Forbes Family 2 Volume remembrance

A Forbes Family Treasury, Volume 1Rebel Records has announced a November release of their two-volume anthology of music from The Forbes Family, a bluegrass Gospel band popular during the mid-1980s.

From 1984-86, the sibling group recorded three albums for Rebel, only to largely disband as their own individual families began to take up more of their time. There were two more Forbes Family records in the mid-’90s, but the band was never to perform full-time again.

Just teens and twenties during their heyday, the family consisted of oldest brother Homer Forbes on banjo, with younger sibs Lori on bass, Jay on mandolin and reso-guitar, and Lisa on lead vocals. They were supplemented by Tracy Keenan on guitar. But what really stood out was the family harmony, trio and quartet arrangements of both new and classic bluegrass Gospel.

A Forbes Family Treasury, Volume 2Rebel will offer A Forbes Family Treasury, Volumes 1 and 2, a total of 36 tracks taken from those 1980s sessions, including six previously unreleased songs. CDs and digital download purchases will be available on November 6.

Some of the songs on the two separate albums include The Prettiest Flowers Will Be Blooming, Gloryland, Gleams of That Golden Morning, Come Unto Me, The Other Side of Life, and Sacred Memories.

Liner notes are provided by Ron Block, who has been a fan of The Forbes Family from their early days in Pennsylvania through their time in North Carolina and their eventual dissolution.

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About the Author

John Lawless

John had served as primary author and editor for The Bluegrass Blog from its launch in 2006 until being folded into Bluegrass Today in September of 2011. He continues in that capacity here, managing a strong team of columnists and correspondents.