James Elroy King (September 9, 1958 – May 19, 2016) was an American bluegrass music singer.

Tom T. Hall Thomas Hall (May 25, 1936 – August 20, 2021), known professionally as Tom T. Hall and informally nicknamed "the Storyteller," was an American country music singer-songwriter and short-story author. He wrote 12 No. 1 hit songs, with 26 more ...

dubbed King the “Bluegrass Storyteller,” for his ability to infuse his story songs with emotion and authenticity.

Early life

King was raised in

Cana, Virginia Cana is a census-designated place (CDP) in Carroll County, Virginia, Carroll County, Virginia, United States. The population was 1,254 at the 2010 census, up from 1,228 in 2000. It is the only CDP designated area in the county that is outside of th ...

, in Carroll County. His father Jim King had appeared on Roanoke television with

Don Reno Donald Wesley Reno (February 21, 1926Trischka, Tony, "Don Reno", ''Banjo Song Book'', Oak Publications, 1977, – October 16, 1984) was an American bluegrass and country musician, best known as a pioneering banjo and guitar player who pa ...

and

Red Smiley Red is the color at the long wavelength end of the visible spectrum of light, next to orange and opposite violet. It has a dominant wavelength of approximately 625–740 nanometres. It is a primary color in the RGB color model and a secondary ...

as tenor vocalist and guitarist for the Country Cousins. His father and his uncle Joe Edd King had played with Ted Lundy of the Southern Mountain Boys. In 1974, King heard the

Stanley Brothers The Stanley Brothers were an American bluegrass duo of singer-songwriters and musicians, made up of brothers Carter Stanley (August 27, 1925 – December 1, 1966) and Ralph Stanley (February 25, 1927 – June 23, 2016). Ralph and Carter perform ...

and fell in love with their bluegrass music. King began his career at age 16 playing

gospel Gospel originally meant the Christian message ("the gospel"), but in the 2nd century it came to be used also for the books in which the message was set out. In this sense a gospel can be defined as a loose-knit, episodic narrative of the words an ...

music at his Pentecostal Holiness church. He left Cana at age 19.

Ralph Stanley

After a stint in the United States Marine Corps, King relocated to Wilmington, Delaware where he started a band with Lundy's sons T.J. and Bobby. In 1986, bluegrass deejay Ray Davis introduced King to

Ralph Stanley Ralph Edmund Stanley (February 25, 1927 – June 23, 2016) was an American bluegrass artist, known for his distinctive singing and banjo playing. Stanley began playing music in 1946, originally with his older brother Carter Stanley as part of ...

, with whom he recorded two albums: ''Stanley Brothers Classics'' and ''Reunion with George Shuffler'' on Davis's Wango label. Stanley named King an honorary member of his

Clinch Mountain Boys Ralph Edmund Stanley (February 25, 1927 – June 23, 2016) was an American bluegrass artist, known for his distinctive singing and banjo playing. Stanley began playing music in 1946, originally with his older brother Carter Stanley as part of ...

Solo recordings

In July 1988, King recorded his first album under his own name on the Webco label: ''It’s a Cold, Cold World'' (reissued in 1996 as ''Webco Classics, Volume Two''. For a brief period in the early 1990s, King was a member of Big Country Bluegrass.

Dudley Connell Dudley Connell (born February 18, 1956) is an American singer in the bluegrass tradition. He is best known for his work with the Johnson Mountain Boys, Longview, and The Seldom Scene. Biography Early years Connell grew up in Rockville, Maryland. ...

of the

Johnson Mountain Boys The Johnson Mountain Boys were a popular bluegrass band throughout the 1980s from the Washington, D.C. area. Their style favored a more traditional approach to bluegrass than some of their contemporaries. They released two 45 RPM single record ...

brought King to the attention of Ken Irwin at

Rounder Records Rounder Records is an independent record label founded in 1970 in Somerville, Massachusetts by Marian Leighton Levy, Ken Irwin, and Bill Nowlin. Focused on American roots music, Rounder's catalogue of more than 3000 titles includes records by Al ...

. King signed to Rounder Records in 1992 and released his album ''These Old Pictures'' in 1993. On ''Lonesome and Then Some'' in 1995, King was backed by Connell (guitar, vocals), Tom Adams (banjo), David McLaughlin (guitar, vocals), and

Marshall Wilborn Marshall Wilborn is an American bluegrass music bass player and composer best known for his work with the Johnson Mountain Boys, Longview, Michael Cleveland and Flamekeeper, and the Lynn Morris Band. Biography Early years Wilborn was raised i ...

(bass). King formed the James King Band, which was named Emerging Artist of the Year by the

International Bluegrass Music Association The International Bluegrass Music Association, or IBMA, is a trade association to promote bluegrass music. Formed in 1985, IBMA established its first headquarters in Owensboro, Kentucky. In 1988 they announced plans to create the International ...

