Dr. Stanley plucks a tune

Grammy award-winning bluegrass musician Dr. Ralph Stanley will be picking, plucking, and twanging his way through the Carson City Pavilion Saturday.

Stanley's music became popular with mainstream audiences after the 2001 release of the "O Brother, Where Art Thou?" movie soundtrack. Riddled with Appalachian clamor and backwoods charm, the soundtrack went triple platinum, taking the Grammy Album of the Year and revitalizing bluegrass music.

Stanley wrote the album's main release and sang two of the tracks.

But "O Brother" only highlighted his success. Stanley has been playing blue grass for 57 years and is more popularly referred to as the king of mountain soul.

Stanley and his band, the Clinch Mountain Boys, have sold 7 million copies and won five Grammys, including Best Male Vocal Performance. They are recognized in the Bluegrass Hall of Fame and Hall of Honor.

"My success makes me feel great," Stanley said. "It makes me feel like I haven't wasted the past 57 years."

Dr. Stanley, who received an honorary doctorate from Lincoln Memorial University in Harrogate, Tenn., where he taught in the 1970s, has written about 100 songs and recorded 185 albums.

Stanley speaks in the twang of the Virginian hills and leaves most his words for his songs.

"Writing and singing are gifts for me," he said. "It just comes natural."

The Clinch Mountain Boys play 150 to 200 shows a year.

"We are rarin' to go," Stanley said in anticipation of the Saturday night concert in Carson City. "We are going to give them a good, clean show. It's for the old, the young, people of all ages."

Stanley said he loves to play for large crowds.

"I would rather play to 100,000 people than 20," Stanley said. "It don't worry me, either. I just think about doing the best I can."

When Stanley was 11, his mother taught him one tune on the banjo -- and he has been playing ever since. He made his first record at age 20 with his older brother Carter Stanley.

Stanley used to harmonize with his late brother, but now sings with his son, Ralph Stanley II, 25, the current lead singer of the Clinch Mountain Boys.

Dr. Stanley said his heavy banjo-playing days are over.

"I tend to dwell on the singing now," he said. " We have a new banjo player that plays things just as well as I did."

The Clinch Mountain Boys create traditional music, lamenting about poverty, murder and rural love affairs.

"It's the old-time mountain music," he said. "Music with mountain country traditions."

Stanley said many modern bluegrass bands disregard the traditional music that his band plays.

"A lot of groups call themselves bluegrass, but they don't even know what color it is," he said.

If you go:

What: Grammy Award winner Dr. Ralph Stanley and the Clinch Mountain Boys, featuring Rhonda Vincent and the Rage and special guests the Clark Family Experience.

When: 7:30 p.m., Saturday

Where Mills Park Pavilion

Tickets: Start at $18 and are available by phone at 1-800-216-0891 or at www.carsoncitymusic.com.