As well as his solo recordings and as The Tony Rice Unit, he was a founding member of The David Grisman Quintet (setting the guitar standard for the bluegrass-jazz fusion music often called Dawg after the bearded facial appearance of David Grisman) and The Bluegrass Album Band. He has also recorded as Ricky Skaggs & Tony Rice, Norman Blake & Tony Rice, Tony Rice & David Grisman, Tony Rice & John Carlini, Jerry Garcia, David Grisman & Tony Rice, Peter Rowan & Tony Rice, and John Hartford, Tony Rice & Vassar Clements.
Rice spanned the range of acoustic music, from straight-ahead bluegrass to jazz-influenced new acoustic music, to songwriter-oriented folk. He is remembered as perhaps the greatest innovator in acoustic flatpicked guitar since Clarence White. Over the course of his career, he played alongside J.D. Crowe and the New South, David Grisman (during the formation of “Dawg Music”), led his own groups, collaborated with fellow picker Norman Blake and recorded with his brothers. He recorded with drums, piano, soprano sax, and with straight-ahead bluegrass instrumentation.
Rice was born in Danville, Virginia but grew up in California, where he was introduced to bluegrass by his father. He and his brothers learned a lot from hot L.A. pickers like the Kentucky Colonels, led by Roland and Clarence White. Crossing paths with fellow enthusiasts like Ry Cooder, Herb Pederson and Chris Hillman reinforced the strength of the music he had learned from his father.
In 1970, Rice moved back to Kentucky where he played with the Bluegrass Alliance, and shortly thereafter, J.D. Crowe’s New South. The New South was known as one of the best and most progressive bluegrass groups - even adding drums and electric instruments. But when Ricky Skaggs joined up in 1974, the band recorded J.D. Crowe & the New South, an acoustic album that became Rounder’s top-seller up to that time. With Rice on guitar and vocals, Crowe on banjo and vocals, Jerry Douglas on Dobro, Skaggs on fiddle and mandolin and Bobby Slone on bass, the band’s energy, as well as their instrumental and vocal drive have rarely been matched.
Around this time Rice met mandolinist David Grisman, who played with Red Allen during the ‘60s and was now working on some original material that blended jazz, bluegrass and classical styles. Rice left the New South and moved to California to join Grisman’s all instrumental group. As part of the David Grisman Quintet, Rice expanded his horizons beyond three chord bluegrass, studying chord theory, learning to read charts and expanding the range of his playing.
In 1979, he left the group to pursue his own music. He recorded Acoustics, a guitar-oriented record, and then Manzanita which collected some favorite folk and bluegrass vocals. In 1980, Rice, Crowe, Bobby Hicks, Doyle Lawson and Todd Phillips formed a highly successful coalition, attacking bluegrass standards under the name the Bluegrass Album Band. This group recorded six volumes of music.
Rice’s solo career hit its stride with Cold on the Shoulder, a collection of bluegrass vocals. With this album, Native American and Me & My Guitar, Rice arrived at a formula that incorporated his disparate influences, combining bluegrass, the songwriting of folk artists like Ian Tyson, Joni Mitchell, Phil Ochs and especially Gordon Lightfoot, with nimble, jazz-inflected guitar work. Simultaneously, he pursued his jazz and experimental “spacegrass” with the Tony Rice Unit on Mar West, Still Inside and Backwaters.
Two highly regarded albums with traditional guitar virtuoso Norman Blake gained a great deal of acclaim, as well as two Rice Brother albums that reunited him with his younger brother, Wyatt. Tony Rice remained one of bluegrass’ top instrumentalists and singers, bringing originality and vitality to everything he played.
Official Website: Tony Rice
On And On
Tony Rice Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'm so lonesome I could cry
Memories of how we once loved each other
And now we are saying good-bye.
On and on I'll follow my darling
And I wonder where she can be
On and on I'll follow my darling
I've cried I've cried for you little darling
It breaks my heart to hear your name
My friends they also love you my darling
And they think that I am to blame.
I have to follow you my darling
I can't sleep when the sun goes down
By your side is my destination
The road is clear and that's where I'm bound.
The beauty of Tony Rice's "On And On" lies in its simplicity. The song speaks of heartbreak and longing, as the singer travels down a "long lonesome highway" consumed by memories of a lost love. The opening line, "I'm so lonesome I could cry," sets the tone for the rest of the song as the singer reflects on the relationship that has ended.
As the song progresses, we hear the singer's desperation and determination to follow his "darling" no matter where she goes. He wonders if she thinks of him and is tortured by the sound of her name. His friends also love her, causing him to question if he is to blame for the break-up. Despite the pain and sadness he feels, he cannot bear to be away from her and the road ultimately leads him back to her.
The repetition of the phrase "on and on" throughout the chorus emphasizes the singer's sense of endlessness and longing. The simplicity of the lyrics is matched perfectly by Rice's gentle and plaintive guitar playing, which conveys the depth of the singer's emotions.
Line by Line Meaning
Traveling down this long lonesome highway
I'm journeying down a road that is desolate and isolated, feeling extremely lonely.
I'm so lonesome I could cry
My emotions are so overpowering that I feel overwhelmed, and I may cry.
Memories of how we once loved each other
My mind is filled with recollections of when we were deeply in love with each other.
And now we are saying good-bye.
But now we must say our final goodbyes.
On and on I'll follow my darling
I will continue to follow my lover indefinitely.
And I wonder where she can be
I often ponder the whereabouts of my sweetheart.
On and on I'll follow my darling
I will continue to follow my lover indefinitely.
And I wonder if she ever thinks of me.
I often question whether my lover thinks of me or not.
I've cried I've cried for you little darling
I have cried a lot for you, my dear one.
It breaks my heart to hear your name
The mere sound of your name distresses me deeply.
My friends they also love you my darling
My friends also have feelings for you, my love.
And they think that I am to blame.
They seem to believe that I am responsible for the downfall of our romance.
I have to follow you my darling
It is essential that I continue to follow you, my love.
I can't sleep when the sun goes down
I can't relax or sleep when the sun sets because my mind is preoccupied with thoughts of you.
By your side is my destination
Being by your side is where I belong, and where I yearn to be.
The road is clear and that's where I'm bound.
I have a plan and a clear path to follow, leading me towards you.
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: BILL MONROE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
MrBeepbeep11
One of the all time greats, both as a singer and musician.
Marquis de Vauban
All I have to hear is one measure to know Tony is on guitar. He was already a legend when he passed on XMAS day, but now he is immortal-who forgets what day XMAS falls on?
Lynn Miller Jr
On and on one of my personal favorites. Even before i left home.
Sarge Whitson
The best and always will. .....
tippimail1
I've got between 600 and 800 bluegrass recordings,but if i had to pick just 1,this would be it-a fellow bluegrasser gave me this CD and said it was the worst he had ever heard-hey,different strokes for different folks!
Luke Day Music
Folks don't know the history of Tony's vocal problems.
This album used be difficult for me to listen to.
But the songs are amazing.
Mirko Zimmermann
Bautiful
Joshua Tate
0:46-1:02 😍
Mike Bastiat
Yes
Tristan Young
THE quintessential bluegrass solo imo