“Coal Mining Man” was written by Ronnie Bowman and the country artist Mark Collie. It was recorded by Band of Ruhks — a group reuniting the former Lonesome River Band members Bowman, Kenny Smith, and Don Rigsby — for their debut album, and the recording features the voice of Ralph Stanley.
The song is, in the band’s own words, a tribute to hard work with little reward. It honors the coal miner’s labor and endurance while making plain how thin the rewards of that labor have always been.
Coal-mining songs run deep in bluegrass, and this is a recent addition to that line.
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