As one might expect for the son of a renowned banjo player, the first instrument Ralph II ever held was a banjo. At the ripe old age of three, Ralph, (or simply "Two" as he is called by his fellow band mates in the Clinch Mountain Boys), had his first lesson from the elder Stanley, learning a simple finger roll. It turned out, however, that he would not be following in his father's footsteps when it came to choice of instrument. He soon fell under the spell of the undisputed king of boyhood musical desires, the guitar. He spotted one under his sister's bed, and, according to Ralph, "I wanted to play that. When I was five years old, I started with the guitar, and I've been with the guitar ever since." But despite his interest in the guitar, and the fact that he was occasionally travelling with the Clinch Mountain Boys on the road, he had not yet developed an ambition to play professionally. It took until age 12 and an old 1970's video of the late Keith Whitley during his tenure as lead singer for the Clinch Mountain Boys, to inspire him to become a professional musician. After seeing Whitley he was hooked and spent hours in the basement honing his skills, and weathering the comparisons to his late Uncle Carter. His persistence paid off, and he took the stage as lead singer with Ralph Sr. and the Clinch Mountain Boys in June of 1995. Since then, he has earned the respect of Stanley fans everywhere, and has garnered praise as a strong new artist in his own right.
Ralph II has just signed with Stanley Generation Records. Stanley Generation Records is a new Nashville Tennessee based record label owned my nephew and country music star Nathan Stanley. Ralph II has had two Grammy nominations on previous albums he recorded with Rebel Records. Ralph II has proven to be an accomplished song writer and has 5 solo albums under his belt. When not traveling, Ralph II enjoys his time at home with his Wife Kristi and their children Taylor, Brooke, and Ralph Stanley III.
Ralph II has just signed with Stanley Generation Records. Stanley Generation Records is a new Nashville Tennessee based record label owned my nephew and country music star Nathan Stanley. Ralph II has had two Grammy nominations on previous albums he recorded with Rebel Records. Ralph II has proven to be an accomplished song writer and has 5 solo albums under his belt. When not traveling, Ralph II enjoys his time at home with his Wife Kristi and their children Taylor, Brooke, and Ralph Stanley III.
