Johnny Vincent Archives - Bluegrass Today

Darrin Vincent – Things come in season

Darrin Vincent, and his father Johnny

According to Darrin Vincent, the bass playing half of Dailey & Vincent, his daddy, Johnny, always told him, “Things come in season.”

The era of the 1960s was a season of beginnings for Johnny. He was married in May 1961 to Carolyn Thompson. By the next year, the young newlyweds had become parents to Rhonda, now one of the top performers in the bluegrass industry. At the end of the ’60s, on December 27, 1969, Darrin Vincent was born, and the rest is history.

During the 1970’s, the Vincent family band, The Sally Mountain Show, took advantage of vast opportunities at festivals throughout the midwest coming from their appearances on radio and TV in Missouri. Festivals are very similar to a family reunion, or attending a musicians convention, filled with not only some of the greatest musicians, but some of the best fans. It is just good wholesome family entertainment, and the Vincents performed it well.

In 1974, the family of music was residing in Texas, performing at an amusement park and a local country music show. By the bicentennial year of ’76, The Sally Mountain Show had performed in Oklahoma, Missouri, Georgia, Florida and Arkansas. In 1977-78, they were working as entertainers in Branson, MO during the summer months.

Then came the ’80s. Not only was big hair in vogue, so were their nominations for awards. Rhonda was the recipient of the Best Female Vocalist/ Traditional in 1980 and 1981 at the SPBGMA National Convention.

From the hills of Sally Mountain, to the stage of the Grand Ole Opry, Darrin has been places that he never fathomed. In 1989, Charlie Louvin, a member of the Grand Ole Opry since 1955, actually gave up the stage to allow Vincent and his family to play.

In the late ’90s, you could find Darrin singing harmony and playing guitar with Ricky Skaggs and Kentucky Thunder. Darrin has won 5 Grammy awards, 8 IBMA awards, and performed on Grammy-winning albums with Dolly Parton (The Grass is Blue) and Jimmy Sturr (Top of The World). This just skims the surface of the artists with whom Vincent has shared the stage and his talents. Emmylou Harris, Earl Scruggs, Bruce Hornsby, Vince Gill, John Hartford, and more are on his resume. But Darrin has never won the IBMA Bass player of the year. Jokingly we discussed that he may have the Susan Lucci disease of being nominated but never winning. With his trademark giant laugh, he reminds us all that it is a blessing just to be nominated.

In 2017, early spring (March 11), Dailey & Vincent were inducted as members of the Grand Ole Opry, something he had dreamed of all his life. Darrin remembers how this all unfolded.

“We had decided to do our 10th anniversary of performing on the Opry on our 100th show in 2016. We wanted to finish the year at the Grand Ole Opry. Jamie and I were told there would be cake, we just figured it was for our anniversary. We only had a 30 minute slot, but we thought since it was our anniversary we would share the stage. They had told us to invite a few friends, and we did. John Carter Cash and his wife sang Daddy Sang Bass [with Vincent’s Mom joining in], and we also invited Marty Stuart. Marty walked onto the stage, stopped the show, and invited us to members of the Grand Ole Opry. I started crying turned around to my bass, and said, ‘Thank you God.’ ”

Just as Johnny Vincent, chiseled the memory that “things come in season,” the seasons never change for Darrin Vincent. He is always walking in sunshine, following paths of childhood memories that sparked a fire within for a life filled with music.

Johnny Vincent remembered

Johnny Lee Vincent was born into the musical Vincent family on October 18, 1940, at Button Ridge, Missouri, the fourth and youngest child of Bill and Erma Vincent.

As a young boy, he loved to play baseball and other outdoor activities such as hunting, shooting, fishing; playing checkers and pitch; and talking to his CB friends.

Vincent began singing at an early age and soon picked up the guitar. Eventually he mastered many stringed instruments, although ultimately he became noted for his individualistic banjo playing.

All the family were musically inclined; his grandfather, his father and his uncles, Dave and George. He grew up performing with them all, sometimes on the family’s radio show.

By the age of 11 he was playing bass with a country band. During the 1950s he played banjo with his dad and uncle in a band called the Lazy River Boys.

The Vincent family made their first recording when Johnny Vincent was just a young teenager; he sang Your Cheatin’ Heart.

