Back in the fall Doug Preston sent me the link to a Morris Brothers video. You might remember Paul mentioned them in a recent Sunday Pickin & Grinnin in the Kitchen post.
Paul and I immediately loved the video Doug shared.
The music is great, but what I really like is the banter between the brothers and the person filming the video. The Morris brothers remind me so much of Pap and his brother Ray.
The similarities are startling to me.
Their humor, speech, and gentle confidence are an exact match with one another. Maybe that’s because they were all raised in the mountains of North Carolina.
Like Pap and Ray, the Morris brothers could make a song sound good while imparting great emotion and meaning to listeners.
Another thing both sets of brothers had in common—they knew what hard work was.
Pap and Ray played gospel music for over 40 years in western North Carolina, north Georgia, and east Tennessee. There were times they traveled up north and farther south.
The State of North Carolina awarded them the North Carolina Heritage Award in 1998. You can read more about that here.
But during all the years of performing Pap and Ray also had full time jobs, families who needed them, as well as church and community obligations.
At the beginning of the Morris Brothers video you’ll hear Wiley explain why they’re wearing uniforms. If you listen close you can hear someone ask why cars instead of music. Wiley goes on to say after you get older you need something to fall back on as far as making a living goes.
The conversation about work immediately reminded me of a story Pap told about him and Ray meeting Charlie Louvin.
Way back in the day Pap and Ray went to Hilltop Records, which was a subsidiary of Capitol records to make a demo. The record folks asked Charlie Louvin to come and give his opinion of Pap and Ray’s music. Charlie must have liked them because he invited them to come play on his show at the Grand Ole Opry. He also gave them some advice that was a long the lines of “Boys, you can’t cut pulp wood through the week and make music on the weekends and think you’re going to compete with the pros.”
Pap and Ray didn’t go to the opry with Charlie, but they did continue to make music that many people greatly enjoyed for most of their lives while simultaneously making a living for their families.
Hope you enjoyed the Morris Brothers’ beautiful rendition of “On Top of Ole Smokey.”
Last night’s video: Planting the First Seeds in the Garden & Making Sure to Hit Hoes.
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I enjoyed reading all of this and listening. The NC Heritage Award, what a wonderful honor for your dad and brother – the whole Wilson family! It is so wonderful that the Gospel message and their personal witness was most important to them and it certainly has come through in the all of the music I have been able to hear from them. A blessed legacy to have in your family, their faith and the music – “first for the Lord”. I appreciate it too very much.
I enjoyed both the Morris Brothers conversation and music, as well as the Wilson Brothers music from the link you provided. It’s been a long time since I’ve heard anyone sing On Top of Old Smokey and they did it beautifully. Pap and Ray brought back a lot of old memories singing some of the hymns I sang in the little church of my youth. I sang along with them on one I remembered well since it was one of my favorites. I feel like traveling on, yes, I feel like travel on to my heavenly home so bright and fair, I feel like traveling on. Thank you for sharing the link!
I musta hit the wrong button..don’t see my post. It went: I was fortunate enough to have heard the Wilson Bros live several times. And fortunate enough to have been in several jams with Henry Wilson, one of the most talented guitar players to ever inhabit this area. And have enjoyed hearing the Pressley Girls several times. A very talented family and do wonderful to see the tradition being carried on. Wilson Brothers must be smiling down from up above!!!!
That is a pretty version… like his mellow tone. It is one my earliest songs from school that I remember. Kids later changed it to the fun version, “On top of old Smokey all covered with cheese, I lost my poor meatball when somebody sneezed… It rolled off the table and on the floor and then my poor meatball rolled out of the door….” It went on and on. lol
Tipper, thanks for sharing the link to the North Carolina Heritage Award for Pap and his brother. I enjoyed reading and listening to the included music clips.
Much enjoyed listening to the playing, singing and conversation in your post as I worked in the kitchen this morning .
That invite to the Grand Old Opry was validation of talent indeed but one has to make the best choices in life for their selves and their family.
I had to a somewhat similar kind of choice decades ago, when after singing at a local country music venue one weekend was asked to tour and come audition for a famous country music singer’s local TV show. It wasn’t a Grand Old Opry invite but that just may have come later.
It wasn’t possible for me to do,my infant child came first to me.
Now,given what I have learned of the behind the scenes goings on in that world and seen country music infiltrated by something that is not authentic but instead is something else.
I was a new Christian back then so it was for the best… Jesus and His will first.
I still love music though I have not done much singing and playing myself for many years; those up to eighty hour consistent work weeks etc etc. put the music and art in me into some kind of dormant state.
Music was born into me,a living thing in me. as it is with so many others, both parents and Aunts,siblings,cousins were musical.
I thought the music and art in me died,completely murdered…gone but now know it to have only been rendered in a non-conscience state but now in a semi-non-conscience state as every once in a while after listening to music after all the years that have passed,I will have spurts of song come out of me like an old well loved familiar friend come for a short visit.
Per the scriptures…
Heaven is full song and someday I will be given a new transfigured perfect body by the Lord and a new song to sing as will all who are born again through the gospel of Jesus Christ, Lord of all.
In this life my voice/instrument had three octaves but in heaven, I suspect there will be more of those to sing those heavenly songs to the beloved Lord,the Prince of Peace with.
Again, thanks for the post. I am going to listen to some of the others too perhaps afterward I might want to pickup my guitar again, if I do, it’s gonna hurt as my fingers as have lost the callouses on the tips by now, lol.
For now though, got to get busy planting some seeds to get them started for this year. Spring is coming! Yey!
