This is a 1993 cassette by Wally Clayton, produced by Wally & Mike Pillow at Lamp Studios in Cleveland, Tennessee. Lamp Studios was a division of Lamp Music Group. An instrument store commemorating Odell Suits legacy and bluegrass talent named Papaw Odell’s was opened in Cleveland in 2023. Wally is playing fiddle while Odell strums the banjo on this tape. Also credited is Perry Suits on the guitar, Carol Gregory on the mandolin, and Frankie Baker playing bass. View our upcoming collection on Wally when it is available.
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Wally and his Tennessee Valley Boys did many shows in this southeastern portion of the country. Included are a few scans of old advertisements for live events that he and the group were a part of, one event made free through a grant from the recording industry fund, obtained by Local 80. Wally has some interesting music history in Sand Mountain in Alabama, playing roles in groups like Avril Schrader and the Sand Mountain Mudslingers & Mountain Valley Bluegrass. Wally inherited the “Tennessee Valley Boys” title from Garland Phillips, who grew up on Sand Mountain, and had been a self-taught musician since a young boy in the 1940’s. Avril Shrader of Sand Mountain says “I know he [Garland] would be pleased about that.” Garland and Wally both were revered in the area for their fiddling abilities.
This 1993 recording has been uploaded locally below and can also be found and streamed on YouTube as well. View our collection on Wally Clayton when it is available.