Cracker Barrel Old Country Store and three-time GRAMMY Award winner and International Bluegrass Hall of Honor inductee Dr. Ralph Stanley announce the upcoming CD release of Ralph Stanley & Friends: Man of Constant Sorrow, which will be available on Jan. 19, 2015, exclusively at all 634 Cracker Barrel Old Country Store locations and online at crackerbarrel.com.
The digital album will also be available for purchase at select digital retailers.
Ralph Stanley & Friends: Man of Constant Sorrow features Stanley performing duets with guest artists including Dierks Bentley, Elvis Costello, Del McCoury, Buddy Miller & Jim Lauderdale, Old Crow Medicine Show, Robert Plant, Ricky Skaggs, Nathan Stanley, Josh Turner, Gillian Welch & David Rawlings, and Lee Ann Womack. Stanley also performs two solo songs, including his signature tune "Man of Constant Sorrow." Produced by Miller and Lauderdale, Ralph Stanley & Friends: Man of Constant Sorrow will sell for $11.99.
"I have always enjoyed performing with other musicians ever since my older brother Carter and I first started playing music together when we were kids," said Stanley. "I am excited to share these collaborations with such wonderful artists with our fans. So many of my fans are regular visitors to Cracker Barrel, so I'm happy to have my project available exclusively there so they can find the CD in one of their favorite locations."
"Cracker Barrel is honored to offer this album featuring the legendary Ralph Stanley and a variety of talented artists through our exclusive music program," said Cracker Barrel Marketing Manager Julie Craig. "Many of our guests are huge bluegrass fans and we know they will enjoy this once-in-a-lifetime album."
The 13 songs on Ralph Stanley & Friends: Man of Constant Sorrow are:
1) "We Shall Rise" with Josh Turner
2) "I Only Exist" with Dierks Bentley
3) "Sweethearts in Heaven" with Ricky Skaggs
4) "Rank Stranger" with Nathan Stanley
5) "I Am the Man, Thomas" with Buddy Miller & Jim Lauderdale
6) "White Dove" with Lee Ann Womack
7) "Red Wicked Wine" with Elvis Costello
8) "Pig in a Pen" with Gillian Welch & David Rawlings
9) "Two Coats" with Robert Plant
10) "Brand New Tennessee Waltz" with Del McCoury
11) "Short Life of Trouble" with Old Crow Medicine Show
12) "Hills of Home" - Ralph Stanley solo
13) "Man of Constant Sorrow" - Ralph Stanley solo
Stanley was born in 1927 in Big Spraddle, Va. He learned to play banjo from his mother when he was a teenager.
After graduating high school and serving in the U.S. Army, he joined older brother Carter in creating the Clinch Mountain Boys and began performing on local radio stations and at regional venues. After Columbia Records signed them, they become known as The Stanley Brothers and went on to record such classics as "Angel Band," "Little Maggie" and their signature tune, "Man of Constant Sorrow." During this time, he developed a unique style of playing the banjo that became known as "Stanley style."
After Carter died in 1966, Stanley continued to perform and record as a solo artist. Though the years, he helped mentor several future bluegrass and country music artists who performed in his band before embarking on solo careers, including Ricky Skaggs, Larry Sparks and Keith Whitley.
In 1976, Stanley received an honorary doctorate from Lincoln Memorial University in Harrogate, Tenn., and he has been known as "Dr. Ralph Stanley" ever since.
He was presented with the National Heritage Award by President Ronald Reagan in 1984, elected into the International Bluegrass Hall of Honor in 1992 and inducted into the Grand Ole Opry in 2000. His performance of "O Death," featured in the movie "O Brother, Where Art Thou?," earned him his first GRAMMY Award in 2001 for Best Male Country Vocal Performance. The soundtrack album for that movie also earned Stanley both a GRAMMY Award and a CMA Award for Album of the Year.
His album Lost in the Lonesome Pines earned Stanley his third GRAMMY Award in 2002, this time for Best Bluegrass Album. His performance of "Me and God" with Josh Turner received an ACM nomination for Vocal Event of the Year in 2006. That same year, he received two major honors: the Living Legend Award from the Library of Congress and the National Medal of Arts from President George W. Bush.
He released his autobiography, Man of Constant Sorrow in 2009.
Stanley received a second honorary Doctorate of Music degree from Yale University on May 19, 2014, and was elected as a fellow in the American Academy of Arts and Sciences on Oct. 11, 2014.
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