Franklin Delano Wakefield (June 26, 1934 – April 26, 2024) was an American

mandolin A mandolin (, ; literally "small mandola") is a Chordophone, stringed musical instrument in the lute family and is generally Plucked string instrument, plucked with a plectrum, pick. It most commonly has four Course (music), courses of doubled St ...

player in the

bluegrass music Bluegrass music is a genre of American roots music that developed in the 1940s in the Appalachian region of the United States. The genre derives its name from the band Bill Monroe and the Blue Grass Boys. Bluegrass has roots in African America ...

style. Wakefield was known for his collaborations with a number of well-known musical artists, including

Red Allen Henry James "Red" Allen Jr. (January 7, 1908 – April 17, 1967) was an American jazz trumpeter and vocalist whose playing has been described by Joachim-Ernst Berendt and others as the first to fully incorporate the innovations of Louis Armst ...

Jimmy Martin James Henry Martin (August 10, 1927 – May 14, 2005) was an American bluegrass singer and musician, known as the "King of Bluegrass". Early years Martin was born in Sneedville, Tennessee, United States, and was raised in the hard farming l ...

Don Reno Donald Wesley Reno (February 21, 1926Trischka, Tony, "Don Reno", ''Banjo Song Book'', Oak Publications, 1977, – October 16, 1984) was an American bluegrass and country musician, best known as a pioneering banjo and guitar player who pa ...

Jerry Garcia Jerome John Garcia (August 1, 1942 – August 9, 1995) was an American musician who was the lead guitarist and a vocalist with the rock band Grateful Dead, which he co-founded and which came to prominence during the counterculture of the 196 ...

David Grisman David Jay Grisman (born March 23, 1945) is an American mandolinist. His music combines bluegrass, folk, and jazz in a genre he calls "Dawg music". He founded the record label Acoustic Disc, which issues his recordings and those of other acousti ...

The Stanley Brothers The Stanley Brothers were an American Bluegrass music, bluegrass duo of singer-songwriters and musicians, made up of brothers Carter Stanley (August 27, 1925 – December 1, 1966) and Ralph Stanley (February 25, 1927 – June 23, 2016). Ralph a ...

, and the

Greenbriar Boys The Greenbriar Boys were an American northern bluegrass music group. who first got together in jam sessions in New York's Washington Square Park. The group disbanded in 1970. Biography In 1958, guitarist and vocalist John Herald formed The Gre ...

Biography

Born into a musical family in Emory Gap, Tennessee, Wakefield by age eight already knew how to play

harmonica The harmonica, also known as a French harp or mouth organ, is a free reed wind instrument used worldwide in many musical genres, notably in blues, American folk music, classical music, jazz, country, and rock. The many types of harmonica incl ...

guitar The guitar is a stringed musical instrument that is usually fretted (with Fretless guitar, some exceptions) and typically has six or Twelve-string guitar, twelve strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming ...

and

bass Bass or Basses may refer to: Fish * Bass (fish), various saltwater and freshwater species Wood * Bass or basswood, the wood of the tilia americana tree Music * Bass (sound), describing low-frequency sound or one of several instruments in th ...

. In 1950, his family moved to

Dayton, Ohio Dayton () is a city in Montgomery County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. It is the List of cities in Ohio, sixth-most populous city in Ohio, with a population of 137,644 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. The Dayton metro ...

. At the age of 16 he had switched to the

and began playing music with his brother Ralph on

. The duo called themselves The Wakefield Brothers and in 1951, made their first radio appearance playing gospel and old-time music on WHIO in

Dayton Dayton () is a city in Montgomery County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. It is the List of cities in Ohio, sixth-most populous city in Ohio, with a population of 137,644 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. The Dayton metro ...

. In 1952 Wakefield began a long and productive collaboration with the bluegrass singer and guitar player,

. For the next 3 years Wakefield toured with

and the Blue Ridge Mountain Boys. Through the rest of the decade Wakefield also toured with

and the Sunny Mountain Boys as well as Marvin Cobb and the Chain Mountain Boys, with whom he recorded his first 45 RPM—which included his now most famous bluegrass composition, "New Camptown Races". In 1958 Wakefield reunited with

and his band the Kentuckians. The popular Kentuckians cut many 45s in following years, had a weekly radio show, and even played at

Carnegie Hall Carnegie Hall ( ) is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. It is at 881 Seventh Avenue (Manhattan), Seventh Avenue, occupying the east side of Seventh Avenue between 56th Street (Manhattan), 56th and 57th Street (Manhattan), 57t ...

in 1963. Important CD recordings surviving from this period of Wakefield's career include ''Red Allen and Frank Wakefield: the Kitchen Tapes'' and ''Red Allen: the Folkway Years 1964-1983.'' In 1960, Wakefield moved to

Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...

