From the very beginning playing bluegrass music has been a very precarious job, even for the very, very talented.
Bill Monroe worked at Sinclair Oil in the 1930s; Kenny Baker often went back to the coal mines even though he was a mainstay in Bill Monroe’s Blue Grass Boys; George Shuffler was more often otherwise employed than he was the bass player for the Stanley Brothers during the 1950s; and the Stanley brothers themselves worked at a Ford Motor Company factory for several months in 1953.
For many current grassers, the situation remains the same. Other than a few of the very top acts, there’s a good chance your favorite bluegrass artists have a “day job” to help ends meets, sometimes chosen with their second career in mind.
Here’s a quiz using five musicians from the early days of bluegrass through to the present. Do you know what they do/did during the week?
So, what is/was the day job for the following bluegrass musicians?
- Joe Val
- Art Stamper
- Shannon Slaughter
- Hamish Davidson
- John Duffey
The first person to provide the correct answer in all five cases will win a free Bluegrass Today t-shirt and cap.
Simply provide your answers in the comments below. You’ll need to be registered and logged in, but registration is free and fast.
Test your bluegrass knowledge!
