Here is another remembrance of Uncle Josh Graves, who passed away last Saturday in Nashville. This one is from Andy Hall, dobro player with The Infamous Stringdusters.

His influence on me, and all Dobro players can’t be overstated.

I’ve spent many hours pouring over his songs, listening to every detail. Trying to figure out how he played so cleanly, and just the right notes. His versions of all the great Dobro songs are still the best. Maiden’s Prayer, Fireball, Home Sweet Home, Flatt Lonesome, and many others make up the standard Dobro repertoire, and Josh is the one who made them sound so good.

We all, as musicians, strive to find the best tone, and the best timing. I think any player, of any instrument, can learn a lot from hearing Josh’s Dobro playing. Not to mention the presence he had when he stepped up to the mic.

What warms my heart is to see how popular the Dobro has become. All over the country, everywhere I go, young kids are playing the fire out of the Dobro.

Whether they know it or not, Uncle Josh started it all, and his impact on music is being felt now more than ever.

There is a guestbook on the official Uncle Josh Graves web site, where fans and friends can post messages of condolence for the family, or tributes to Josh.

The photos page is a treasure for students of his music, or anyone with memories of the early days of bluegrass music and Josh’s place in it from the very beginning until his passing.

We are pleased to publish another tribute to Uncle Josh Graves, this one from the 2006 IBMA Dobro Player of the Year, Rob Ickes.

I was able to go to the service on Tuesday, and it was a really nice tribute to Josh. Eddie Stubbs gave an amazing eulogy.

Josh Graves’ was probably the first dobro playing I ever heard. My older brother played banjo, so we were always listening to Foggy Mountain Banjo – even before I started playing. I loved everything Josh did on that record, especially the breaks on Home Sweet Home and Reuben. They were so soulful, and had such an incredible sound.

That really stood out at the service. They played some of his recordings before and after, and I was struck again by his sound. You hear one note and you know who it is. There is so much feeling that comes through in every note he plays.

Musically, one of the chief things I got from Josh was the feeling that everything he does fits. He can play one note, or a whole lot, and it always seemed appropriate, and adds to the whole thing. I guess that is the main lesson I took from listening to Josh for many, many years.

Plus, he had a great feeling for the blues. That has been a good influence on me.

We all know that he was a great musician, but I want to remind everyone of his wonderful sense of humor. He was always so… cool. Even with all his health problems, he always stayed cool. He would crack everyone up, but remained mellow and calm throughout.

I’m really glad that I was able to be there for the service.

This post is a contribution from Casey Henry. Casey is the daughter of banjo player and bluegrass entrepreneur, Murphy Henry, and an accomplished banjo player in her own right, as well as an experienced instructor. Currently Casey and her brother Chris are fronting a band called The Two-Stringers. She first posted this on The B, earlier this morning.

Yesterday at Madison Funeral Home a packed crowd gathered to say goodbye to Uncle Josh Graves, to honor his life, his music, and the tremendous impact he had on the lives of others. Many beautiful arrangements of flowers surrounded the casket, including white and yellow roses from Alison Krauss. Red roses adorned the coffin. I know a couple of Josh’s sons, so I said hello to them and conveyed my condolances. Brian mentioned he needs to come back to the dentist office where I work, and Josh Jr. said he still intends to get me to play some gigs with him, which he initially called me about at least a year ago–unfailingly good natured and polite even in their hour of grief.

Eddie Stubbs delivered the eulogy, giving a run-down of Josh’s life and career. His first job was with Esco Hankins. He married his wife Evelyn when he was 17 and she was 15. 61 years of marriage. We gave her a round of applause for that. There were so many stories about Josh. He wrote some songs for Flatt and Scruggs, some of which had the good fortune to be on the B side of hits. Josh commented “My side sold just as many as the A side.” Eddie asked him how he was doing after he lost his legs. Eddie “cleaned up” Josh’s answer: “I ain’t kickin’ no posteriors.”

Jerry Douglas, who is on tour on the west coast, flew in for the visitation on Monday. He had to fly back to play in San Diego Tuesday but left a letter which Eddie read. He talked about when he was learning, when all he thought about was how to make the sounds he heard coming out of the Dobro on records, that Josh was his “invisible friend,” always with him, always in his head throughout the day, in school or wherever. One of the most important events in his life occurred when he met Josh for the first time at the festival campsite of some friends. Josh gave him something more important than a handshake or a pick or a string clipping. He asked young Jerry to sit down and play a tune with him. He handed Jerry his Dobro and he played Jerry’s. He made time for this skinny kid who wanted to learn to play. And that has stayed with him every since. (more…)