Roscoe Holcomb

Who was Roscoe Holcomb?

Roscoe Holcomb, was an American singer, banjo player, and guitarist from Daisy, Kentucky. A prominent figure in Appalachian folk music, Holcomb was the inspiration for the term "high, lonesome sound," coined by folklorist and friend John Cohen. Roscoe is known as the "King of the High lonesome sound." The term is now used to describe bluegrass singing, although Holcomb was not, strictly speaking, a bluegrass performer.

Holcomb's repertoire included old-time music, hymns, traditional music and blues ballads. He was a competent harmonica player, fiddle player and sang many of his most memorable songs a cappella.

Holcomb sang in a falsetto deeply informed by the Old Regular Baptist vocal tradition. Bob Dylan, a fan of Holcomb, described his singing as possessing "an untamed sense of control." He was also admired by the Stanley Brothers, and Eric Clapton cited Holcomb as his favorite country musician.

A coal miner and farmer for much of his life, Holcomb was not recorded until 1958, after which his career as a professional musician was bolstered by the folk revival in the 1960s. Holcomb gave his last live performance in 1978.