Merle Monroe

Music Notes 

BY TOM NETHERLAND | SPECIAL TO THE HERALD COURIER

The air was cool, the music even cooler. 

That’s the vibe that reverberated courtesy Merle Monroe last Friday night in Elizabethton. Led by lead singer Tim Raybon and banjoist Daniel Grindstaff, the six-man country and bluegrass hybrid band helmed opening night of the idyllic Covered Bridge Days. 

Two weeks after the enormously successful 20th anniversary of Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion, Merle Monroe provided a whirlwind of music. For 90 minutes, they entertained with a 23-song set designed to get the audience on their feet and wear them out. 

Hammer down, Merle Monroe opened with an original, “I’m Leaving Town Tonight.” A No. 1 bluegrass song from early this year, the burner established Raybon’s tightrope taut vocals and Grindstaff’s riveting banjo leads for the evening. 

A dizzying array of hits followed. They reached into buoyant country catalogs for such timeworn nuggets as Don Williams’ “Some Broken Hearts Never Mend” and Merle Haggard’s rarely covered “Kentucky Gambler.” 

Some folks sang along. All seemed to marvel at Merle Monroe. 

Two albums to their credit, Merle Monroe dipped into each throughout the night. From their first, 2019’s “Back to the Country,” they selected Haggard’s “Hungry Eyes.” From their latest LP, “Songs of a Simple Life,” the harmonies-heavy band selected such Raybon originals as “Hello Sunshine” and “Goodbye Marie.” 

Kids danced near the stage. Older folks sat huddled under blankets on the early fall night. In the distance, the Doe River lazed in reflected starlight. 

Meanwhile, Merle Monroe embodied its name. From Merle Haggard’s example, they shared such heart-tuggers as Hag’s “Silver Wings” and “Mama Tried.” From Bill Monroe, they turned to one of the bluegrass master’s finest, “Blue Moon of Kentucky.” 

Raybon sang high and sometimes lonesome. Augmented by Grindstaff’s Osborne Brothers-influenced vocal harmonies, the pair led a crackerjack band that included Kingsport’s Derek Deakins on fiddle and North Carolina’s Kevin Richardson on guitar. 

As with Haggard and Monroe, Merle Monroe forged a mark on Friday night. Its small-town sound left a big-heart feel.

by John Thompson

ELIZABETHTON — The first fall version of Covered Bridge Days got off to a great start on Friday, thanks to spectacularly beautiful weather for Elizabethton’s biggest annual festival. 

The day was warm, but not as hot as it gets in early June when the festival is usually held. 

The night even turned a bit chilly as fans gathered at the Covered Bridge Stage to welcome Elizabethton’s own Daniel Grindstaff, who brought his band, Merle Monroe, to the stage. 

The band was an all-time high point for the festival. Grindstaff is an Elizabethton native who is a longtime professional musician on the Nashville scene. When he decided to leave the road and settle down in his hometown a few years ago, he provided a boost to the entertainment the Covered Bridge festivals provided by using his extensive network to bring talented musicians as festival headliners. 

But the Covered Bridge Stage has never seen anything quite like Merle Monroe. 

Grindstaff and Tim Raybon are co-owners of the band. For the past 10 weeks, Merle Monroe has topped the charts as the hottest bluegrass band in the land. Four of the songs on the band’s latest album have been single hits. 

The audience warmly welcomed Grindstaff and the band to the Covered Bridge Stage.

Merle Monroe Releases Latest Sophomore Album ‘Songs of a Simple Life”
Featuring Brand New Single “Goodbye Marie”