Tonight I'm in Williamson, WV, on the Kentucky border. Ralph Stanley performed at the local Tug Valley Arts Council program this evening. This is coal country. Ralph Stanley sang a great song about "Daddy's Dinner Bucket," basically telling how the dinner bucket stayed in the mine when daddy's body came out, and now daddy is working for Jesus, with angel wings, watching out for the other miners, guarding against bad timbers, bad rib, bad top, etc.
Ralph Stanley happens to be here by chance on my last evening here, I'm doing some music programs at Riverside Elementary. So I got to hear him.
I assume you know that Ralph Stanley has endorsed Obama
Anyway, it was a great show but no political comments from the stage, except the emcee, a local guy, made a rather lame joke about getting a cell phone call from George Bush asking Ralph to give a favorable mention to McCain/Palin. I think some folks know he has endorsed Obama, but a lot of people don't.
More below.
So after, I went up to Ralph Stanley and said, "I want to thank you for endorsing Barack Obama," and he smiled back at me, said nothing. Then I asked him to write "I endorse Barack Obama" and sign his autograph on my program. HE DID IT!!
So I have the program. I must say it is not very legible, but it does say "I endorse Barack Obama," followed by his signature.
Maybe I'll scan the image in and add it to this diary, if there is enough interest.
Maybe this can get some play in the closing days here in WV and in other places where Ralph Stanley is a towering figure.
His repertoire this evening included "O Death," "Rank Stranger," "Will you Miss me When I'm Gone," "Man of Constant Sorrow," and other great works. Also some fine bluegrass music, including "Orange Blossom Special."