John Lewis Starling (March 26, 1940 – May 2, 2019) was an American musician. He is an
International Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame
Induction to the International Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame, called the International Bluegrass Music Hall of Honor from its creation in 1991 through 2006, is managed by the International Bluegrass Music Association, and the Hall itself is maint ...
inductee
bluegrass musician and composer, founding member of the bluegrass group
The Seldom Scene
The Seldom Scene is an American bluegrass band that formed in 1971 in Bethesda, Maryland. The band's original line-up comprised John Starling on lead vocals and guitar, Mike Auldridge on Dobro and baritone vocals, Ben Eldridge on banjo, Tom ...
, an
otolaryngological physician
A physician (American English), medical practitioner (Commonwealth English), medical doctor, or simply doctor, is a health professional who practices medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring health through th ...
for communities in
Alabama
(We dare defend our rights)
, anthem = "Alabama"
, image_map = Alabama in United States.svg
, seat = Montgomery
, LargestCity = Huntsville
, LargestCounty = Baldwin County
, LargestMetro = Greater Birmingham
, area_total_km2 = 135,765 ...
,
Washington, D.C.
)
, image_skyline =
, image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...
, and
Virginia
Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...
, and an amateur
architect
An architect is a person who plans, designs and oversees the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to provide services in connection with the design of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the buildings that h ...
designing the
field house
Field house or fieldhouse is an American English term for an indoor sports arena or stadium, mostly used for college basketball, volleyball, or ice hockey, or a support building for various adjacent sports fields, e.g. locker room, team room, coac ...
at
Virginia Military Institute
la, Consilio et Animis (on seal)
, mottoeng = "In peace a glorious asset, In war a tower of strength""By courage and wisdom" (on seal)
, established =
, type = Public senior military college
, accreditation = SACS
, endowment = $696.8 mill ...
, the house his parents retired in and the floor plans for the building he practiced medicine in.
Biography
John Starling was born in
Durham Durham most commonly refers to:
*Durham, England, a cathedral city and the county town of County Durham
*County Durham, an English county
* Durham County, North Carolina, a county in North Carolina, United States
*Durham, North Carolina, a city in N ...
,
North Carolina
North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and ...
, and grew up in
Lexington,
Virginia
Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...
.
His father was hired by
Washington and Lee University
, mottoeng = "Not Unmindful of the Future"
, established =
, type = Private liberal arts university
, academic_affiliations =
, endowment = $2.092 billion (2021)
, president = William C. Dudley
, provost = Lena Hill
, city = Lexington ...
as a biology professor. He discovered bluegrass and country through live radio programs taking up the electric guitar during his teenage years. He is a graduate of
Davidson College, Class of 1962, and then matriculated to
University of Virginia
The University of Virginia (UVA) is a public research university in Charlottesville, Virginia. Founded in 1819 by Thomas Jefferson, the university is ranked among the top academic institutions in the United States, with highly selective ad ...
where received his medical degree in 1967. While on campus, he attended folk and bluegrass jams and met future bandmate
Ben Eldridge Ben Eldridge, (born August 15, 1938) is a five-string banjo player and a founding member of the seminal bluegrass group The Seldom Scene. He also works as a mathematician.
Biography
Ben Eldridge was born in Richmond, Virginia. He began playing t ...
. After graduating he served in the
U.S. Army
The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cl ...
as a surgeon during
The Vietnam War
The Vietnam War (also known by other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vietnam and ...
.
Following his tour of duty, he did his residency at the
Walter Reed Army Medical Center
The Walter Reed Army Medical Center (WRAMC)known as Walter Reed General Hospital (WRGH) until 1951was the United States Army, U.S. Army's flagship medical center from 1909 to 2011. Located on in the Washington, D.C., District of Columbia, it se ...
in Washington, D.C. In Washington, he met musician
Mike Auldridge
Mike Auldridge (December 30, 1938 – December 29, 2012) was an American Dobro player and a founding member of the bluegrass group The Seldom Scene. The ''New York Times'' described Auldridge as "one of the most distinctive dobro players in the ...
through former acquaintance
Ben Eldridge Ben Eldridge, (born August 15, 1938) is a five-string banjo player and a founding member of the seminal bluegrass group The Seldom Scene. He also works as a mathematician.
Biography
Ben Eldridge was born in Richmond, Virginia. He began playing t ...