Really like the music and the conversation was sweet. That’s some good advice given in the video too, “always have something to fall back on.”I’m getting ready to celebrate number 77. My sister and I were talking about age. She was 70 on her birthday, in January. Goodness where has time gone? Have a great weekend, and blessings to you all.
I grew up with these fellows’ sons and grandsons. Went to school with some of them. They also “worked on cars.”
That’s one of my favorite songs from childhood, but I’ve never heard it sung so beautifully! Wish they had sung all the verses. Thank you, Tipper!
Just beautiful! I really enjoyed the conversation and the song. Thanks for sharing!
Another song I remember hearing as a child… thanks for the memories!! Great story of lives as well.
One of the best singing voices I’ve ever heard. And Earl Scruggs to boot.
Oh, how I loved the video and hearing the story of the Morris Brothers and Pap and Ray back in the day. It reminded me so much of my own musical family. My father and his brother, Comer and Vaughn Saxon, were excellent musicians but the music had to take a back seat to their day jobs. They played bluegrass for events all over North Georgia and also on a radio station in Gainesville, GA. They entered a contest on WNOX in Knoxville, TN once and came in second place. They could really make those rafters ring with the Orange Blossom Special. Uncle Vaughn played with the Charlie Monroe band for awhile, but quit because the musicians didn’t get paid enough. He came back home and went to work in the sawmill because he could make more doing that than traveling with the band. I can’t help but wonder if missing his family played a huge part in that decision, too. 🙂
Great video today of good working men who loved music!
Beautiful voice and picking. It doesn’t get any better.
So appreciate you sharing the many stories of Pap’s musical journey. It is not only interesting but also provides an insight and glimpse of everyday real life behind the music being made. Although he enjoyed carrying on a musical tradition, most importantly Pap was insuring each and every single day he was providing for who and what he loved the most, his family…… Another great read, Tipper.
Oh my goodness, Tipper, I sure did enjoy that video of the Morris Brothers!! I had never heard them before but what a treat that was to hear the banter between them all AND WOW what a beautiful voice that one that sang On Top of Ole Smokey!! For some reason, his voice made me think of Perry Como.
Glad you were able to get started on your garden:)
Well, I appreciate your dad and uncle all the more because they DIDN’T go to the Opry! God had them just where He wanted them!
Beautiful! Wiley had such a smooth voice!
After watching your video last night I am rarin’ to plant some lettuce and parsnips! Time to get the planting calendar out! YAY!
Oh my, isn’t that beautiful!
Such good music. I have a couple of your family’s cd’s and I love them. I am glad they were able to enjoy their passion, music, and also keep the home fires burning and maintaining a normal life to have something to “fall back on”. Love and prayers to Granny and Little Mamas and all of you too.
That is as good as you will every hear anywhere. I told this before, my father in law loved his music and had a band . He often talked of the Wilson brothers. He never tried to become professional, he said he couldn’t be a Christian and perform in the places being a professional would require. All of the members worked blue collar daytime jobs but would go at least a couple of nights a week after work to area nursing homes and have a devotion and sing for the ones at these homes and never ask for pay. They would also play for benefits as long as there would be no alcohol involved. I have heard my father in law talk about working 80 hours a week or more when he was a supervisor at a cotton/textile mill and still work a large garden. He said many times he only slept 2 or 3 hours a day. He said sometimes he would be so tired he couldn’t sleep and would go behind his house late at night and turn his beagles loose, sit on a stump and listen to them run a rabbit. Now a days some of the neighbors would try to have him arrested for running his dogs at night. I have met some people that worked for him and all said he didn’t sit in the office but would be out on the floor with them giving them a helping hand.
Having all sorts of phone trouble on I phone this morning from SOS to can’t see the video…. Have a blessed day just the same, y’all! Such wonderful and natural talent flows in your family, Miss Tipper!
Wow! Just knowing that your daddy was invited to play on a show at the Grand Ole Opry has to be the biggest thrill and the sweetest memory! I can’t even imagine how proud you felt when he told you that story. I really enjoyed watching the video with the Morris brothers.
Brenda, I am not trying to out do or out brag anyone else. My father in law was never asked to play on the Grand Old Opry. Mac Magaha ( Porter Wagoner’s fiddle player) asked him to play with him on one of his Nashville sidewalk shows. That was the crown jewel of my father in law’s music career. He and Mac were good friends when they were younger and growing up in the Ware Shoals-Honea Path SC area. He also played for in the earlier years with the gospel group The McKannies I think I misspelled their name.
That’s awesome Randy. I am sure you are so happy to have all these wonderful memories and very proud of your father-in-law’s great success too! You have every right to brag! .
Great video and I really loved the conversation. Reminded me so much of growing up in the foothills of NC. Thanks so much for sharing this one!
my friends grandma died yesterday, he called her Momma Jay,God bless my friend and his family with some kind of peace in Jesus name , her name was Joanne
I really enjoyed the video. Good old common sense and beautiful voices
I love them! That clip is from Dave Hoffman’s movie about Earl Scruggs. After that movie came out The Morris Brothers did their last album. It’s one of my favorites to listen to. This clip is also one of my favorites to watch! Dave also did a great piece about Bascom Lamar Lunsford following him around as he did with Earl.
That’s Earl Scruggs sittin there with the banjer ain’t it?
Sho is! I watched another video of the Morris brothers, it included today’s video and also Let Me Be Your Salty Dog. It was said Earl was playing the banjo and his son Randy ? was with him.
Awesome