Ezra Cline
Encyclopedia
Ezra Cline was an American bluegrass
bassist
.
He began performing locally with his cousins Ireland "Lazy Ned" Cline and Ray "Curly Ray" Cline, along with local guitarist Zeke Stepp, as the Lonesome Pine Fiddlers
in Gilbert Creek, Kentucky
. The three cousins worked in the coal mines during the week and played music on the weekends until 1938, when they left Mingo County, KY for Bluefield, WV to perform on WHIS
radio.
Cline was the oldest of 15 children, and when their father died at 57, he was left to care for his younger siblings.
Ned Cline was killed in the war, and was replaced by Charlie Cline
in 1947.
In November 1953, Cline and the Lonesome Pine Fiddlers
were performing on the WJR
Big Barn Frolic. During the week, he worked at the Hudson plant in Detroit, Michigan
. He hired Melvin and Ray Goins, following the departure of Charlie Cline
(who went to work for Bill Monroe
) and Paul Williams (who went to work for Jimmy Martin
), and moved back to Kentucky
to perform on a new station, WLSI
in Pikeville
.
Bluegrass music
Bluegrass music is a form of American roots music, and a sub-genre of country music. It has mixed roots in Scottish, English, Welsh and Irish traditional music...
bassist
Bassist
A bass player, or bassist is a musician who plays a bass instrument such as a double bass, bass guitar, keyboard bass or a low brass instrument such as a tuba or sousaphone. Different musical genres tend to be associated with one or more of these instruments...
.
He began performing locally with his cousins Ireland "Lazy Ned" Cline and Ray "Curly Ray" Cline, along with local guitarist Zeke Stepp, as the Lonesome Pine Fiddlers
Lonesome Pine Fiddlers
The Lonesome Pine Fiddlers were an early bluegrass band which included such notable "first generation" bluegrass musicians as Ezra Cline, Bobby Osborne, Paul Williams, Melvin Goins, Charlie Cline, Curly Ray Cline, Larry Richardson and for a short time Jimmy Martin...
in Gilbert Creek, Kentucky
Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
. The three cousins worked in the coal mines during the week and played music on the weekends until 1938, when they left Mingo County, KY for Bluefield, WV to perform on WHIS
WHIS
WHIS is a Talk formatted broadcast radio station licensed to Bluefield, West Virginia, serving Bluefield in West Virginia and Bluefield in Virginia...
radio.
Cline was the oldest of 15 children, and when their father died at 57, he was left to care for his younger siblings.
Ned Cline was killed in the war, and was replaced by Charlie Cline
Charlie Cline
Charles "Charlie" Cline , was an American bluegrass fiddler and multi-instrumentalist, known for being the sideman of several legendary bluegrass groups from the 1950s and well into the 1980s....
in 1947.
In November 1953, Cline and the Lonesome Pine Fiddlers
Lonesome Pine Fiddlers
The Lonesome Pine Fiddlers were an early bluegrass band which included such notable "first generation" bluegrass musicians as Ezra Cline, Bobby Osborne, Paul Williams, Melvin Goins, Charlie Cline, Curly Ray Cline, Larry Richardson and for a short time Jimmy Martin...
were performing on the WJR
WJR
WJR is a radio station in Detroit, Michigan, United States. It broadcasts a news/talk format. It is a class A clear channel station whose broadcasts can be heard throughout most of the Midwest, eastern United States and Canada at night, making it one of the most powerful radio stations in the...
Big Barn Frolic. During the week, he worked at the Hudson plant in Detroit, Michigan
Detroit, Michigan
Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
. He hired Melvin and Ray Goins, following the departure of Charlie Cline
Charlie Cline
Charles "Charlie" Cline , was an American bluegrass fiddler and multi-instrumentalist, known for being the sideman of several legendary bluegrass groups from the 1950s and well into the 1980s....
(who went to work for Bill Monroe
Bill Monroe
William Smith Monroe was an American musician who created the style of music known as bluegrass, which takes its name from his band, the "Blue Grass Boys," named for Monroe's home state of Kentucky. Monroe's performing career spanned 60 years as a singer, instrumentalist, composer and bandleader...
) and Paul Williams (who went to work for Jimmy Martin
Jimmy Martin
Jimmy Martin was an American bluegrass musician, known as the "King of Bluegrass".-Early years:Born James H. Martin in Sneedville, Tennessee. Jimmy Martin was born into the hard farming life of rural East Tennessee. He grew up near Sneedville, singing in church and with friends from surrounding...
), and moved back to Kentucky
Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
to perform on a new station, WLSI
WLSI
WLSI is a radio station broadcasting a Sports/Talk format. Licensed to Pikeville, Kentucky, USA. The station is currently owned by East Kentucky Broadcasting Corporation and features programing from NBC Radio and Sporting News Radio Network....
in Pikeville
Pikeville, Kentucky
Pikeville is a city in Pike County, Kentucky. The population was 6,903 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Pike County.-History:On March 25, 1822, the county's government officials decided to build a new county seat named Liberty, one and one-half mile below the mouth of the Russell Fork...
.