. The three began making music together after work in Eldridge's basement during jam sessions and eventually were joined by two former members of the bluegrass band
The Country Gentlemen
The Country Gentlemen was a progressive bluegrass band that originated during the 1950s in the area of Washington, D.C., United States, and recorded and toured with various members until the death in 2004 of Charlie Waller, one of the group's f ...
,
John Duffey
John Humbird Duffey Jr. (March 4, 1934 – December 10, 1996) was a Washington D.C. based bluegrass musician.
Duffey was born in Washington, D.C., and lived nearly all his life in the Washington D.C. area. He graduated from Bethesda-Chevy Cha ...
and
Tom Gray
Tom or TOM may refer to:
* Tom (given name), a diminutive of Thomas or Tomás or an independent Aramaic given name (and a list of people with the name)
Characters
* Tom Anderson, a character in ''Beavis and Butt-Head''
* Tom Beck, a character ...
, as part of these weekly informal sessions. Soon, the five musicians formed
The Seldom Scene
The Seldom Scene is an American bluegrass band that formed in 1971 in Bethesda, Maryland. The band's original line-up comprised John Starling on lead vocals and guitar, Mike Auldridge on Dobro and baritone vocals, Ben Eldridge on banjo, Tom ...
and were part of the weekly line up at The Red Fox Inn in
Bethesda, Maryland
Bethesda () is an unincorporated, census-designated place in southern Montgomery County, Maryland. It is located just northwest of Washington, D.C. It takes its name from a local church, the Bethesda Meeting House (1820, rebuilt 1849), which in ...
and then
The Birchmere Music Hall in
Alexandria, Virginia
Alexandria is an independent city in the northern region of the Commonwealth of Virginia, United States. It lies on the western bank of the Potomac River approximately south of downtown Washington, D.C.
In 2020, the population was 159,467. ...
. In 1977, Starling left the band, deciding to, in his words, “do what I was originally trying to do, which was practice medicine.”
Though he did manage to release a solo album “Long Time Gone” with guest appearances from
Emmylou Harris,
Little Feat guitarist
Lowell George
Lowell Thomas George (April 13, 1945 – June 29, 1979) was an American singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and record producer, who was the primary guitarist, vocalist, songwriter and founder/leader for the rock band Little Feat.
Ear ...
,
pedal steel
The pedal steel guitar is a console-type of steel guitar with pedals and knee levers that change the pitch of certain strings to enable playing more varied and complex music than any previous steel guitar design. Like all steel guitars, it can ...
guitarist
Buddy Emmons and his former bandmates. With singer
Claire Lynch
Claire Lynch (born February 20, 1954) is an American bluegrass musician, singer, songwriter, and producer. She is a three-time winner of the International Bluegrass Music Association's Female Vocalist of the Year honors. She is considered one o ...
, he formed a country-rock band, Ready Section.
His first marriage, to bluegrass singer
Fayssoux Dunbar, ended in divorce. In 1976, he married Cynthia Burks. Survivors include his wife, of Fredericksburg, and son John "Jay" Starling, a
dobro player residing in the
Charlottesville, Virginia area.
His recording “Spring Training” with banjoist/songwriter
Carl Jackson
Carl Eugene Jackson (born September 18, 1953) is an American country and bluegrass musician. Jackson's first Grammy was awarded in 1992 for his duet album with John Starling titled "Spring Training." In 2003 Jackson produced the Grammy Award-wi ...
and
The Nash Ramblers won the 1992
Grammy for
Best Bluegrass Album. He briefly rejoined The Seldom Scene in the mid-1990s to fill in following the departure of singer/guitarist Lou Reid, while continuing his medical practice. After his retirement from medicine in 2006, he reunited with Auldridge and Gray, along with Jimmie Gaudreau and Ricky Simpkins, as "John Starling and Carolina Star" for a final collaboration, “Slidin’ Home” (2007).
"Dr. Starling took pride in what he termed "honesty in presentation” and considered it paramount to give an audience his best. "No matter how slick you are," he once said, "people aren’t going to buy it if you’re checking your watch to see how long you have before you go off.""
John Starlin
played his final showat
Mount Airy farm in Warsaw, Virginia on June 30th, 2017 accompanied by his son Jay Starling on resonator guitar with friends Jesse Harper on acoustic guitar, Cameron Ralston on bass, Nat Smith on cello and Courtney Hartman on vocals and guitar. The nearly 60 min set of music was a benefit for local steward
Friends Of The Rappahannock The last song performed that night (Paul Craft's "Keep Me From Blowing Away") was recorded from the soundboard an
is available for free listening on Soundcloud.This recording remains as John's final goodbye to his fans, family and many friends.
