# Music by Genre > Bluegrass, Newgrass, Country, Gospel Variants >  Red Rector

## baptist mando55

Does anybody rember Red I saw him at a festival probably about 30 years ago. He was absoulutly one of the most mind  blowing players that I have ever seen.Any clips pictures stories etc.

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## barry k

Didnt they call him the King of tremelo or something along those lines?  One of my favorite players of all time for sure.

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## Bill Foss

> Didnt they call him the King of tremelo or something along those lines?  One of my favorite players of all time for sure.


This looks like the only youtube clip on the internet. Two of my favorite players, Red and Don Stover.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hFW6iYriDQs

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## mandolirius

One of Jethro's favourite players. They did a fantastic duo album, on County I think. Also, his Old Homestead release "Apaloosa", with Vassar and Jack Hicks is sensational. Another great oval hole player!

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## rnjl

Somewhere I have a 25 year old cassette tape of the last show Red and Jethro did together- must have been 86 or 87, I guess, at the University of Chicago Folk Festival, which I helped put on as a college student. 

I made dinner for Red in my shared college house and he played mandolin in my kitchen ! 

If anybody wants to help me digitize and share the old tapes, drop me a line and let's talk. 

Neal

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## almeriastrings

I saw him live with Bill Clifton many, many years ago, and he also did a great album with Norman Blake. He was a really fine player. There is an old interview (from 1981) with him here:

http://www.btinternet.com/~john.bald...do/rector.html

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Ivan Kelsall

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## Mandolin Mick

He was one of the great Bluegrassers that defied the rules in that he played without a strap and played a 1922 Gibson A-4 round hole model! But, he made it sound like an F-5. One of my favorite Bluegrassers, especially his work with Carl Story.  :Smile:

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## almeriastrings

That's right. His work with Don Reno was not too shabby either....

More biography here:

http://www.allmusic.com/artist/red-r...1465/biography

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## Ivan Kelsall

I also saw him with Bill Clifton many years back when they toured the UK together.I wasn't playing Mandolin then,indeed,i'd never held one & really only went along to meet up with Bill Clifton with whom i'd played Banjo many times when he lived in the UK. I was totally blown away by Red's playing & amazed that he could play without needing a strap. He & Bill were a perfect blend,
                                                                                                                                                        Ivan

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## baptist mando55

In glad someone mentions Carl Story I saw Red at a festival put on by Bruce Jones. Bruce replaced  Red in Carls band I guess  this is how he got Red to Play .Bruce  is a icon in the carolinas he put on many shows that brought out many stars such as Red Rector,Don Reno,Carl story.Josh Graves,Jesse Mcreynolds,Mac Wisman  and many more.

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## Mandolin Mick

Here's Red in a rare moment ... playing an F-5! I get uncomfortable just looking at him playing without a strap ... Bill Clifton's also in this photo.

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## Ivan Kelsall

*Mick* - The guy on the Banjo is Richard (Rick) Townend. It was Rick's brother Andrew who became one of the first 'top' UK Mandolin players back in the '60's. Unfortunately Andy passed away in 1998 at the age of 46. It was around Rick & Andy that Bill Clifton formed the first Bluegrass band of any note in the UK,"The Echo Mt.Boys". I think that Red would have loved playing with those guys.Incidentally,Rick's also a terrific Mandolin & Guitar player,He's no slouch on the Fiddle either !
                Ivan  
http://www.ricktownend.co.uk/Rick-BillClifton.htm
http://youtu.be/vmm76bf5leI

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## Matteo

> This looks like the only youtube clip on the internet. Two of my favorite players, Red and Don Stover.
> 
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hFW6iYriDQs


That is POWERFUL! Best rendition of "Down In Union County" ever, if you ask me...Stover is at the top of my fave banjo players list.

Glad to read a discussion on Red Rector, one of the overlooked bluegrass mandolin greats. I love the tone he got from that A4...I have a video somewhere of Red and Bill Monroe playing "Red Wing" at the 1969 Bean Blossom.
Unfortunately, quality is terrible, and both video and audio skip continuosly...
Matt.

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## Ken Feil

I seem to recall that Jethro called Red Rector "the flash".


Ken

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## Lynn Dudenbostel

When I was in high school, "BC" (before cable) the only thing on TV early in the morning was the Cas Walker Farm and Home Hour.  This is Knoxville in the 1970's.  "Red and Fred" were regulars on there... Red Rector and Fred Smith.  They did some Homer and Jethro type comedy, and lots of great playing.  Red was a fine singer as well.  I have some photos I took back about that time of Red at the Renfro Valley bluegrass festival in KY.  I need to dig those up, also a couple of great albums by Red.  He was a fine guitar player too.  Got to see Red and Jethro do a mandolin workshop at the 1982 Worlds Fair in Knoxville!
Lynn

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## baptist mando55

Anybody have any idea what happened to his A4?

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## Mandolin Mick

http://books.google.com/books?id=nWz...gibson&f=false


This is an excellent article based on an interview with Red's wife. Lots of info on Red and his mandolin, playing and life, etc. Happy reading!  :Smile:

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## maj34

I just finished listening to the great Red Rector & Fred Smith LP "Songs From the Heart" from 1969 this morning, and it's nice to see Cafe folks talking about Red.  This album is full of great mandolin playing and duet singing, with the added benefit of some sparkling fiddle work by Kenny Baker.

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## mando-tech

Don't forget his work with Hylo Brown, one of my favs is in the song PUT MY LILTTLE SHOES AWAY.  They are in Bb, and the fiddle takes the break up half way, then they modulate to C and the mandolin plays the last half.  -Truly GREAT!

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## carolinamark

Good stuff.

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## baptist mando55

> Anybody have any idea what happened to his A4?


????????????? :Mandosmiley:

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## re simmers

I saw Red a few times with Stover many yrs ago.    The only recording of Red that I have is w/Jethro, Cept Ol Bill, Back Home in Indiana, Laura's Theme, etc.    I love his tremelo.     Can anyone recommend some recordings that showcase his mandolin??

Thanks

Bob

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## rexkemp

hi i am new here and i would like to put a post up but dint know how

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## oldwave

Red played a Festival in Cleveland in the late 1980's that I managed for the National Park in Peninsula Ohio.  Perhaps my favorite rememberance was Red and Ted Bogan (from Martin, Bogan, and Armstrong) doing a rendetion of 'My Irish Eyes are Smiling' together in a workshop.  Doesn't get any better than that I think.

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## almeriastrings

I knew Carl Story (travelled with him a short while in 1976), and prior to that, had also met Red and Bill Clifton. I always thought Red and Bill were a perfect match. Their styles meshed so well. Very relaxed and always musical. I don't know what happened to Red's mandolin, unfortunately, but I do know what happened to Bill's famous Martin D-35 (the one on the cover of Pickin' Magazine) with him and Red as that now lives here with me and I use it regularly. That's also the same guitar on the cover of their album "Another Happy Day". It has a very unusually figured set of Brazilian. Bill was playing this fine sounding D-35 the very first time I heard him with Red, so it holds quite a lot of memories for me...

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## AlanN

> Good stuff.


Great stuff on that there record. And the cover painting is telling for 2 things:

- Red on an F-5
- The strap is hanging down.

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## Ivan Kelsall

Almeria - If that guitar was used by Bill when he lived over here in the UK,i've most likely backed  it up on banjo many times.When did he have it ?. Strangely,i played with Bill Clifton many times when he came up to Manchester.There were dozens of Folk music venues to play. One song i played with him over & over back in the late 60's early 7-'s ,was 'Little Whitewashed Chimney'. I never knew until a couple of years ago,that Bill had written it - such was my 'in depth' knowlege back then, :Frown: 
                                                                                                                                       Ivan :Wink:

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## almeriastrings

This is what Bill himself says about it:

_"It was purchased from Stacy's Music Shop, Charlottesville, Va, in 1967 and was used by me all live performances from that time (until November 1977). In addition, it was used on all recordings during that time, i.e., Come by the Hills, Another Happy Day, Are You from Dixie, Bill Clifton & Co and every other album in this ten year period".
_

So... almost certainly is the guitar you encountered! Small world!

