Greenbriar Boys
Formed in New York, USA in 1958, the Greenbriar Boys were one of the leading exponents of urban bluegrass. The original line-up comprised John Herald (guitar/lead vocals), Bob Yellin (banjo/tenor vocals) and Eric Weissberg (banjo/mandolin/dobro/fiddle), but in 1959 the latter was replaced by Ralph Rinzler (mandolin/baritone vocals). The following year the group won the top award at the annual Union Grove Fiddler's Convention, while Yellin secured the first of several hits as a solo artist. The Greenbriar Boys completed several excellent albums for the Vanguard label and became a highly popular attraction in the club, concert and festival circuits. Individually the members appeared as session musicians for, among others, Ramblin’ Jack Elliott, Joan Baez and Patrick Sky. The trio was later augmented by vocalist Dian Edmondson; this reshaped unit recorded a lone release for Elektra Records. The group then underwent a radical change. Edmondson dropped out of the line-up, while Rinzler left for an administrative post with the Newport Folk Festival committee. Herald and Yellin added Frank Wakefield (mandolin) and Jim Buchanan (fiddle), but the Greenbriars’ impetus was waning and the group was officially disbanded in 1966.