In 1980, Bob Paisley founded and led one of America’s premier bluegrass bands, Bob Paisley and The Southern Grass, which became known around the world for their musicianship and dedication to the traditional style. For over 25 years, the band maintained its distinctive brand of hard-driving bluegrass music combining soulful and powerful harmony singing with exciting instrumental work. The band performed at countless music festivals, colleges, clubs, and special events, including President Carter’s inauguration and a state visit from Princess Anne of Great Britain, while regularly touring domestically and abroad in Europe, Japan, and Canada.
Bob Paisley was born in North Carolina on March 14, 1931, to Herschel and Jessie Paisley. When Bob was three, the family moved north searching for work and settled in Chester County, Pennsylvania. In his early years, Paisley learned to thumb-pick a guitar from his mother, while his father played old-time tunes on the banjo.
In 1951, Bob married Vivian O’Connor and worked as a chemist to support his family - playing music on weekends. After a stint in the U.S. Army, during the Korean War, during which time, he played music in local clubs, Bob became widely known when he teamed up with revered banjoist Ted Lundy. Together they formed the Southern Mountain Boys, which soon became one of the most respected and sought-after outfits on the folk and bluegrass circuits for 20 years.
Bob’s powerful singing and sturdy rhythm guitar playing were the rock-solid foundation of the Southern Grass sound. He was always the consummate professional, and his congeniality, reliability, and modesty made him a favorite of promoters and announcers. Bob’s son, Dan, a similarly gifted guitarist and brilliant vocalist joined Lundy, and his father in 1974, at age 15, and developed into one of the most distinctive and expressive vocal stylists in bluegrass music today.
The ensemble became known for its unwavering sense of timing, it's relaxed, often self-deprecating joviality on stage, and its dynamic repertoire. From a lilting ballad to a fiery hoedown, Paisley’s music encompassed the entire spectrum within the definitive bluegrass tradition. Strong vocal duos and trios also became a hallmark of the band’s sound. Bob and Dan achieved the kind of tight harmony only heard from the greatest brother teams in country music.
Over the years, Bob Paisley employed some of the finest players and singers in bluegrass music, including Joe Allison (mandolin), Mike Bub (banjo), Don Eldreth Sr. (mandolin), Jon Glik (fiddle), Bill Graybeal (bass), Steve Huber (banjo), Jack Leiderman (fiddle), Jerry Lundy (fiddle), Sonny Miller (fiddle), Leroy Mumma (fiddle), Jack Paisley (mandolin), Wes Rineer (bass), Paul Silvius (banjo), Randy Stewart (banjo), Ward Stout (fiddle), and Richard Underwood (banjo).
Bob Paisley gave his last performance on October 15, 2004. Courageous until the end, he lost his two-year battle with cancer on November 29, 2004, resting peacefully at home. He was 73.