(IBMA) in 1997. In 1998 ''Bed by the Window'' was the recording debut of the James King Band, and its title track was nominated for IBMA’s Song of the Year in 1999. In 2002, ''30 Years of Farming'' featured the James King Band as supporting instrumentalists. King released ''The Bluegrass Storyteller'' in 2005 with Kevin Prater (mandolin), Bernie Green (banjo), Jerry McNeely (bass), and Adam Haynes (fiddle). In 2013, King released what would be his final album, the Grammy-nominated ''Three Chords and the Truth'', recorded over a five-year period. King selected country music songs and arranged them for bluegrass. He was assisted by Connell,

Don Rigsby Donald Glen Rigsby is an American mandolinist, fiddler, guitarist, vocalist, and producer in the bluegrass tradition. He is known for his solo career, and for his work with the Lonesome River Band and Longview. Biography Early years Growing up ...

, Jimmy Mattingly (fiddle), Ronnie Stewart (banjo),

Jesse Brock Jesse Davis Brock (born July 18, 1972, in Decatur, Illinois) is a bluegrass artist who plays the mandolin and supplies both lead and supporting vocals. He records and tours with the East Tennessee based Authentic Unlimited Band, which made their ...

(mandolin), Jason Moore (bass), and Josh Williams (guitar).

Longview

Formed in 1997, Longview brought together King, Connell, Rigsby, Willborn, Glen Duncan, and Joe Mullins. For later recordings, Connell, Mullins, and Duncan were replaced by

J. D. Crowe James Dee Crowe (August 27, 1937December 24, 2021) was an American banjo player and bluegrass band leader. He first became known during his four-year stint with Jimmy Martin in the 1950s. Crowe led the bluegrass group New South from 1971 until ...

, Ron Stewart, and

Lou Reid Lou Reid Pyrtle (born September 13, 1954 in Union Grove, North Carolina) is an American bluegrass singer, band leader, and multi-instrumentalist. Biography Early life Reid grew up on a tobacco farm in Moore Springs, North Carolina. His father ...

. Longview recorded four albums. Their self-titled 1997 debut was named Recorded Event of the Year by the IBMA. This was followed by ''High Lonesome'' in 1999, ''Lessons in Stone'' in 2002, and ''Deep in the Mountains'' in 2008.

Later life and death

King was a recovering alcoholic, and in recent years had struggled with liver issues. He died on May 19, 2016, surrounded by family and friends.

Honors, awards, and distinctions

King won 12 Bluegrass Music awards, a

Grammy The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pre ...

nomination for ''Three Chords & the Truth'', and was inducted into the Virginia Music Hall of Fame in 2014. In 2015, King received the SPBGMA Masters Gold Award for Traditional Male Vocalist of the Year for winning Male Vocalist of the Year 10 times in a row.

Discography

Solo albums

* 1989: ''It's A Cold Cold World'' ( Webco) * 1993: ''These Old Pictures'' (Rounder) * 1995: ''Lonesome and Then Some'' (Rounder) * 1998: ''Bed by the Window'' (Rounder) * 2002: ''Thirty Years of Farming'' (Rounder) * 2005: ''The Bluegrass Storyteller'' (Rounder) * 2013: ''Three Chords and the Truth'' (Rounder)

Compilations

* 1995: ''Webco Classics Vol. 2'' ( Pinecastle) * 2008: ''Gardens in the Sky: The Bluegrass Gospel of James King'' (Rounder)

With
Ralph Stanley Ralph Edmund Stanley (February 25, 1927 – June 23, 2016) was an American bluegrass artist, known for his distinctive singing and banjo playing. Stanley began playing music in 1946, originally with his older brother Carter Stanley as part of ...

* 1986: ''Introducing James King'' (Wango) with the

reissued in 1997 on CD * 1997: ''Reunion'' (Wango) featuring

George Shuffler George Shuffler (April 11, 1925 – April 7, 2014) was an American bluegrass music, bluegrass guitar player and an early practitioner of the crosspicking style. During his career Shuffler played with The Bailey Brothers and the Happy Valley Boys, ...

and James King

With Longview

* 1997: ''Longview'' (Rounder) * 1999: ''High Lonesome'' (Rounder) * 2002: ''Lessons in Stone'' (Rebel) * 2008: ''Deep in the Mountains'' (Rounder)

Also appears on

* 1997: Paul Williams - ''Ain't God Good'' (Rounder)

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:King, James 1958 births 2016 deaths American country singer-songwriters Bluegrass musicians from Virginia American bluegrass guitarists 20th-century American singers 21st-century American singers Singer-songwriters from Virginia American bluegrass musicians 20th-century American guitarists Longview (American band) members