Died On This Date (August 16, 2005) Vassar Clements / Bluegrass Great
themusicsover Vassar Clements
April 5, 1928 – August 16, 2005
Vassar Clements was an influential fiddler who, although mostly associated with bluegrass, also performed swing and jazz. Self taught at the age of seven, it was only a matter of time before Clements successfully auditioned for Bill Monroe’s Blue Grass Boys. He played and recorded with Monroe for the better part of seven years, after which he went off to become one of Nashville’s most in demand session fiddlers. The list of artists he recorded with is staggering. It includes Faron Young, John Hartford, Earl Scruggs, Jim & Jesse, the Grateful Dead, Paul McCartney, the Monkees, Dickey Betts, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Linda Ronstadt, and Jimmy Buffett. Clements played on over 200 albums including nearly two dozen of his own. In 2005, he won a Grammy for Best Instrumental Performance. Vassar Clements died of cancer on August 16, 2005. He was 77.
What You Should Own
Jim McReynolds was a guitarist and singer who, with his brother, Jesse McReynolds, made up a popular bluegrass duo, Jim & Jesse. Whether working just side-by-side, or within the confines of their group, the Virginia Boys, the McReynolds brothers were the longest running musical duo in history, with a career that lasted over 55 years. Over the years, the Virginia Boys included such musical greats as 
Allen Shelton was a banjo virtuoso who came to prominence when he joined Jim & Jesse’s band in 1960. His outstanging finger play was particularly outstanding on such songs as “Bending the Strings,” which he wrote, and Jim & Jesse’s “Keep On The Sunny Side.” Shelton made his first solo album for respected roots label, Rounder Records, in 1976. His 2001 release, Shelton Special, also on Rounder is regarded as one of his best. Allen Shelton, 73, was suffering from leukemia when he passed away on November 21, 2009.