Bluegrass music has its ties to Tennessee, Kentucky, and certainly Virginia. In fact, Virginia has been the birthplace of several famous bluegrass musicians and country stars alike. For instance, did you know that Ralph Stanley was born in Virginia? Dr. Stanley was highly influential in the genre, and his voice and banjo playing are among the most iconic sounds in bluegrass. Here's more on the famous musician that hailed from the tiny southwestern Virginia town of McClure.
Tucked away in Dickinson County awaits McClure, the tiny town famous for being the birthplace of bluegrass legend Ralph Stanley.
With the money, Ralph bought a banjo, and the rest was history. He formed a band with his older brother Carter called the Stanley Brothers.
It wasn't long before Ralph Stanley was considered among the best bluegrass musicians of his time. During his lifetime, he would be inducted into the International Bluegrass Music Hall of Honor as well as the Grand Ole Opry.
Early in his career, he covered lots of Bill Monroe, who was considered the Father of Bluegrass.
From 1946 to 1966, the Carter Brothers performed with their band, the Clinch Mountain Boys. Carter passed away in 1967, and Ralph continued to play until his own death in 2016.
Watch the brief video below, courtesy of Southwest Virginia, to hear a bit of Ralph's famous singing as he introduces the region of Virginia he called home:
Did you know that Ralph Stanley was born in Virginia? What are some other fun facts you could share with us? Feel free to let us know in the comments below! For related content, read all about the legendary star Patsy Cline's childhood in Virginia.
America is called the melting pot because, as a nation, we are made up of hundreds of nationalities, backgrounds, and customs. But, fortunately, we somehow manage to come together in our little corners of the world and create a culture that is all our own. After 400 years, Virginia has seen changes and evolutions in her culture - but there are definitely a few little quirks and oddities that remain. I don't know about you, but I'm pretty proud of the things that make me a Virginian...even if they are a little weird. Without further ado, here are some strange things people from Virginia do:
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1. We streak the lawn, we kiss on bridges, we pit cadets against civilians in the snow…and the list goes on. I am talking, of course, about our college traditions.
From streaking the lawn and kissing the bum of Homer's statue at UVA, to the traditional cadets vs. civilians snowball fight on the drillfield at Virginia Tech, to locking down our love life by kissing on the Crim Dell Bridge at William and Mary, Virginia's colleges are full of traditions and ceremonies - from weird to wild to romantic.
2. We support the Washington Commanders. It's a complicated love affair, but it's ours.
And yes, we know they are the WASHINGTON Commanders. But we do not care. We also know they play in Maryland. Still, don’t care. HTTR. End of discussion.
3. Even with some of the most beautiful coastline in the world, we have a strange obsession with the Outer Banks of North Carolina. (#OBX..woohoo!!)
Don't get me wrong - we also take advantage of our beautiful beaches. We love Virginia Beach and the Eastern Shore. But somehow, many, many, MANY Virginians find themselves heading to OBX for a getaway.
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4. We haven't quite let go of the war of north vs. south…that's Northern Virginia and Southern Virginia to be exact.
The Great North vs. South (vs. East vs. West) Debate rages on in Virginia as we all like to claim that our corner of the state, with its unique culture, customs and accent is the best.
5. And speaking of accents, WE don't have an accent. Everyone else does.
I don't know why this is. Can we not hear ourselves? The funny thing is that we like to talk about how OTHER parts of Virginia have accents but we most certainly do not. It's one of life's simple ironies.
It’s hard to say exactly how a fruit indigenous to South America ended up being a significant part of colonial design, decoration and architecture in Virginia – but it did. Today, especially in Williamsburg, pineapples are a traditional part of the Christmas holiday décor, as well as serving as an ongoing symbol for Virginia and as a sign of welcome.
You don’t ask a Virginian where they’re from without expecting a detailed explanation. We’re not just "from Virginia." We’re either from "DC", but actually Northern Virginia, but actually a suburb that’s just outside of another suburb that maybe you’ve heard of. Or we’re from Southern Virginia, but it’s an hour outside of Richmond, just east of another town. Or we’re from Southwest Virginia. No, no, no, not Southern WEST Virginia. [Insert detailed explanation here.] Sigh.
