Biography
Larry Hensley, a singer and multi-instrumentalist frequently ignored even among specialists in Appalachian traditions, emerged among several notable talents from Corbin, Kentucky. In 1934 he entered Walker's Corbin Ramblers, an accomplished old-time string band led by Corbin mayor John Walker that also included the mayor's brother Adam Walker and mandolinist Mack Taylor. Before that affiliation Hensley had already worked as a solo act and with other groups, among them the Yellow Jackets, a Kentucky hillbilly ensemble that performed daily on a Bristol, Virginia radio broadcast throughout the 1930s.
Walker's Corbin Ramblers achieved notable recognition. Their recordings, like many from the 1920s and 1930s, exemplify intense emotional depth, yet stand out even within that distinguished body of work. Corbin itself proved fertile ground for classic old-time sessions. In 1927 local barber Frank Shelton waxed two sides, "Pretty Polly" and "Darlin' Cory," a foundational event in the idiom's documented history. Hayes Shepard, the Letcher County "two finger" banjo player and vocalist known as the Appalachian Vagabond, likewise participated in the regional scene, as did "Blind" Jim Howard, the celebrated fiddler and singer from nearby Cawood.
Hensley, who handled both mandolin and guitar by age twelve, approached the idiom with uncommon gravity. Although he committed fully to the upbeat ragtime pieces favored by bandleader Walker, his personal preference ran toward old-time hymns, and he found particular satisfaction performing at funerals where entire programs could consist of slow, mournful material. In his youth he played privately for family and neighbors, later expanding to paid appearances at night clubs, schools, and cabarets. He supplemented his income through coal-mine labor solely to acquire fresh instruments or strings. The mayor's civic standing helped the Ramblers secure wider local acceptance and bookings.
Independently, Hensley cut a version of "Matchbox Blues" that in certain circles secured composer credit and exerted lasting influence; Carl Perkins later refreshed its country-blues sensibility, which the Beatles in turn covered. Much of what is known about Hensley surfaced through collector Ed Ward while Ward prepared the traveling exhibition "The Awfulest Gang of Records You've Ever Seen: Ed Ward and the Golden Era in Country Music," mounted by Southeast Community College's spring 2000 American Music program. Ward counted Hensley among his most cherished regional artists and counted him a close personal friend. In later years Hensley received frequent invitations to perform in church yet always declined, stating "I'm not worthy." He died in summer 1973 after being struck by a car. Among the Ramblers' best-known sides are "Ruffles and Bustles," "Ned Wend a Fishin'," and the striking "E Rag," actually performed in the key of B.
Walker's Corbin Ramblers achieved notable recognition. Their recordings, like many from the 1920s and 1930s, exemplify intense emotional depth, yet stand out even within that distinguished body of work. Corbin itself proved fertile ground for classic old-time sessions. In 1927 local barber Frank Shelton waxed two sides, "Pretty Polly" and "Darlin' Cory," a foundational event in the idiom's documented history. Hayes Shepard, the Letcher County "two finger" banjo player and vocalist known as the Appalachian Vagabond, likewise participated in the regional scene, as did "Blind" Jim Howard, the celebrated fiddler and singer from nearby Cawood.
Hensley, who handled both mandolin and guitar by age twelve, approached the idiom with uncommon gravity. Although he committed fully to the upbeat ragtime pieces favored by bandleader Walker, his personal preference ran toward old-time hymns, and he found particular satisfaction performing at funerals where entire programs could consist of slow, mournful material. In his youth he played privately for family and neighbors, later expanding to paid appearances at night clubs, schools, and cabarets. He supplemented his income through coal-mine labor solely to acquire fresh instruments or strings. The mayor's civic standing helped the Ramblers secure wider local acceptance and bookings.
Independently, Hensley cut a version of "Matchbox Blues" that in certain circles secured composer credit and exerted lasting influence; Carl Perkins later refreshed its country-blues sensibility, which the Beatles in turn covered. Much of what is known about Hensley surfaced through collector Ed Ward while Ward prepared the traveling exhibition "The Awfulest Gang of Records You've Ever Seen: Ed Ward and the Golden Era in Country Music," mounted by Southeast Community College's spring 2000 American Music program. Ward counted Hensley among his most cherished regional artists and counted him a close personal friend. In later years Hensley received frequent invitations to perform in church yet always declined, stating "I'm not worthy." He died in summer 1973 after being struck by a car. Among the Ramblers' best-known sides are "Ruffles and Bustles," "Ned Wend a Fishin'," and the striking "E Rag," actually performed in the key of B.