Ralph Stanley

Ralph and brother Carter not only formed the Stanley Brothers, they were the Clinch Mountain Boys as well. The younger Ralph has been on the radio since the 1940s and continues to pick with the best of 'em to this day. Although he's hailed as a pioneer for his claw-hammer style of banjo flatpicking, his mother's the one who taught him how to play the instrument. Many people credit Bill Monroe as the man who brought bluegrass music to a wider audience, but Ralph Stanley is just as -- or perhaps even more -- responsible for getting mountain string music out there.