He attended school in Jim Town, Missouri. At the age of 16 Vincent began working at the shoe factory in Kirksville, Missouri.

On May 29, 1961, he married Carolyn Thompson and they settled in Greentop, Missouri.

Their first child, a daughter, Rhonda Lea, was born on July 13, 1962. Two sons following in the ensuing years, Darrin Lee, on December 27, 1969, and Brian Alan, on January 25, 1974. The two older siblings are among the top bluegrass performers of the century, Rhonda leading her band, The Rage, and Darrin co-starring with Jamie Dailey in one of the finest duets of the last decade. Brian, an accountant, sings and plays guitar and mandolin. All three made their bluegrass debuts in the family band, The Sally Mountain Show.

In October 1964 Johnny Vincent was seriously injured in a car accident near Worthington, Missouri, which, due to a broken neck, left him paralysed and confined to a wheelchair. He regained partial mobility, walking with a cane until in recent years when he relied upon a scooter to get around.

Music became even more of a focus after his accident. There was a music party almost every night at the home, which drew a multitude of musicians who loved joining in the nightly jam session. In 1967 the family secured a local TV Show on KTVO Television, in Ottumwa, Iowa, and a weekly radio show on KIRX Radio 1450AM.

The Sally Mountain Show played many local venues. Originally the band consisted of Johnny, Carolyn, and then five year old Rhonda; father Bill; brother Pearl and his wife Kathryn, and their sons Ricky and Joe, along with friends Boyd Halford, Phil Baker, Jack Herrin, Paul VanMeter, and Al White.

When Johnny Vincent’s father passed away in April 1972, that changed the shape of The Sally Mountain Show. From then on the band just featured Johnny’s immediate family, Carolyn and Rhonda. They performed as The Sally Mountain Trio until Darrin was old enough to join the entourage. The band became well known for its signature harmony vocals, enhanced further by Brian’s voice, which is reminiscent of Bobby Osborne’s.

After performing at several bluegrass festivals, Johnny Vincent discovered that the close-knit family could make a living playing music. The band grew in popularity and gained national attention in 1981, the year that they were signed by Lance LeRoy of the Lancer Agency.

Vincent and his family toured the world, performing their special brand of bluegrass music. He was known for his unique banjo style along with his smooth vocals.

In 1986, he bought 63 acres in Queen City, Missouri, and made one of his greatest dreams come true by hosting his very own bluegrass festival at Sally Mountain Park. The festival has continued for 28 years and lovers of the music travel from around the world to experience the down home hospitality of the family festival.

Having generally been inactive for some years (their appearances at the Sally Mountain Park Bluegrass Festival being the exceptions), in 2003 they reunited to record A Family Tradition album. Rhonda and Darrin performed on the album as did Jamie Dailey and Stuart Duncan.

The Sally Mountain Show had four album releases – I Came on Business for the King (S 1005), Lavender Lullaby (S 2043), Sheltered in the Arms of God (S 1111) and Holdin’ Things Together (S 2222) – all released on the Stardust label.

In 1991 Rebel Records released an album, Bound for Gloryland (CD 1692), which had Rhonda Vincent sharing the credits with the Sally Mountain Show.

Here, the Sally Mountain Show are seen performing on the TNN program Fire On the Mountain in the mid-1980s.

Johnny Vincent died October 5 following an illness. He is lovingly remembered by his large family and many friends.

Johnny Vincent passes

Johnny Vincent, a life-long bluegrass performer, and father of Darin and Rhonda Vincent, died this morning after a long illness.

He was the banjo player for the Vincent family’s bluegrass band, The Sally Mountain Show, when Rhonda and Darin were young. He also appeared as a guest vocalist on a number of Rhonda’s solo albums.

Rhonda posted the following on her Facebook page earlier today:

“Daddy passed away at 8:00 a.m. this morning. I’ve never known a deeper hurt. My heart aches with sadness. We take comfort in knowing he was so very loved, will suffer no more, and has reached his heavenly home. Rest in Sweet Peace Daddy!

Services for Johnny Vincent will be held at Sally Mountain Park in Queen City, Missouri – 10:00 a.m. on Wednesday, October 8, 2014.”

We share our condolences with the Vincent family.