Innovators of the bluegrass genre include Bill Monroe, Doc Watson, Tony Rice, Earl Scruggs, Lester Flatt, Ralph and Carter Stanley, and the lead singer of The Country Gentlemen, Charlie Waller. Born on January 19, 1935, in Joinerville, Texas, Waller passed away at the age of 69 in Gordonsville, Virginia. During his 69 years of life, Waller didn’t just found a bluegrass band, but he founded a bluegrass band that made the genre into a cultural landmark of the 20th century.
When thinking about the popularization of bluegrass music, one typically thinks of Monroe, Scruggs, Flatt, The Osborne Brothers, and The Stanley Brothers. To grasp the entire narrative of the genre’s movement, one also has to think of Waller’s band, The Country Gentlemen. Founded in Washington, D.C. in the 1950s, Waller and The Country Gentlemen infused genres such as Jazz, folk, and classical to create what we know now as “newgrass”.
In addition to their own music, Charlie Waller and The Country Gentlemen made a name for themselves by turning pop, rock, and country tracks into bluegrass standards. A few examples of that practice include their cover of “City Of New Orleans”, “Take Me Home, Country Roads”, “Mrs. Robinson”, and “Baby Blue”.
The Legacy Left Behind by Charlie Waller
As a musician and frontman, Charlie Waller showed the world that bluegrass could stay rooted in its origins, all while splintering off into more culturally relevant and timely sounds. Waller and The Country Gentlemen never subverted or undermined the tradition of bluegrass. However, they painted over it in a translucent color that added a little more richness to the painting. In return, the received nearly 70 awards from the music community.
Thanks to his contributions to the genre, Waller received inductions into the Bluegrass Music Hall of Honor in 1996 and the Southern Gospel Museum and Hall of Fame in 2009. While not a member of the Country Music Hall of Fame, Waller’s legacy and music have obtained a cult following. Since his passing in 2009, musicians who have covered his songs include Del McCoury, Alison Krauss, and Yonder Mountain String Band.
In addition to Waller and the band’s other founding members, some other notable bluegrass musicians who played with the band include Ricky Skaggs and Jerry Douglas. Until Waller’s passing in 2004, The Country Gentlemen extensively toured across the country with ever-changing lineups, spreading the good word of bluegrass. Waller will always be remembered as both a bluegrass and Texas music legend.
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