Born on 29 May 1916 in Lenoir, Caldwell County, North Carolina, USA, and passing away on 30 March 1995, Story took up the fiddle in the footsteps of his musically inclined father and already led his own ensemble by age nineteen. He joined Bill Monroe on fiddle from 1942 to 1943 before military service interrupted his work. Upon returning from the war he switched to guitar, reassembled the Rambling Mountaineers, and gained steady airplay across multiple radio outlets. His Mercury sides blended mainstream country with bluegrass, supported by sidemen such as fiddler Tater Tate, banjoist Bobby Thompson, and the Brewster brothers—Bud on mandolin and Willie on banjo. Although his natural bass-baritone sat awkwardly within bluegrass conventions, he cultivated a counter-tenor delivery that meshed perfectly with the style. Among his songwriting credits are the co-authored “I Overlooked An Orchid,” later a country success for Mickey Gilley, along with the gospel numbers “Light At The River,” “My Lord Keeps A Record,” and “Are You Afraid To Die?” Numerous early sides have since appeared on the German Cattle label.
