Died On This Date (January 16, 2010) Joe Forrester / Played With Bill Monroe
themusicsover Joe Forrester
March 21, 1919 – January 16, 2011
Joe Forrester was a bluegrass pioneer. He is perhaps best remembered for playing alongside his brother, Howdy Forrester, in Bill Monroe’s Blue Grass Boys. In 1935, Forrester moved to Nashville where he had the opportunity to play at the Grand Ole Opry. He could also be heard playing on radio stations in Tulsa, OK and Tuscola, IL. After taking a break to serve his country during World War II – he landed on Utah Beach on D-Day, Forrester returned to music and performed with the likes of Gene Autry, Georgia Slim, and Art Davis. Joe Forrester was 91 when he passed away on January 16, 2011.
Remus Bell was a Roanoake, Virginia bass player who, over a career that spanned some 60 years, was one of the region’s most respected bluegrass and country musicians. Bell launched his professional career in 1950 and went on to play with such local bands as Tommy Magness’ Tennessee Buddies, and Vivian Bell & the Country Kings. Vivian Bell was his wife. During the early ’50s, he played on recordings by Magness. His long music career was briefly interrupted when he served in the U.S. Air Force during the Korean War. Remus Bell was 79 when he passed away on November 1, 2010.
Rual Yarbrough was a respected banjoist who performed and recorded with some of biggest names in bluegrass. Proficient on the banjo, Yarbrough formed his first band, the Dixie Gentlemen, during the mid 50s. After the group broke up in 1966, Yarbrough went on to play in 
Best known in bluegrass circles as the banjo player in Patent Pending, Jim Steptoe passed away unexpectedly in his home on August 30, 2009. Patent Pending formed in 1979 and became a popular draw in the Washington DC area. No cause of death has been released.
David Schnaufer was a folk musician whose instrument of choice, the dulcimer, can be heard on countless country, Americana and bluegrass recordings. During the ’80s, he moved from Texas to Nashville where he became one of the most in-demand studio players. Over the years he’s played on records by the likes of the Judds, Kathy Mattea, Hank Williams Jr., Alison Krauss, and Cyndi Lauper. He was also a member of alt-country band, the Cactus Brothers which included members of Walk The West. During the mid ’90s, he became a music professor at Vanderbilt University. David Schnaufer died of lung cancer on August 23, 2010. Fellow Cactus Brother,