* Ridin' That Midnite Train
* Clinch Mountain Backstep
* She's More To Be Pitied
* The Memory of Your Smile
* Love Me Darlin' Just Tonight
Clinch Mountain Boys Members
* Carter Stanley (guitar)
* Ralph Stanley (banjo)
* Darrell "Pee Wee" Lambert (mandolin)
* Jim Williams (mandolin)
* Curly Lambert (mandolin)
* Leslie Keith (fiddle)
* Robert "Bobby" Sumner (fiddle)
* Les Woodie (fiddle)
* Ralph Mayo (fiddle, guitar)
* Chubby Anthony (fiddle)
* Art Stamper (fiddle)
* Joe Meadows (fiddle)
* Red Stanley (fiddle)
* Don Miller (fiddle)
* Vernon Derrick (fiddle)
* James "Jay" Hughes (bass)
* Ernie Newton (bass)
* Chick Stripling (bass)
* Mike Seeger (bass)
* Bill Napier (guitar, mandolin)
* George Shuffler (guitar, bass)
* Larry Sparks (guitar)
External links
* Ralph Stanley Discography
* Recording of "We Are Going to Paint the Town" from a 1958 Florida radio show (made available for public use by the State Archives of Florida)
* Podcast (mp3) of one of the Stanley Brothers' Suwannee River Jamboree raido show from 1958 (made available for public use by the State Archives of Florida)
Beautiful Star of Bethlehem
The Stanley Brothers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Shining afar through shadows dim
Giving the light for those who long have gone
Guiding the wise men on their way
Unto the place where Jesus lay
Oh Beautiful Star of Bethlehem shine on.
Oh Beautiful Star of Bethlehem (Star of Bethlehem)
Give us a light to guide the way
Unto the land of perfect day
Oh Beautiful Star of Bethlehem, shine on (shine on)
Oh Beautiful Star the hope of light
Guiding the pilgrims through the night
Over the mountains till the break of dawn
Into the light of perfect day
It will give out a lovely ray
Oh Beautiful Star of Bethlehem shine on (shine on)
Oh Beautiful Star the hope of rest
For the redeemed the good and blessed
Yonder in glory when the crown is won
Jesus is now the star divine
Brighter and brighter he will shine
Oh Beautiful Star of Bethlehem shine on (shine on)
The Stanley Brothers' song "Beautiful Star of Bethlehem" is a spiritual carol that tells the story of the guiding star that led the wise men to the manger where Jesus was born. The lyrics describe the star's beauty and purpose, shining through the darkness and leading the way to the "land of perfect day." This powerful imagery of light and hope is used throughout the song to convey spiritual messages about redemption and salvation.
The first verse describes the star as shining "afar through shadows dim," suggesting that it is a beacon of hope and light in a world that is often dark and confusing. The wise men are guided by this star to the place where Jesus lay, emphasizing the power of faith and divine intervention. The second verse asks the star to continue shining on, illuminating the path to the "land of perfect day." The final two verses speak of the star as a symbol of hope and rest for those who have been redeemed, and Jesus is referred to as the "star divine" who will continue to shine brighter and brighter.
Overall, "Beautiful Star of Bethlehem" is a deeply spiritual song that conveys messages of hope, redemption, and faith. It uses simple yet powerful imagery to convey complex emotions and ideas, and its timeless message of peace and love has resonated with audiences for generations.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh Beautiful Star of Bethlehem
The star of Bethlehem is beautiful
Shining afar through shadows dim
It shines far away, even through the darkness
Giving the light for those who long have gone
It gives guidance for those who have been lost for a long time
Guiding the wise men on their way
The wise men were led by the star to the place where Jesus was born
Unto the place where Jesus lay
The star led the way to the birthplace of Jesus
Oh Beautiful Star of Bethlehem shine on.
The star continues to shine bright and guide people
Shine upon us until the glory dawns.
The star shines on until the glorious dawn of a new day
Give us a light to guide the way
We need guidance and light to find our way
Unto the land of perfect day
The star leads us to a better place
Oh Beautiful Star of Bethlehem, shine on (shine on)
The star continues to shine bright and guide us
Oh Beautiful Star the hope of light
The star is a symbol of hope and guidance
Guiding the pilgrims through the night
The star guides those who are lost or wandering
Over the mountains till the break of dawn
The star guides us through difficult terrain until a new day dawns
Into the light of perfect day
The star leads us to a better place
It will give out a lovely ray
The star will emit a beautiful light
Oh Beautiful Star of Bethlehem shine on (shine on)
The star continues to shine bright and guide us
Oh Beautiful Star the hope of rest
The star is a symbol of a resting place and peace
For the redeemed the good and blessed
The star is for those who are redeemed and blessed
Yonder in glory when the crown is won
In the future, when we have achieved great things, we will see the star shining in glory
Jesus is now the star divine
Jesus is now the shining star, a symbol of divinity
Brighter and brighter he will shine
Jesus will continue to shine brighter and brighter
Oh Beautiful Star of Bethlehem shine on (shine on)
The star continues to shine bright and guide us
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Al Phipps
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind