Just saw this, confirmed through his Facebook page.
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Just saw this, confirmed through his Facebook page.
How sad, one more of the greats gone.
Sad to hear. I had a fun workshop with Byron several years ago at Wintergrass. He was one of my first bluegrass fiddle influences.
This one hit especially hard. I got my first mandolin lesson from Byron while I was in college at Oklahoma State. He was a big Sooner fan so we always had fun with the rivalry. It was thanks to his Oklahoma International Bluegrass Festival that I was exposed to many of the greats of the music. Later I would spend countless hours hanging out in the fiddle shop, listening to amazing bluegrass and western swing, and occasionally joining in. I left OK 15 years ago but would always pop in to see Byron when I was home. Byron was as kind and generous as he was exceptionally talented. He will be missed.
RIP Byron. One of the great ones in every way. Will play the Gold Rush today.
Byron and John spent a number of very musically active years in the Redlands California area near where I live, before they moved on to Guthrie. I was lucky enough to get to meet them both informally at that time at a few of their shows. Wonderful musicians, both. Sad that we lost them both this year, the music community at large is poorer without them.
Very sad news, indeed. Here is Byron with The Flying Burrito Bros- taking a neat fiddle solo. This song with an almost identical rendition appeared on The Last of the Red Hot Burritos the same year and was one of the reasons I got interested in Bluegrass- the Country Gazette elements in that album which my brother owned..
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mTSS1Sx04lo
RIP Byron.
RIP Byron Berline.
I saw "California" (Berline, Crary, Hickman with the adition of Steve Spurgin and John Moore) and was duly impressed. Was sad when I saw the news that his shop burned down, was glad that his Lloyd Loar survived, was glad that he reopened his shop (aparently across the street), was sad when I learned of John Hickmanīs passing (BB obviously loosing a colaborator/friend) and am saddened now that BB didnīt have some more years. Rest easy...
Bummer. First Big Bluegrass Festival I went to, was in Glen Rock Pennsylvania at Kelly's Farm in September 1977. Byron Berline and Sundance played there. Vince Gill was their lead singer and mandolin player. Vince had shoulder length hair then. Dan Crary was on guitar. John Hickman was with him. I was really impressed. Up until then, all I listened to was Blues. It actually changed my musical life. I think Glen Rock was actually the town where Ronnie McCoury might have been raised?
I really only knew him through his association with the Dillards in the 60s.
But man, I loved that stuff!
I also have a CD where he plays the opening track with Bill Monroe and Earl Scruggs - first time the latter two had recorded together in decades. What a fabulous track!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RLaX...hannel=TomHuck
Bill and Earls's sons play on the track too :)
Oh boy for some reason this does hit hard... he was the simply the best and a gem. Anyone and everyone wanted him to play fiddle for them on recordings for 50 years for the right reasons. He was that special. Just sad to see him go. We have lost some great ones in the last couple years, now him. Count your blessings.
Rest in peace and love Bryon.
TS
Sad indeed. I had a few of his records. A really great musician.
I met him in Birmingham England in the early 70s. I think he was playing with the Country Gentlemen? He was very generous in showing me his mandolin which I believe was a Loar. Being just a teenager in bluegrass starved England then I didn't know what a Loar was, it was probably the first time I had actually seen an F5 mandolin!! I do recall that it sounded pretty good. Its a fond memory of a great guy.
Here is a video of him opening his mandolin case to see if the Loar survived the fire which burnt down his music shop.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kyqLbAP50uU
His passing is definitely a great loss to the grass fiddling world. He loved to tell stories of his travels and folks he played with. This is, I would say, the best recommendation for a Mark Leaf case. RIP sir and play on .....
Pickin' and Fiddlin', 1965 album with the Dillards, is one of the iconic BG fiddle instrumental albums:
Too young to go. His playing had a unique lilt and flow. I was glad to follow him thru several bands over many years.
Thanks Allen,
I was trying to remember the name of that one. It was a favorite of mine back in the day.
Such a great loss. Even though he left a lot of music with the rest of us, it would have been fine if he could have stuck around and made even more. I didn't follow him as closely as many of you did. But I liked everything I heard him play, and I can't recall ever hearing him play a wrong note. Quite the opposite - always something so fine, leading to more and more, another and another. RIP, Byron Berline. :mandosmiley: :mandosmiley:
My favorite album, "Dad's Favorites", a tribute to his dad Lew Berline. Rest in Peace, indeed.
So sad. Awful loss.