In 1969 the four musicians who would become The RFD Boys assembled at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, with Charlie Roehrig supplying lead vocals and guitar, Paul Shapiro playing bass and adding vocals, Dick Dieterle handling fiddle and vocals, and Willard Spencer covering banjo, dobro, and vocals. The letters “RFD” stand for “Rural Free Delivery,” the former postal route that once brought mail to farmers. Concentrated bookings of three or four nights each week at the since-vanished Pretzel Bell allowed the group to write, compose, and record three albums while also appearing at numerous national bluegrass festivals and appearing on the cover of Bluegrass Unlimited magazine. During those years Shapiro and Dieterle completed medical school, Roehrig earned a Ph.D. in economics, and Spencer operated high-tech production sessions at his Solid Sound recording studio. By 1983 the band had moved its regular base to Ann Arbor’s folk club, the Ark, and limited appearances to two nights per month. Over the ensuing decades The RFD Boys have shared bills with Bill Monroe, Ralph Stanley, Jimmy Martin, the Country Gentlemen, Allison Krauss, and the Newgrass Revival, among others, and have opened shows for Randy Travis and Ricky Nelson.
