His solid guitar playing and rich lead voice are unmistakable in hundreds of bluegrass standards. All of them were his favorite, she said. She was there when he visited the park the day before and told the Kuykendall family the stage was too small and refused to perform on it. Mr. Flatt, a native of Overton County in East Tennessee, got his first musical inspiration from his father and his first attempts in music were on the banjo. Lester Flatt died on May 11th, 1979. The road was difficult and Earl was concerned about his mother back home. OCIE NORTON OBITUARY. Was the Nephew of the late Lester Flatt, of the Bluegrass duo Flatt & Scruggs (Beverly Hill Billies Theme authors), who he baptized prior to his uncle's death in 1979. . Birth Name: Lester Raymond Flatt. "Flatt and Scruggs" would breakup over musical differences in 1969. Try again later. "Earl and I hadn't spoken in 10 years," Mr. Flatt said later. Marty Stuart joined Flatts band as guitarist Labor Day weekend. For memorials with more than one photo, additional photos will appear here or on the photos tab. His oldtimey guitar style hadn't the virtuosity of Mr. Scruggs's banjo playing, but it and his keening singing reflected the traditional virtues of rural Southern white music. They were just fun, regular people.. Sponsored by Ancestry . Lester Flatt Is Buried in Tennessee's Hills, https://www.nytimes.com/1979/05/15/archives/lester-flatt-is-buried-in-tennessees-hills-deep-in-the-rich-soil.html. You have chosen this person to be their own family member. Survivors include his wife of 63 years, Lola (Mansell) Flatt, whom he We called Jim Shumate, wanting a fiddle player; he wanted us to come to Hickory (North Carolina) to work on a radio station there. Remembering her sweet babys armsBy Kim Swindell WoodEditor[emailprotected]Published: Tuesday, April 1, 2014 8:03 AM CDTA petite and beautiful dark-haired woman whose endearing stories of her late husband Lester Flatt kept everyone mesmerized as she recalled their lives together has now passed on to rejoin the man she always talked about with fondness.Gladys Flatt, who was 98 when she passed away on March 31, 2014, has left an indelible mark on the Sparta community. One of those was Eddie Bartley of El Paso. To add a flower, click the Leave a Flower button. Lester Flatt, in full Lester Raymond Flatt, (born June 19, 1914, Duncan's Chapel, near Sparta, Tenn., U.S.died May 11, 1979, Nashville, Tenn.), American bluegrass and country music guitarist and singer. The email does not appear to be a valid email address. Occasionally the digitization process introduces transcription errors or other problems; we are continuing to work to improve these archived versions. According to Jake Lamberts biography on Lester Flatt, With the addition of Scruggs, Monroes band became one of the hottest groups working the Opry. based on information from your browser. Lester Flatt, the veteran guitarist, died in 1979 at the age of 64 years. Lester was born on May 17, 1924 and passed away on Saturday, October 15, 2011. He returned to the Opry in March, 1979, and would fall ill again and die two months later in May. As Scruggs' sons became professional musicians, serious differences developed about the type of music the band should play. Bluegrass musician and comedian Little Roy Lewis also performed at the park, giving a great performance, she said. "Flatt and Scruggs" would breakup over musical differences in 1969. The partnership that began in 1948 when Flatt and scruggs left Bill Monroe survived, although not without some difficulties, the surge of folk music. Resend Activation Email, Please check the I'm not a robot checkbox, If you want to be a Photo Volunteer you must enter a ZIP Code or select your location on the map. I was going home. He entered Baptist Hospital on April 23 for what a hospital spokesman, Paul Moore, described as treatment and evaluation of a heart condition.. In a 1980 interview, Marty Stuart described his time with Lester and Gladys and the band. Are you adding a grave photo that will fulfill this request? Like so many country musicians in the early 1930s, Mr. Flatt had to look elsewhere for money to support his family, and the cotton mills of North Carolina and Virginia were the answer. "Flatt and Scruggs" would breakup over musical differences in 1969. But without Earl and his security blanket at that crucial point and without the strength of Earl, who was such an enormous presence, I honestly believe that Flatt would have retired with a gold watch from the (textile) mill in Covington, Virginia, where he had worked, or the one in Sparta, Tennessee, where he had worked at one time, too. LeRoy explained that Lester cared little about the business end of the bandeven in personnel problems with his band members. I love being here with everyone.. Lester Raymond Flatt (June 19, 1914 May 11, 1979) was an American bluegrass guitarist and mandolinist, best known for his collaboration with banjo picker Earl Scruggs in The Foggy Mountain Boys (popularly known as "Flatt and Scruggs"). All photos uploaded successfully, click on the Done button to see the photos in the gallery. "Gladys said Lester bought a bus and would travel on the weekends at the beginning of his career. These included "The Ballad of Jed Clampett," which had meant instant recongnition for him, his former partner, banjoist Earl Scruggs, and