Dierks Bentley to Lead All-Star Tribute to Bluegrass Great Ralph Stanley
When bluegrass pioneer Ralph Stanley died at the age of 89 in 2016, he left behind a catalog of music that influenced everyone from his peers to contemporary country artists like Dierks Bentley.
On October 19th, Bentley will headline “Dr. Ralph Stanley Forever: A Tribute Concert,” an all-star salute to the late icon at Nashville’s Grand Ole Opry House, celebrating the music of the man known as Dr. Stanley. Heidi Newfield, Daryl Worley and Stanley’s grandson Nathan Stanley are also on the bill.
“My Papaw was a special man and this is going to be a special night,” Nathan Stanley said in a statement. “I’ve asked a lot of my friends to come and honor his legacy. I am committed to keeping his legacy and music alive – forever.”
As a member of the Stanley Brothers, opposite brother Carter, and as a solo artist, Stanley was famous for creating his own banjo-playing style and for his distinctive, high-lonesome vocals. In 2002, he won a Grammy award for his performance of “O’ Death” on the popular soundtrack to the Coen Brothers film O Brother Where Art Thou? Stanley was also a member of the Grand Ole Opry and the International Bluegrass Hall of Honor.
The assembled artists all have ties to the bluegrass genre. Upon arriving in Nashville, Bentley cut his teeth at the Station Inn, a haven for acoustic pickers in Music City. In 2010, he took a bold left turn by releasing the bluegrass-inspired album Up on the Ridge.
Tickets for “Dr. Ralph Stanley Forever” are available now.