Biography
Bluegrass fiddler Raymond Dorsey "Curly" Parker once admitted a stronger preference for guitar, yet circumstances forced him onto the fiddle because capable players remained scarce throughout his region. During an interview taped for volume five of Rounder's Early Days of Bluegrass series he explained that, although the guitar came more naturally, the absence of younger fiddlers after Ed Haley and his contemporaries began to age left a gap someone had to fill if money was to be earned. Over time the instrument itself won his affection, a shift visible in an early publicity shot of the Pine Ridge Boys: although the caption still credits Parker as guitarist, the photograph shows him cradling a fiddle. Spelling of his nickname fluctuated, with the inserted "e" appearing in roughly half the printed references, while his parents had simply called him Ray and his wife continued to use that name.
Players of the period routinely mastered several stringed instruments, a practice encouraged by the rapid stylistic changes sweeping through Southern Appalachian music. Parker might handle fiddle on an old-time piece, then move to guitar for bluegrass numbers whose flatpicking patterns still eluded the band's regular guitarist. He likened the transition to moving from a Model T to a steam engine. His own grounding lay in eastern Kentucky, where local fiddler Ed Haley exerted considerable influence and radio programs such as The Grand Ole Opry supplied additional material. Joblessness during the Depression afforded him long hours to learn tunes from broadcasts, and the same lack of work left energy for demanding engagements. Square dances sometimes lasted sixteen continuous hours, leaving musicians' fingers bloodied; the total fee for two eight-hour shifts amounted to forty dollars. Parker later remarked that possessing such a sum in those days made a man wealthy. He claimed to have mastered the fiddle tune "Sally Goodin" on only the fourth attempt, evidence that musical aptitude supplemented any monetary reward.
An intuitive grasp of harmony guided Parker through the intricate progressions of bluegrass, a talent comparable to that of saxophonist Charlie "Yardbird" Parker in navigating swing toward bebop. Regular sessions with Haley occurred outside the Ashland courthouse. Professional work began with the Kentucky Miners and continued as a sideman with the Blue Sky Boys, whose 1946–1949 duo recordings frequently incorporated fiddle. In the early 1950s Parker and the ever-smiling mandolinist Pee Wee Lambert formed the Pine Ridge Boys, a partnership that endured roughly ten years and at one point featured sixteen-year-old banjoist J.D. Crowe alongside fiddler Art Wooten. Activity stayed largely regional and ceased after Lambert's death. Parker then abandoned performing for surveying, a steadier livelihood that reportedly led him to decline an offer from Bill Monroe. Morning radio broadcasts at six o'clock still allowed him to play before heading to job sites. The Pine Ridge Boys had recorded for the Rich-R-Tone label, a one-man operation that moved its bluegrass stock from the trunk of a car. Parker's final recollection was simply that the group "never did get paid."
Players of the period routinely mastered several stringed instruments, a practice encouraged by the rapid stylistic changes sweeping through Southern Appalachian music. Parker might handle fiddle on an old-time piece, then move to guitar for bluegrass numbers whose flatpicking patterns still eluded the band's regular guitarist. He likened the transition to moving from a Model T to a steam engine. His own grounding lay in eastern Kentucky, where local fiddler Ed Haley exerted considerable influence and radio programs such as The Grand Ole Opry supplied additional material. Joblessness during the Depression afforded him long hours to learn tunes from broadcasts, and the same lack of work left energy for demanding engagements. Square dances sometimes lasted sixteen continuous hours, leaving musicians' fingers bloodied; the total fee for two eight-hour shifts amounted to forty dollars. Parker later remarked that possessing such a sum in those days made a man wealthy. He claimed to have mastered the fiddle tune "Sally Goodin" on only the fourth attempt, evidence that musical aptitude supplemented any monetary reward.
An intuitive grasp of harmony guided Parker through the intricate progressions of bluegrass, a talent comparable to that of saxophonist Charlie "Yardbird" Parker in navigating swing toward bebop. Regular sessions with Haley occurred outside the Ashland courthouse. Professional work began with the Kentucky Miners and continued as a sideman with the Blue Sky Boys, whose 1946–1949 duo recordings frequently incorporated fiddle. In the early 1950s Parker and the ever-smiling mandolinist Pee Wee Lambert formed the Pine Ridge Boys, a partnership that endured roughly ten years and at one point featured sixteen-year-old banjoist J.D. Crowe alongside fiddler Art Wooten. Activity stayed largely regional and ceased after Lambert's death. Parker then abandoned performing for surveying, a steadier livelihood that reportedly led him to decline an offer from Bill Monroe. Morning radio broadcasts at six o'clock still allowed him to play before heading to job sites. The Pine Ridge Boys had recorded for the Rich-R-Tone label, a one-man operation that moved its bluegrass stock from the trunk of a car. Parker's final recollection was simply that the group "never did get paid."