Program

"A Life of Sorrow" is a one-man show that uses storytelling and music to bring to life the saga of an Appalachian Mountain Music Legend.  As an architect of the genre of music known today as bluegrass, his contributions are numerous.  Having been gone from the music scene for over 50 years, his legacy is slipping into obscurity.  The program allows today's audiences a chance to connect with this musical treasure.

The program was written and is performed by Gary Reid, a 40+ year music veteran.  He is a published author of two recently released book "The Music of the Stanley Brothers" (University of Illinois Press) and "The Bluegrass Hall of Fame Inductee Biographies".  He is a three-time winner of the International Bluegrass Music Association award for Best Liner Notes and was their 2015 choice for Print/Media Person of the Year.  He also received two awards from the Association For Recorded Sound Collections for Excellence in Historial Research.  Lastly, he placed second at the 2015 Sounds of the Mountains Storytelling Competition in Fincastle, Virginia.