As reported earlier veteran singer/multi-instrumentalist Bill Harrell passed away on June 24 at his home in Davidsonville, Maryland. He had suffered a stroke on June 12 and was hospitalized for a week. His health was further complicated by advanced prostate cancer, an enlarged heart and fluid on his lungs.

Born in Marion, Virginia, on September 14, 1934, Harrell had a recognizable vocal style, light and mellow in tone, in a bluegrass music career that started during his college years when he began playing mandolin in a trio. Prior to that he learned to play the piano and to read music.

Subsequently he played with several Washington, DC area musicians like Eddie Adcock, Donny Bryant, Smiley Hobbs, Smitty Irvin, Carl Nelson and Roy Self, during stints with bands such as the Rocky Mountain Boys.

While serving in the armed forces, Harrell was injured in an auto accident, and spent close to a year recovering in a military hospital. Upon his release, he returned to Washington, DC and formed a group that released three singles on the Starday label. Subsequently he formed the Virginians with Irvin on banjo, Buck Ryan on fiddle and Stoney Edwards on bass and in 1963 released the album The Wonderful World of Bluegrass Music (United Artists). This was followed two years later with Ballads and Bluegrass (Adelphi). The group played dates up and down the East Coast of America and Harrell hosted his own weekly television program from Harrisonburg, Virginia, and the group were frequent guests on Jimmy Dean’s network TV series.

In December 1966, Harrell joined Don Reno and the Tennessee Cut-Ups, remaining Reno’s partner for over a decade; a period in which saw the rise in popularity of bluegrass music festivals. Reno and Harrell recorded several albums for a variety of established labels, like King, Starday and Monument, as well as smaller ones such as Jalyn, King Bluegrass and CMH (recently formed at that time).

Early in 1977 Harrell and bass player Ed Ferris amicably left the Tennessee Cut-Ups to re-form the Virginians with Harrell’s old friend Carl Nelson on fiddle and newcomer Darrell Sanders on banjo. The following year the band released their first album Bluegrass and Ballads (Adelphi), followed by the back-to-back albums Bluegrass Gospel, Pure and Simple (Leather) and I Can Hear Virginia Calling Me (Rebel), in 1980. By this time mandolin player Larry Stephenson had joined the band also. These albums were followed by another album for Leather, The L&N Don’t Stop Here Anymore (in 1981). Despite a constantly changing line-up, Harrell continued to lead the Virginians well into the 1990s, issuing excellent records like Walking in the Early Morning Dew (1983), Blue Virginia, Blue (1986) and After The Sunrise (1990); all for Rebel Records.

Shortly afterwards, Harrell retired and son Mitch, who was already by that time a member of the Virginians, took over the band.

In a career that spanned over 30 years and is noted for his relaxed, easy-going style of traditional bluegrass, Bill Harrell was a major contributor to the growth of bluegrass music in the Washington DC area. He performed for three presidents; Nixon, Reagan and Bush.

Last year the IBMA honored Harrell with a Distinguished Achievement Award, presented to him by Larry Stephenson.

In addition to Richard Thompson’s overview of Bill Harrell’s long career in bluegrass, we spoke to a number of artists who had worked with Bill, and wanted to share their thoughts on his passing.

First up is Ronnie Reno, who performed with Bill as a member of Reno & Harrell.

“Bill Harrell goes deep into being a Pioneer of the music and was a great influence on a lot of young pickers and singers. I know for a fact that my friend Larry Stephenson was a student of Bill’s. Bill met my Dad (Don Reno) and Red Smiley in the middle 50’s and I remember Bill playing mandolin with them at the Old Dominion Barn Dance in Richmond VA.

Shortly after that I believe Bill went onto the Army. Dad and I moved to Riverdale MD in 1966 and he and Bill had a great 10 year partnership. I was with them for a year and then I moved to Nashville TN. During that short year I got to know Bill very well. He was a gentle man with a lot of talent and was a great business man. Bill had a very smooth voice and played a hard driving rhythm guitar. He was also a very good song writer and interacted well with his fans and friends on stage.

Bill will be remembered as a great influence on our next generations for years to come. I will miss Bill as I considered him a friend and he was always there when I needed him.

May he rest in piece and enjoy singing with Dad and Red on a wonderful trio as of this writing.”

Larry Stephenson also had a few thoughts to share…

“Bill Harrell was the complete package. Guitar playing, songwriting, emceeing, working an audience, and he knew how to sing a song. His phrasing was second to none. When I was with Bill he kept us very busy. He did his own booking and also did some booking in the early days for the Johnson Mountain Boys and other acts in the DC-Baltimore area.

I learned the business of Bluegrass from Bill Harrell……how to find songs, put an album together, book a band, how to treat your band….. just everything about running a band as a business. I’ve tried my best to carry on my ‘Bill Harrell Schooling’ for the last twenty years of the Larry Stephenson Band. He was the best and I will miss him forever.

I want to thank IBMA for Bill’s Distinguished Achievement Award last October at the World of Bluegrass in Nashville, TN. He’s was so happy and never quit talking about it. It was well deserved and way over due.” (more…)

Larry Stephenson shared some sad news…

I’m sorry to report that Bill Harrell passed away this afternoon at 4:10 p.m. at his home in Davidisonville, MD.

Viewing with be Sunday evening (6/28) from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. at Chesapeake Christian Fellowship Church, Central Ave, Davidisonville, MD. The funeral will be at 10:00 a.m. Monday morning at the same church.

Condolences may be sent to:

938 St. George Barber Road
Davidisonville, MD 21035

Bill suffered a stroke on June 12 and had returned home after a week in the hospital.

Larry Stephenson shared this unfortunate story about Bill Harrell, one of the pioneers of bluegrass music. His work with Don Reno & The Tennessee Cutups after the departure of Don’s original partner Red Smiley resulted in some truly classic bluegrass recordings, including I’m Using My Bible For A Roadmap.

After leaving Reno’s group, Bill performed for 10 more years with his own group, Bill Harrell & The Virginians – which included a young Larry Stephenson on mandolin in the early 1980s.

Here’s Larry’s report…

Bill Harrell had a stroke last Friday and has been in the hospital in Annapolis, MD all week. The family found out around the middle of May he has prostate cancer (his PSA was 24) and then they found out this week he has an enlarged heart and fluid on the lungs. To make matters worse it was hard to do many of the tests because of the pins in his body from the car wrecks he’s had. They are going to try and get him home on Friday and it looks like hospice will be called. I have spoke with him twice this week and he’s very weak but he still has that sense of humor. He was talking about going out on a date with one of the nurse’s. Some things never change.

I was just at his home in Davidsonville, MD on May 12 to interview him for the Bluegrass Museum’s video oral history program. I hadn’t been to his home in 26 years. I’m glad I got to spend the day with him….it was a wonderful. I’m also very happy IBMA honored Bill this past year with a Distinguished Achievement Award. Bill and his two son’s Mitch and John were there and Bill has not stopped talking about it.

Let’s all hope that Bill can recover fully from his stroke.

Here’s a clip of he and Don Reno from the Porter Wagoner show back in 1968.