Ray Goins (January 3, 1936 – July 2, 2007) was an American bluegrass

banjo The banjo is a stringed instrument with a thin membrane stretched over a frame or cavity to form a resonator. The membrane is typically circular, and usually made of plastic, or occasionally animal skin. Early forms of the instrument were fashi ...

ist. Born in

Bramwell, West Virginia Bramwell is a town in Mercer County, West Virginia, United States, along the Bluestone River. The population was 277 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Bluefield, WV- VA micropolitan area which has a population of 107,578. History In the 18 ...

, Goins aspired to be a lawyer. He changed his career to music in the 1940s after listening to string band music on WCYB radio, and began singing publicly at the age of 16. During a 50-year career he was member of the Lonesome Pine Fiddlers and Ralph Stanley & the Clinch Mountain Boys, before finally forming the Goins Brothers with his older brother, Melvin. Ray Goins had a

heart attack A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when blood flow decreases or stops to the coronary artery of the heart, causing damage to the heart muscle. The most common symptom is chest pain or discomfort which may tr ...

in 1994 and semi-retired from playing professionally in 1997. He still played shows occasionally with Melvin & Windy Mountain after he semi-retired.

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External links

Biography
on

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1936 births 2007 deaths People from Bramwell, West Virginia American banjoists Bluegrass musicians from West Virginia 20th-century American musicians {{US-musician-stub