December 2 Event Marks 90th Anniversary Of Duo’s 1926 Stage Debut
“The Delmore Brothers, God, I really loved them! I think they’ve influenced every harmony I’ve ever tried to sing!”
– Bob Dylan
Nashville, TN – The Country Music Hall of Fame® & Museum will celebrate the 90th anniversary of the Delmore Brothers’ stage debut with a program on Friday, December 2, from 12:30 – 1:30 p.m. in the Taylor Swift Education Center. In his book, Truth Is Stranger Than Publicity, Alton Delmore gives a personal account of the brothers’ career and offers his insights into the early days of the Country music industry. Music journalist and author Barry Mazor will lead a discussion about the book and the Delmore Brothers’ illustrious career, while Alton Delmore’s youngest daughter, Debby, will share personal reflections. In a live performance, The Farmer and Adele will entertain with Delmore Brothers’ hits “Blues Stay Away From Me” and “Blow Your Whistle Freight Train,” proving the continued relevance of Alton and Rabon’s music. “The home of Country music is the perfect setting to share their personal stories and legendary songs,” says Sherry Bond, publisher of the Delmore catalog. “It will be a compelling hour, and one their fans won’t want to miss.”
Lauded as one of the greatest brother duos of all time Alton (December 25, 1908 – June 8, 1964) and Rabon (December 3, 1916 – December 4, 1952) captured listeners with their elegant harmonies, skillful songwriting and Blues-influenced sound. Their posthumous induction into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2001 marked a career that began at a fiddling contest in 1926. As Alton explains in his book, each act needed a stage name to enter the competition. “The boy at the door said, ‘since you two are brothers, why don’t you just call yourselves the Delmore Brothers?'” Ninety years later, the name still exemplifies the best in traditional Country music and continues to resonate with fans old and new.
Admission to the program is free with museum admission or a museum membership. For more information about the program, visit countrymusichalloffame.org.