, with

and there began giving private lessons. One of his students at this time was a young

. In the mid-1960s Wakefield began playing

with the

as well as appearing with

Ralph Stanley Ralph Edmund Stanley (February 25, 1927 – June 23, 2016) was an American bluegrass artist, known for his distinctive singing and banjo playing. He began playing music in 1946, originally with his older brother Carter Stanley as part of The ...

. Also in this period he began turning to new influences, composing classical mandolin sonatas and arranging classical pieces for traditional bluegrass instruments. This innovative style offered him the opportunity to play with the

New York Philharmonic The New York Philharmonic is an American symphony orchestra based in New York City. Known officially as the ''Philharmonic-Symphony Society of New York, Inc.'', and globally known as the ''New York Philharmonic Orchestra'' (NYPO) or the ''New Yo ...

, led by

Leonard Bernstein Leonard Bernstein ( ; born Louis Bernstein; August 25, 1918 – October 14, 1990) was an American conductor, composer, pianist, music educator, author, and humanitarian. Considered to be one of the most important conductors of his time, he was th ...

in 1967 and an invitation to appear as a guest with the Boston Pops in 1968. By the 1970s Wakefield launched a solo career. He released his first solo album in 1972 and his second in 1975 backed up by bluegrass heavyweights

and Chubby Wise. He toured with

, and New Riders of the Purple Sage and opened for the

Grateful Dead The Grateful Dead was an American rock music, rock band formed in Palo Alto, California, in 1965. Known for their eclectic style that fused elements of rock, blues, jazz, Folk music, folk, country music, country, bluegrass music, bluegrass, roc ...

. By mid-decade Wakefield began working with his newly formed band, The Good Ol' Boys with whom he would enjoy a productive collaboration until the mid-1980s. Since 1989 he has toured with the Frank Wakefield Band. In 1999 he earned a Grammy Nomination for best bluegrass album of the year for his work on the album ''Bluegrass Mandolin Extravaganza'' on which he played with fellow mandolin greats

Sam Bush Charles Samuel Bush (born April 13, 1952) is an American mandolinist who is considered an originator of progressive bluegrass music. In 2020, he was inducted into the International Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame as a member of New Grass Revival. ...

Ronnie McCoury Ronald Delano McCoury, known as Ronnie McCoury, (born March 16, 1967) is an American mandolin player, singer, and songwriter. He is the son of bluegrass musician Del McCoury, and is best known for his work with the Del McCoury Band and the Trave ...

Jesse McReynolds Jesse Lester McReynolds (July 9, 1929 – June 23, 2023) was an American bluegrass musician. He was best known for his innovative crosspicking and split-string styles of mandolin playing. Biography McReynolds was born in Coeburn, Virginia. He ...

Bobby Osborne Bobby Van Osborne (December 7, 1931 – June 27, 2023) was an American bluegrass musician. He was the co-founder (with his brother Sonny) of the Osborne Brothers, a member of the Grand Ole Opry, and the International Bluegrass Music Hall of Fa ...

Ricky Skaggs Rickie Lee Skaggs (born July 18, 1954), known professionally as Ricky Skaggs, is an American neotraditional country and bluegrass singer, musician, producer, and composer. He primarily plays mandolin; however, he also plays fiddle, guitar, ma ...

and Buck White. Mandolin player

said of Wakefield's influence, "''He split the bluegrass mandolin atom. Some of us, obviously, will never be the same again.''" Wakefield continued to record and tour nationally. Wakefield died on April 26, 2024, at the age of 89.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Wakefield, Frank 1934 births 2024 deaths Bluegrass musicians from Tennessee American bluegrass mandolinists Country musicians from Tennessee 20th-century mandolinists 20th-century American musicians 20th-century American male musicians 21st-century mandolinists 21st-century American musicians 21st-century American male musicians The Greenbriar Boys members