Rural Rhythm Records is a

record label A record label, or record company, is a brand or trademark of music recordings and music videos, or the company that owns it. Sometimes, a record label is also a publishing company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the produ ...

based in

Nashville, Tennessee Nashville is the capital city of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat, seat of Davidson County, Tennessee, Davidson County. With a population of 689,447 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 U.S. census, Nashville is the List of muni ...

specializing in recordings by bluegrass music and gospel music artists.

History

"Uncle" Jim O'Neal founded the Rural Rhythm label in 1955 in

Arcadia, California Arcadia is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States, located about northeast of downtown Los Angeles in the San Gabriel Valley and at the base of the San Gabriel Mountains. It contains a series of adjacent parks consisting of th ...

. He sold via mail order, records were often produced with a generic white front sleeve with a stamped serial number in the upper right corner. O'Neal insisted records would sell for $3.50 apiece (as opposed to major label records that sold for $3.98 to $4.98). O'Neal also released 20 songs on each LP album, as opposed to major labels who released on average 12 songs on each LP. O'Neal died in 1982, and Sam Passamano purchased Rural Rhythm in 1987. The Heritage Collection brand reissues recordings from the 1950s–1960s Rural Rhythm archives. Recent Heritage artists include

Hylo Brown Hylo Brown (April 20, 1922 – January 17, 2003) was an American bluegrass and country music singer, guitarist and bass player. Biography Frank "Hylo" Brown, Jr. was born in River, Johnson County, Kentucky, United States, and began his caree ...

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 ...

and The Blue Grass Cutups, and

Mac Wiseman Malcolm Bell Wiseman (May 23, 1925 – February 24, 2019) was an American bluegrass and country singer. Early life He was born on May 23, 1925, in Crimora, Virginia. He attended school in New Hope, Virginia, and graduated from high school the ...

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 ...

, Bill Harrell, J. E. Mainer,

Curly Fox Arnim LeRoy Fox (November 9, 1910 – November 10, 1995), better known as Curly (or Curley) Fox, was an American old-time and country fiddler, singer and country musician. Biography Fox was born in Graysville, Tennessee, United States, as ...

, Dale Potter, Earl Taylor, Max Martin, Buck Ryan, Lee Moore,

Raymond Fairchild Raymond Fairchild (March 15, 1939 – October 13, 2019) was an American banjo player from North Carolina in the Great Smoky Mountains. He was widely known for his fast playing, his fancy and intricate picking, and his ability to mimic the sounds o ...

, and Jim Greer. Besides the Heritage Collection brand, Rural Rhythm issues bluegrass recordings under the Sound Traditions and Bluegrass Power Picks brands. In 2017, SONY Red Distribution became the distributors of Rural Rhythm mainstream recordings. New Day Christian Distributors continues to distribute their Christian recordings.

Artists

Here is a partial list of artists who have released recordings on the Rural Rhythm label.

A – G

* Dave Adkins & Republik Steele *

Audie Blaylock Audie Blaylock (born 1962) is an American singer, guitarist, mandolinist, and composer in the bluegrass tradition. Biography Early years Blaylock was born in El Paso, Texas, but was raised in Lansing, Michigan. Growing up in a family where bot ...

and Redline * Blue Moon Rising * Brand New Strings *

Melonie Cannon Melonie Cannon is an American singer, blending country and bluegrass on her solo albums and session work. Willie Nelson said, "Melonie Cannon is one of the best singers I know." Biography Early years Cannon was born in Jackson, Tennessee, but her ...

Vassar Clements Vassar Carlton Clements (April 25, 1928 – August 16, 2005) was an American jazz, swing, and bluegrass fiddler. Clements has been dubbed the Father of Hillbilly Jazz, an improvisational style that blends and borrows from swing, hot jazz, and ...

* The Cumberland Highlanders * Doug Dillard *

Jim Eanes Jim Eanes (December 6, 1923 – November 21, 1995) was an American bluegrass and country music singer and guitarist. Biography Homer Robert Eanes Jr. was born in Mountain Valley, Virginia and grew up in Martinsville. Eanes learned to play t ...

Bill Emerson Norvell William Emerson (January 1, 1938 – June 22, 1996) was an American politician. He served as a member of the United States House of Representatives from Missouri from 1981 until his death from lung cancer in Bethesda, Maryland in 19 ...

and Sweet Dixie * Ernie & Mack and the Bluegrass Cut-Ups *

* Gold Heart * Jim Greer * Steve Gulley

H – M

* Bill Harrell * Carrie Hassler and Hard Rain * Tim Hensley * Clarence Jackson *

Jim & Jesse Jim & Jesse were an American bluegrass music duo composed of brothers Jim McReynolds (February 13, 1927 – December 31, 2002) and Jesse McReynolds (born July 9, 1929). The two were born and raised in Carfax, a community near Coeburn, Virginia, ...

