Joseph Emmett Mainer was born July 20th,1898 in a one room log house in Buncombe County, North Carolina. Mainer played banjo at the age of nine but later became an accomplished fiddle player. He worked in textile mills from the age of 12 but began playing locally with other musicians in the 20s. He eventually formed Mainer's Mountaineers which comprised his banjo-playing brother Wade Mainer and guitarists Daddy John Love and Claude ‘Zeke' Morris. In 1932, Mainer played regularly on radio in Gastonia but in 1934, sponsored by Crazy Water Crystals, and performing as the Crazy Mountaineers, they became regulars on WBT Charlotte. They later moved to WPTF Raleigh but also played in New Orleans and on the Mexican border stations. Over the years there were various changes of personnel including Steve Ledford, Snuffy Jenkins and Morris' brothers Wiley and George. They first recorded as J.E. Mainer's Mountaineers for Bluebird Records in 1935 and are still remembered for their recordings of ‘Johnsons' Old Grey Mule', ‘Take Me In The Lifeboat' and ‘Maple On The Hill'. By the end of the 40s, Mainer's RCA Records recordings exceeded 200 but he later recorded for King Records and during the 60s, made recordings for the folk music archives of the Library of Congress and a whole series of albums for Rural Rhythm. Mainer's Mountaineers were one of the most important of all the early-day string bands and greatly influenced later bands and musicians. Mainer remained active and regularly appeared at bluegrass and folk festivals until his death from a heart attack on June 12th,1971.
Joseph Emmett Mainer was born July 20th,1898 in a one room log house in Buncombe County, North Carolina. Mainer played banjo at the age of nine but later became an accomplished fiddle player. He worked in textile mills from the age of 12 but began playing locally with other musicians in the 20s. He eventually formed Mainer's Mountaineers which comprised his banjo-playing brother Wade Mainer and guitarists Daddy John Love and Claude ‘Zeke' Morris. In 1932, Mainer played regularly on radio in Gastonia but in 1934, sponsored by Crazy Water Crystals, and performing as the Crazy Mountaineers, they became regulars on WBT Charlotte. They later moved to WPTF Raleigh but also played in New Orleans and on the Mexican border stations. Over the years there were various changes of personnel including Steve Ledford, Snuffy Jenkins and Morris' brothers Wiley and George. They first recorded as J.E. Mainer's Mountaineers for Bluebird Records in 1935 and are still remembered for their recordings of ‘Johnsons' Old Grey Mule', ‘Take Me In The Lifeboat' and ‘Maple On The Hill'. By the end of the 40s, Mainer's RCA Records recordings exceeded 200 but he later recorded for King Records and during the 60s, made recordings for the folk music archives of the Library of Congress and a whole series of albums for Rural Rhythm. Mainer's Mountaineers were one of the most important of all the early-day string bands and greatly influenced later bands and musicians. Mainer remained active and regularly appeared at bluegrass and folk festivals until his death from a heart attack on June 12th,1971.
Family Members
Sponsored by Ancestry
Advertisement
Explore more
Sponsored by Ancestry
Advertisement