the Foggy Mountain Boys as the theme song for television's "Beverly Hillbillies." She said O.G. Cousin Leland Flatt reckoned that we would. She recalled that a white baby-grand piano was always pulled onto the stage for musicians to play. All photos appear on this tab and here you can update the sort order of photos on memorials you manage. Bill purchased a stretched automobile and they were on the road almost seven days a week. I feel bad. Lester Shirley Flatt. You can customize the cemeteries you volunteer for by selecting or deselecting below. If you have questions, please contact [emailprotected]. The four other parts were already here; he added the fifth one that is absolutely essential if you are going to have bluegrass music. Oland Bassham said, His music was rooted deep in the rich soil of this great land of ours.. The announcement surprising to few, that the partners were splitting came in February 1969. CAPTION: Picture, Lester Flatt, in recent photo, had been a Grand Ole Opry star since 1944. Sorry! Lester Flatt was born near Sparta, Tennessee, June 19, 1914. with Martha White (yes, ma'am) Goodness gracious, good and light, Martha White. He was the brother of Bill Monroe, who was just hitting the charts with "Blue Moon of Kentucky." Lester Flatt, in partnership with banjoist Earl Scruggs, led the most popular band in bluegrass music from the late 1940s till the end of the 1960s. After the service Lester moved back to Dallas where he was a master electrician in the Dallas area. Please reset your password. This document may not be reprinted without the express written permission of Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Inc. Material from the Associated Press is Copyright 2023, Associated Press and may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. TimesMachine is an exclusive benefit for home delivery and digital subscribers. With the ability to play five instruments, he said he enjoys the jams. There was an error deleting this problem. I will miss him. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate, or jump to a slide with the slide dots. Failed to remove flower. Lester Flatt was born in Wood County, Texas on May 17, 1924 to Luther and Maude Brasher Flatt. It is fitting that he be planted in the sacred sod of White County, said Mr. Flatt's preacher cousin, the Rev. Lester was a resident of Kaufman, Texas. Funeral Services for Eleanor "Jean" Hodnett Flatt will be held on Monday, February 13, 2023 at 1:00 PM at Gallagher Funeral Home, Ball, Louisiana. Nashville, Davidson, Tennessee, United States, http://www.flatt-and-scruggs.com/lesterbio.html. This browser does not support getting your location. Family members linked to this person will appear here. "Gladys has maintained her interest in the music industry since Lester passed away on May 11, 1979. Their success in those years, in fact, was considered by some to be the harbinger of their split. Toggle navigation. Keep supporting great journalism by turning off your ad blocker. According to The Tennessean newspaper, he also won a Grammy for Best Country Instrumental for his "Amazing Grace" recording in 1989. "We were walking to church when a car pulled up and a young man asked us where we were going. "Gladys grinned with her gorgeous, yet sly, smile. Robert James Lowe. She was born in Birmingham and attended Woodlawn High School and . She was preceded in death by her husband, Horace Edward Norton; son, Edward Neal Norton; and brother, Dr. Harold Lester Flatt. You may not upload any more photos to this memorial, This photo was not uploaded because this memorial already has 20 photos, This photo was not uploaded because you have already uploaded 5 photos to this memorial, This photo was not uploaded because this memorial already has 30 photos, This photo was not uploaded because you have already uploaded 15 photos to this memorial. His more than 20-year partnership with Earl Scruggs had been crumbling for many months. The email does not appear to be a valid email address. This relationship is not possible based on lifespan dates. Previously sponsored memorials or famous memorials will not have this option. You can always change this later in your Account settings. A 22-acre lake was a backdrop to the park, where several camped. Oops, some error occurred while uploading your photo(s). Tuesday, February 28, 2023. As I look back on it today, I realize that I have been one of the most richly blessed people in the world, being able to get my start with such a past master as Lester Flatt. There is a problem with your email/password. Share this memorial using social media sites or email. Drag images here or select from your computer for Gladys Lee Stacy Flatt memorial. I just love it, she added. HOOPER HUDDLESTON & HORNER, (931) 526-6111. They worked hard and made good money. By the early 1940s, he and his wife, Gladys, were touring with one of the most popular bands in the Southeast, Charlie Monroe and the Kentucky Pardners. The personnel of the Blue Grass Boys in 1946 and 47 were Monroe, Flatt, Scruggs, Chubby Wise and Howard Watts. So that was kind of the way it was left. Lester Flatt never recoveredhe died after an extensive period of sickness. Thank you for fulfilling this photo request. This is a carousel with slides. He was 64 years old. Dr Dowell Edward Flatt. 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