Back when I was a senior in
college, I did an independent study on Bluegrass Music in music and movies, as
well as the hillbilly influence. I was fortunate to interview several folks who
went on to win many IBMA awards, Grammys, and more. One of those was Ralph
Stanley, with many thanks to James Alan Shelton for
setting up that interview 14 years ago. It was right during the success of the
movie "O Brother Where Art Thou?" and bluegrass music was gaining
popularity more than ever.
That interview with Ralph
Stanley led to multiple papers and presentations. I sent James a copy of
the paper and he sent back a signed cover sheet signed by everyone in the band.
He also sent this post it note. I came across it today while going through some
things. It made me smile because he was always friendly to everyone he met. He
would also send me a Christmas card each year. We lost James Alan Shelton a
couple of years ago, but I know many of us remember his kindness.
Today, spread a little bit
of kindness towards someone, whether it be the cashier, a coworker, or a family
member. We could all use a little bit of sunshine in this world that we
live in today. You can make a difference in someone's life.
