62 Years Ago Today, We Lost One Half of the Brother Duo Behind Old-Time Standards Recorded by Merle Haggard and Doc Watson

On this day (June 8) in 1964, Alton Delmore, half of the Delmore Brothers, died. He began writing songs as a teen and continued to hone his pen for the rest of his life. Many of the songs he wrote became old-time standards, which have been recorded by dozens of artists. Later, the duo broke racial boundaries when they became some of the first country artists to record with Black musicians.

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Delmore wrote his first song, “Bound for the Shore,” with his mother when he was just 13 years old. He also taught himself to play multiple instruments, including guitar, tenor guitar, fiddle, mandolin, and banjo. He then taught Rabon to play tenor guitar. Before long, the brothers developed their signature interwoven playing style that would mark their recordings in years to come.

[RELATED: Remembering the Late, Great Doc Watson with 3 Standout Songs from His Deep Discography]

When Alton was 17, and Rabon was nine years old, they made their first public appearance at Clements High School in West Limestone County, Alabama. One year later, they won a fiddling contest at Athens Agricultural High School. More importantly, they introduced their song “Brown’s Ferry Blues” during the competition. The song later became an old-time standard. It has been recorded by Doc & Merle Watson, Tennessee Ernie Ford, the Louvin Brothers, Woody Guthrie, and many more.

Alton and Rabon Delmore Become Grand Ole Opry Stars

“Brown’s Ferry Blues” earned Alton and Rabon Delmore a recording contract with Columbia Records. A year later, in 1931, they recorded their first songs for the label, including “Alabama Lullaby” and “I’ve Got the Kansas City Blues.” Later that year, they joined the Grand Ole Opry.

The Delmore Brothers became one of the most popular acts on the Opry. However, all good things must come to an end. The duo left the Opry in 1938. After leaving, they bounced from one radio show to the next. Before they left, though, they helped change the course of country music history.

How the Delmores Changed Country Music History

When the Delmore Brothers left the Grand Ole Opry, they were performing on several WSM radio programs and traveling for Opry road shows. One of the last things they did was pick a band to join them on the road.

As Alton Delmore put it, Roy Acuff and the Crazy Tennesseans “sounded really pitiful.” He said their act was “too far away from good entertainment,” but he still chose them. He and Acuff were friends.

Before long, Acuff was a member of the Grand Ole Opry. He was dubbed the King of Country Music before George Strait was born.

Post-WWII Success

After Alton Delmore finished a stint in the United States Navy during World War II, the Delmores relocated to Fort Smith, Arkansas, where they performed on KWHN. After years of playing old-time music, their sound started to shift. Boogie woogie blues was sweeping the nation, and the brothers followed suit.

Songs like “Hillbilly Boogie” and the standard “Blues Stay Away from Me” came out of this period of experimentation. Moreover, this period yielded some of the first collaborations between Black and white musicians. The Delmores recorded several songs with Wayne Raney (vocals, harmonica) and Henry Glover (piano) for the King label.

Classics Penned by Alton and Rabon Delmore

While the Delmore Brothers were traveling, Alton would make up and sing new songs while Rabon wrote them down. He edited the lyrics as he wrote them. Together, they penned several timeless songs. Below are a few highlights from their catalog and the artists who covered them.

• “Blue Railroad Train”–Doc Watson, Tony Rice Unit, Marty Stuart
• “Blues Stay Away from Me”–Owen Bradley, Ray Price, Merle Haggard
• “Brown’s Ferry Blues”–Glen Campbell, Tennessee Ernie Ford, Woody Guthrie
• “Gonna Lay Down My Old Guitar”–Doc & Merle Watson, Louvin Brothers, Norman Blake

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