Lonesome Standard Time

1991: We have been playing regularly at the Bell Cove Club for a couple of years. Mr. Bill Monroe comes & sits in with us every Wednesday night. We are drawing large crowds weekly. Derwin & Danny Henson & Kenny Lewis are now gone. My partner Glen Duncan & I have replaced them with mandolin virtuoso, Butch Baldassarri, banjo whiz Mike Bub, bassist wonderful singer & person Wayne Southards. We are having fun doing the old numbers and occasionally, one of mine. Hall of Fame agent & manager, Lance Leroy, is one of our biggest fans & supporters. He asks Glen & I one night if we would ever consider recording with our band. He tells us the Opry might add a new, young bluegrass group and he doesn’t see why we wouldn’t be in the mix for it. Well… I am really in town as a songwriter and had not considered making a bluegrass record till that moment. I'm certainly not a bluegrass in the truest sense ... that said, I find I’m really excited at the prospect.. Lance, Glen and I get together at my house in Hendersonville and woodshed an entire evening, talking about material for the CD & trying to find just the right name for our group. We’re coming up with good ideas but not exactly the right one to describe our vision for the sound we’re hoping to create. Finally, we call it a day. After Lance & Glen have gone home, I find I’m still not able to let it go… I get out the notes…. some good ideas here…. we have The Bluegrass Standard, Lonesome Mountain Boys… not quite that but I like the lonesome part… somehow, someway, I write this combination of words down. “Lonesome Standard Time” … That’s it! I call Glen and I’m hollering I’ve got it! Glen says that’s it! I call Lance, he says ‘cord that’s it! Wallah! The band name is born. I am beginning to think that’s a great song idea too! Wouldn’t it be great to have a song that has the band name in it for a title? I have a song writing session with my mentor, Jim Rushing at his office on music row. I tell him the idea & that it’s officially gonna be our band name. We write the song in one session. Glen and I have a showcase at the International Bluegrass Music Association’s trade & awards gathering in Owensboro, Ky in the fall and Barry Poss, who owns North Carolina based Sugar Hill Records, signs us after our performance. Lonesome Standard Time is going to be cut one on our new CD.

I’m working the late show at the Bluebird Café a while later. Kathy Mattea has been on the early show. I hardly know her but I’m a huge fan of course. She says to me as I’m getting set up for the show, “Larry I cut your song today & we’re thinking it’s going to be the title of my new CD and the first single”. Oh wow! A Kathy Mattea cut! I’m on cloud nine. Mercury, makes a video of Kathy’s performance that is so cool! It ultimately reaches #8 on Billboard’s national survey, wins an ASCAP award for among the most performed songs of 1992. Our version reaches all the way to #1 on Bluegrass Unlimited’s national survey, garners Glen & I a Grammy nomination for best bluegrass album and wins IBMA’s prestigious song of the Year, also in 1992. Naturally, I ask Kathy to be part of this CD & she so graciously said yes. I love this track & it was so much fun being in the studio with Kathy and hearing her put her magical voice on the record. Thank you so much Kathy Mattea.