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Ralph Stanley II

Ralph Stanley II

Recording Artist · Active 1996–present · Also a musician
Traditional Bluegrass

Ralph Stanley II is the son of Ralph Stanley and the longtime lead vocalist and guitarist of the Clinch Mountain Boys — carrying on his father's legacy as leader of the reformed post-2016 Clinch Mountain Boys trio and as a recording artist in his own right.

  • Born in Coeburn, Virginia, son of Ralph Stanley and Jimmi Stanley.
  • As a young child, his mother spotted him strumming a broom; his father taught him a banjo roll at age three. Switched to guitar at age five after borrowing his sister's six-string.
  • Initially interested in guitar more than banjo despite his father's influence. Studied videos of Keith Whitley's tenure in the 1970s Clinch Mountain Boys as his model.
  • Joined his father's Clinch Mountain Boys in 1995 as lead vocalist and guitarist — taking over the role previously held by Carter Stanley, Roy Lee Centers, Keith Whitley, Charlie Sizemore, and Junior Blankenship.
  • Appeared on Ralph Stanley's late recordings including Clinch Mountain Sweethearts (2001), the 2002 Grammy-winning Lost in the Lonesome Pines with Jim Lauderdale, and Side by Side (2014, Ralph's final album).
  • Released solo albums on Rebel: Clinch Mountain Echoes (1996, with John Rigsby), Listen to My Hammer Ring (1999), Pretty Girls, City Lights (2000), Stanley Blues (2002), Carrying On (2004), This One Is II (2008), and Born to Be a Drifter (2011).
  • Won the 2003 Grammy for Best Bluegrass Album for Lost in the Lonesome Pines as a featured performer.
  • Voice often noted as mellower, warmer, and deeper than his father's but equally dedicated to traditional bluegrass.
  • After his father's June 2016 death, continued leading the Clinch Mountain Boys. Reformed the band as a trio in recent years and continues to tour and record as of 2025.
  • Nephew Nathan Stanley (Ralph II's sister Tonya's son) also plays mandolin and performs with the Clinch Mountain Boys.

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