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## mandolirius

Interesting interview with Red: 

http://www.users.waitrose.com/~john....do/rector.html

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## mandolirius

Red's great album on Old Homestead, with Vassar and Jack Hicks:

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## almeriastrings

I found a used copy of the '79 Pickin' magazine recently at Elderly, with Red and Bill on the cover:



Added it to the collection of stuff that lives with the D-35...

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## swilshire

> Anybody have any idea what happened to his A4?


Red's instruments are on loan to the East Tennessee Historical Society in downtown Knoxville. There is a nice display on local musicians.

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## mandolirius

> Red's instruments are on loan to the East Tennessee Historical Society in downtown Knoxville. There is a nice display on local musicians.


Cool. Do they have anything of Jethro's? He was from Knoxville if memory serves.

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## Russ Jordan

I would imagine Red's A4 stayed with his wife.  I got to spend a great afternoon with her at a festival in Pigeon Forge TN, maybe 15 years ago.  She was collecting everything she could about Red.  She still had the mandolin then.

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## Ole Joe Clark

It's threads like this one that makes the Mandolin Cafe a great place to hang out. Thanks for the history lesson and memories.

Joe

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Michael Bridges

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## Don Stiernberg

> Somewhere I have a 25 year old cassette tape of the last show Red and Jethro did together- must have been 86 or 87, I guess, at the University of Chicago Folk Festival, which I helped put on as a college student. 
> 
> I made dinner for Red in my shared college house and he played mandolin in my kitchen ! 
> 
> If anybody wants to help me digitize and share the old tapes, drop me a line and let's talk. 
> 
> Neal


I played on that show with Jethro and Red. I'd love to be able to hear it again. Please contact me, maybe I have something I could trade you for a copy.Red was a great player and singer and those two gentlemen from Knoxville both played real clean and had lots of fun!
                                   thanks,
                                        Don Stiernberg

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## mandolirius

> I played on that show with Jethro and Red. I'd love to be able to hear it again. Please contact me, maybe I have something I could trade you for a copy.Red was a great player and singer and those two gentlemen from Knoxville both played real clean and had lots of fun!
>                                    thanks,
>                                         Don Stiernberg


I can digitize cassettes and would be happy to do this one.

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## oldwave

My favorite memory was of Red Rector and Ted Bogan playing my Irish Eyes are Smiling at my Festival circa 1989 or 90

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## Ole Joe Clark

I can also digitize cassettes and LP, would love to help preserve and share those memories.

Joe

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## Darryl Wolfe

> *Mick* - The guy on the Banjo is Richard (Rick) Townend. It was Rick's brother Andrew who became one of the first 'top' UK Mandolin players back in the '60's. Unfortunately Andy passed away in 1998 at the age of 46. It was around Rick & Andy that Bill Clifton formed the first Bluegrass band of any note in the UK,"The Echo Mt.Boys". I think that Red would have loved playing with those guys.Incidentally,Rick's also a terrific Mandolin & Guitar player,He's no slouch on the Fiddle either !
>                 Ivan  
> http://www.ricktownend.co.uk/Rick-BillClifton.htm
> http://youtu.be/vmm76bf5leI


I had the pleasure of seeing Andrew Townend tear the house down at Berryville VA in the late '60's  It was Rawhide of course.  We were the same age.

Staying on subject, I knew Red well and played with him many times in Knoxville.  We would do a little twin mandolin or I would back him on guitar

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## High Desert Mando

Yes that was a great festival.

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## Mandolin Cafe

Red's birthday today. Hadn't seen this video in a few years, worth sharing.

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HonketyHank, 

jesserules, 

Jim Hilburn, 

John Soper, 

Russ Jordan

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## William Smith

Another great mandolinist that had a style all his own!

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## Timbofood

Thanks Scott! It’s good to see the masters at work!

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## allenhopkins

As Red mighta said, "_Real_ pickers don' need no strap."

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