Everett Lilly
Musician · 1924–2012 · Clear Creek, West Virginia
Best known for
Mandolin
Everett Lilly was a West Virginia-born mandolinist and tenor singer whose Lilly Brothers (with brother Bea) and a long Boston Hillbilly Ranch residency with banjoist Don Stover introduced bluegrass to New England audiences — a Foggy Mountain Boys alum who shaped Peter Rowan, Joe Val, and Bill Keith.
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- Formed the Lilly Brothers with older brother Bea (Michael Burt Lilly, 1921–2005); made radio debut on Old Farm Hour at WCHS Charleston, WV in 1938.
- Played mandolin and sang tenor with Lester Flatt, Earl Scruggs & the Foggy Mountain Boys, with one tenure (1950–1952); recorded 14 sides on Columbia.
- Only sideman in the Foggy Mountain Boys to receive separate credit on a record label.
- With Bea and banjoist Don Stover, brought bluegrass to New England via a long residency at Boston's Hillbilly Ranch (seven nights a week for years).
- Major influence on the Northeastern bluegrass scene, shaping Peter Rowan, Joe Val, Bill Keith, and others.
- Helped popularize bluegrass in Japan through concert tours.
- Inducted into the Massachusetts Country Music Hall of Fame (1986), the IBMA Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame (2002), and the West Virginia Music Hall of Fame (2008).
- Born July 1, 1924; died May 8, 2012. Continued performing in his later years with his sons as Everett Lilly and the Lilly Mountaineers.
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The Lilly Brothers and Don StoverPlayed on recordings with The Lilly Brothers and Don Stover
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Flatt & ScruggsPlayed on recordings with Flatt & Scruggs
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The Charles River Valley BoysPlayed on recording with The Charles River Valley Boys