On February 12, 2019, Starling was reported to be "seriously ill" and living in
hospice care
Hospice care is a type of health care that focuses on the palliation of a terminally ill patient's pain and symptoms and attending to their emotional and spiritual needs at the end of life. Hospice care prioritizes comfort and quality of life by ...
. He died of congestive heart failure on May 2, 2019 at his
Fredericksburg, Virginia home, at the age of 79.
Awards
Starling shared the
1992
Grammy Award for Best Bluegrass Album
The Grammy Award for Best Bluegrass Album is an award presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to recording artists for quality works (songs or albums) in the bluegrass mu ...
with
Carl Jackson
Carl Eugene Jackson (born September 18, 1953) is an American country and bluegrass musician. Jackson's first Grammy was awarded in 1992 for his duet album with John Starling titled "Spring Training." In 2003 Jackson produced the Grammy Award-wi ...
for their album ''Spring Training''.
Discography
Solo albums
* 1980: ''Long Time Gone'' (
Sugar Hill SH-3714)
* 1982: ''Waitin’ On A Southern Train'' (Sugar Hill SH-3724)
As a member of The Seldom Scene
* 1972: ''
Act I'' (
Rebel
A rebel is a participant in a rebellion.
Rebel or rebels may also refer to:
People
* Rebel (given name)
* Rebel (surname)
* Patriot (American Revolution), during the American Revolution
* American Southerners, as a form of self-identification; ...
REB-1511)
* 1973: ''
Act II'' (Rebel REB-1520)
* 1973: ''
Act III'' (Rebel REB-1528)
* 1974: ''
Old Train'' (Rebel REB-1536)
* 1975: ''
Live at The Cellar Door'' (Rebel REB-1547/8 live double album)
* 1976: ''
The New Seldom Scene Album'' (Rebel REB-1561)
* 1978: ''
Baptizing
Baptism (from grc-x-koine, βάπτισμα, váptisma) is a form of ritual purification—a characteristic of many religions throughout time and geography. In Christianity, it is a Christian sacrament of initiation and adoption, almost inv ...
'' (Rebel, , REB-1573)
* 1994: ''
Like We Used to Be'' (Sugar Hill SH-3822)
With
Carl Jackson
Carl Eugene Jackson (born September 18, 1953) is an American country and bluegrass musician. Jackson's first Grammy was awarded in 1992 for his duet album with John Starling titled "Spring Training." In 2003 Jackson produced the Grammy Award-wi ...
* 1991: ''Spring Training'' (Sugar Hill SH-3789)
As a member of John Starling and Carolina Star
* 2007: ''Slidin’ Home'' (Rebel REB-CD-1820)
Other contributions
* 1974: ‘’
Heart Like A Wheel
''Heart Like a Wheel'' is the fifth solo studio album by Linda Ronstadt, released in November 1974. It was Ronstadt's last album to be released by Capitol Records. At the time of its recording, Ronstadt had already moved to Asylum Records and r ...
’’ (Linda Ronstadt album) backing vocalist
* 1975: ''
Elite Hotel'' (Emmylou Harris album)– acoustic guitarist, backing vocalist
* 1977: ''
California Autumn'' (Tony Rice album)– producer, mixer, guitar and vocal accompaninist
* 1987: ''
Trio (Dolly Parton, Linda Ronstadt and Emmylou Harris album)
''Trio'' is a collaborative album by American singers Dolly Parton, Linda Ronstadt, and Emmylou Harris. It was released on March 2, 1987, by Warner Bros. Records. The album has platinum certification in the US for sales of one million copies, and ...
'' – acoustic guitar accompanist and musical consultant
* 1994 (released 1999): ''
Trio II
''Trio II'' is the second collaborative studio album by Dolly Parton, Emmylou Harris and Linda Ronstadt. It was released on February 9, 1999, by Asylum Records.
Background
A dozen years after the release of their Platinum, Grammy-winning '' Trio' ...
'' – acoustic guitar
* 1995: ''
Feels Like Home (Linda Ronstadt album)'' – backing vocalist
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Starling, John
1940 births
2019 deaths
Musicians from Durham, North Carolina
Physicians from North Carolina
Military personnel from North Carolina
Bluegrass musicians from North Carolina
The Seldom Scene members