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Obray ramsey biography

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FRC113

By Eugene Chadbourne

Obray Ramsey is the banjo-picking cousin of old-time music instrumentalist Byard Ray, and the two worked regularly as a duo until they were “discovered” playing at an Asheville folk festival during the folk music revival of the ’60s. From that point on, the two men’s musical career took a strangely twisted path. Late-night television mongers who may have made it all the way through the strange psychedelic rock western Zachariah, may wonder who the two old-time musicians are that show up in one of this epic’s many strange musical wonders, and the answer would be Ray and Ramsey. The same viewer may also wonder why they have become attached to their seat with cement, the only condition under which an intelligent human being would endure the length of the aforementioned film. In 1962, producer John Simon invited the duo to New York City, or “thawt New Yawk,” as it is known south of the Mason-Dixon Line. The players were swept into experimental recording projects with a strange combination of players, although

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Biography

Obray Ramsey was born on the banks of the Three Laurels to a western North Carolina family rich in Appalachian tradition. From his mother and grandmother he inherited his basic store of Anglo-Irish-American song. His repertoire includes not only the old ballads and lyrics, native and imported, but later forms and songs distributed by Jimmie Rodgers, The Carter Family, and other early hillbilly entertainers. He learned the guitar as a young man, but usually performed without accompaniment. He seems to have completely absorbed all he has learned of old and new styles, and his performances are excellent examples of a good portion of Appalachian song today. His singing often echoes the oldest of mountain styles; he plays "clawhammer" banjo without the flamboyance of the "bluegrass" performer; he is the composer of a number of gospel songs. Performers like Ramsey are of great importance in presenting folksong tradition to the "outsider" and preserving it for their own people.

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    Obray Ramsey & Byard Ray – FRC113

    Description

    (From the collection of Ray Alden)

    Fiddler Byard Ray and his banjo picking cousin Obray Ramsey were “discovered” during the folk revival of the 1960s at the Asheville Folk Festival in North Carolina. The time of their discovery coincided with the psychedelic rock period, which led to their music being incorporated in the rock movie western “Zachariah.“ This concert, recorded in NYC, was part of a tour to promote their LP recording “White Lightning,” which used a band of studio musicians. Fortunately for us this lovely concert on this CD featured Obray Ramsey and Byard Ray, accompanied only by guitar, doing home-based traditional songs and instrumentals. – Ray Alden

    Additional Notes:Obray Ramsey and Byard Ray

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    Track List

    FRC113 – Obray Ramsey & Byard Ray

    1. Pretty Polly (4:11)
    2. I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry (4:17)
    3. Little Margaret (2:46)
    4. Before I Met You (2:56)
    5. Brown Eyes (3:01)
    6. Wildwood Flower (2:45)
    7. I Feel Like I Gotta Travel On (2:21)
    8. Long Journey Home (1:39)
    9. Cumberland Gap (

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