* Clay Jones *

Randy Kohrs Randy Kohrs is an American multi-instrumentalist best known for his resonator guitar prowess, but he plays 13 instruments. He is also a Grammy-winning producer and recording engineer. Biography Early years Kohrs was raised on a farm near the rur ...

* Locust Ridge *

Lonesome River Band The Lonesome River Band is an American contemporary bluegrass band. The band has released 15 recording projects since its formation in 1982. Lonesome River Band is led by Sammy Shelor who is a member of the Virginia Country Music Hall of Fame ...

* J. E. Mainer *

The Marksmen Quartet The Marksmen Quartet of Murrayville, Georgia originated in 1967 as a Southern gospel quartet under the direction of Dr. Earle Wheeler. Through the years, the group's styles moved to bluegrass gospel and country gospel. Dove award nominees in 2008 fo ...

Mac Martin William Dermot Colleran (April 26, 1925 – February 28, 2022), better known as Mac Martin was an American bluegrass musician. Biography He was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on April 26, 1925. William "Mac Martin" Colleran used to listen to ...

* Dwight McCall * Lee Moore *

Russell Moore and IIIrd Tyme Out Russell Moore and IIIrd Tyme Out (formerly known as IIIrd Tyme Out) is a bluegrass band formed in 1991 in Cumming, Georgia. Consisting of Russell Moore (lead vocals and guitar), Keith McKinnon (vocals and banjo), Nathan Aldridge (vocals and fid ...

Mountain Heart Mountain Heart is an American band, which combines elements of rock, jam band, country, blues, jazz, folk and bluegrass music. Critics have described the band using terms such as "acoustic overdrive", "Folk rock on steroids", and "slam grass". M ...

Muleskinner A muleskinner or mule skinner is a muleteer or mule-driver. The word may also refer to: * Muleskinner, the mascot of St. John's Military School, Kansas, U.S. * ''Muleskinner'', an alternate title for the album '' Jack Takes the Floor'' by Ramblin' ...

Michael Martin Murphey Michael Martin Murphey (born March 14, 1945) is an American singer-songwriter best known for writing and performing Western music, country music and popular music. A multiple Grammy nominee, Murphey has six gold albums, including ''Cowboy Songs' ...

Mark Houser and Bluegrass Drive Mark may refer to: Currency * Bosnia and Herzegovina convertible mark, the currency of Bosnia and Herzegovina * East German mark, the currency of the German Democratic Republic * Estonian mark, the currency of Estonia between 1918 and 1927 * Finn ...

N – R

* Nevada Slim * Nu-Blu *

Bobby Osborne Bobby Osborne (born December 7, 1931) is an American bluegrass musician. He is the co-founder (with his brother Sonny Osborne) of the Osborne Brothers and a member of the Grand Ole Opry and the International Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame. He also ...

* Dale Potter *

Marty Raybon Marty Raybon (born December 8, 1959) is an American country music artist. He is known primarily for his role as the lead singer of the country band Shenandoah, a role which he held from 1985 to 1997, until he rejoined the band in 2014. He reco ...

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 ...

and Carolina *

* Ronnie Reno * Brandon Rickman * Ritchie Brothers * The Roys * Buck Ryan

S – Z

* Shady Creek Outlaws * Cody Shuler & Pine Mountain Railroad *

Larry Sparks Larry Sparks (born September 25, 1947) is an American Bluegrass singer and guitarist. He was the winner of the 2004 and 2005 International Bluegrass Music Association Male Vocalist of the Year Award. 2005, won IBMA for Album of the Year and Re ...

Tim Stafford Blue Highway is an American contemporary bluegrass band formed in 1994 and based in Tennessee. The band's albums include ''Wondrous Love'' (2003), ''Marbletown'' (2005), and '' Original Traditional'' (2016). Background After helping found t ...

Scotty Stoneman Calvin Scott "Scotty" Stoneman (1932–1973) was an American bluegrass and country fiddler, five-time National Fiddle Champion and a member of the Bluegrass Champs, the Kentucky Colonels and the Stoneman Family band. He was one of 23 childre ...

* Earl Taylor * Dick Unteed *

Jim Van Cleve James David Van Cleve is an American fiddle player, songwriter, session musician, and producer. He is a founding member of the popular band Mountain Heart, and a Grammy winning session musician and Grammy nominated solo artist. Early life J ...

* James Wall * Rickey Wasson * The Wear Family *

Clarence White Clarence White (born Clarence Joseph LeBlanc; June 7, 1944 – July 15, 1973) was an American bluegrass and country guitarist and singer. He is best known as a member of the bluegrass ensemble the Kentucky Colonels and the rock band the Byrds, ...

* Oscar Whittington *

* Stuart Wyrick

References

External links

* * * {{Authority control American record labels American independent record labels