“They’re Holding Up the Ladder” was written by the three Easter Brothers of Mount Airy, North Carolina — Russell, James and Edd Easter. The Bluegrass Discography credits it to all three. Russell Easter’s obituary dates the group to 1951; James Easter’s traces it to the Green Valley Quartet, which Russell began in 1947. The brothers had a radio program on WBTM in Danville, Virginia, later hosted a show on WPAQ in Mount Airy, and made more than 150 recordings for labels including King, Rebel and County and their own Commandment label. Russell’s obituary lists this song among their best-known compositions, alongside “Thank You Lord for Your Blessings on Me,” “The Darkest Hour” and “A Heart That Will Never Break Again.”
The lyric pictures the Christian life as a climb up a ladder to heaven, with the angels holding the ladder steady. The singer says his Savior is with him and teaching him to climb, that each step is another victory, and that a mansion is being built for him in Gloryland. In the last verse he turns to the listener: get on the gospel ladder, keep climbing, and there will be a celebration when you reach the other shore.
The Easter Brothers gave the song its title on a 2004 Rebel CD, They’re Holding Up the Ladder (REB-CD 7511), with Russell Easter singing lead, James and Edd on harmony, and Russell on banjo, James on guitar and Edd on mandolin. Others recorded it earlier: Bill Jones and the Bluegrass Travelers opened an Ozark Opry LP of the same name with it, released in January 1982, and the Lewis Family sang it at Opryland in Nashville in 1982 for the Canaan LP In Concert. Virginia Cross Ties recorded it for Step of Faith (Crosscut, 2003), Carson Peters & Iron Mountain for Praises from the Mountain (2018), and the Jacob Jolliff Band, with Stash Wyslouch singing, on its 2022 self-titled album.