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9. We like to douse a perfectly good piece of ham in coffee and pork drippings (a.k.a. Red-Eye Gravy).
If you grew up anywhere near the Chesapeake Bay or the Potomac River, chances are you’ve known how to crack and pick a crab from the time you could walk. And if you’ve ever sailed the inlets of the Potomac or Chesapeake, you know how to weave in and out of the "crab pots" that decorate the water as far as the eye can see.
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11. And we really, REALLY love our Oysters…roasted, baked or raw.
You have to wonder who first looked at an oyster and said, "Hey, that's a slimy mess…I think I'll eat it." But oysters have been part of the Virginia diet beginning with Native Americans hundreds of years ago. Today we are known as the Oyster Capital of the East, with 7 oyster regions, oyster-themed festivals and events and the world’s only Oyster Museum on Chincoteague Island.
Step 1: Open a bag of peanuts. Step 2: Pour peanuts into your Coke. Step 3: Enjoy. I have to admit, I've never understood it, but it's just how things are done.
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13. We say, “Yes, Ma’am”, even if the person is younger and it annoys them. And we do this because we can picture our mother’s face if we didn’t.
The weirdest thing is that this would be considered weird. Unfortunately, these days, too many folks don't remember that manners matter…thankfully, most Virginians haven't forgotten.
14. We don't even notice that our flag has a half-naked woman on it.
Our flag, of course, shows "Virtue" stomping on Tyranny. And yes, she's having a bit of a wardrobe malfunction, but, hey, dress standards were different back then.
15. We will order a Coke when standing in front of a Pepsi fountain.
And then we’ll look confused when the waitress says, "Is Pepsi, OK?" Of course it is. Isn’t that what we just ordered?
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Weird is definitely a relative term. Personally, I think that these are just a few of the things that make us special, but hey, I'm a Virginian. What are some strange things people from Virginia do that we may have left off of our list? Let us know what you think sets Virginia apart in the comments below! And, if you're feeling proud to hail from the Old Dominion, check out this unique apparel from Wear Your Roots.
For more Virginia fun, take a look at this short-but-sweet tour of the iconic Shenandoah National Park:
A UFO sighting in a small town -- doesn't that sound like the makings of a great sci-fi movie? Yet it's very possibly what happened in the small town of Wytheville, Virginia in 1987. Interestingly, it wasn't the only sighting this town has reported. In fact, there have been thousands of reports of UFO sightings in Virginia in this small New River Valley community. How fascinating is that? Here's more on the notorious UFO sighting of 1987.
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Welcome to Wytheville! Established in 1790, it's the only town in the world that bears this name (which is pronounced WITH-ville).
The town, established as the Wythe County seat, was named in honor of George Wythe, who was one of the original signers of the Declaration of Independence. Almost immediately, travelers were drawn to the area to escape the heat of summer and enjoy the beautiful mountain air.
Today, Wytheville is still famous for its beautiful outdoor attractions, as well as its yearly hot air balloon festival, called the Chautauqua Festival.
On October 7, 1987, a man by the name of Sheriff Wayne Pike shared a most unexpected account of a UFO encounter with Danny Gordon at WYVE Radio.
The previous night, a total of five police officers had spotted strange red and green lights flashing over Fort Chiswell. Each of the officers had military training, and couldn't have been fooled easily by the night sky.
Danny Gordon was fascinated by this story and shared it on his local station. The result was completely astounding: hundreds of calls flooded in from residents who had their own unique UFO sighting stories to share, and they were eager for an explanation. Gordon was blown away by the traction of the story. And then, in another fascinating turn of events, he spotted something himself one night while traveling with a friend on US Route 21. They both saw a small, mysterious red sphere floating above a few houses before returning to an unidentified aircraft and then vanishing.
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Gordon shared his encounter, and news reporters began flocking to Wytheville for more coverage.
So why were there so many reported UFO sightings in Wytheville during the late 1980s? The answer is still unclear, although it is downright fascinating -- and a bit eerie.
