Wade Mainer

Wade Mainer

Wade Eckhart Mainer (April 21, 1907 – September 12, 2011) was an American country singer and banjoist. With his band, the Sons of the Mountaineers, he is credited with bridging the gap between old-time mountain music and Bluegrass and is sometimes called the "Grandfather of Bluegrass". In addition, he innovated a two-finger banjo fingerpicking style, which was a precursor to modern three-finger bluegrass styles. Originally from North Carolina, Mainer's main influences came from the mountain music of his family. In a career that began in 1934 and spanned almost six decades, Mainer transitioned from being a member of his brother's band into the founder of his own ensemble, the Sons of the Mountaineers, with whom he performed until 1953, when he became more deeply involved with his Christianity and left the music industry. After working at a General Motors factory and attending gospel revivals, Mainer was convinced that he should restart his career as a Christian gospel musician and began to tour with his wife in this capacity. He continued to release albums until 1993.

Birth and Death Data: Born April 21, 1907 (Buncombe County), Died September 12, 2011 (Flint)

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1935 - 1950

Roles Represented in DAHR: vocalist, leader, banjo, harmonica, composer, songwriter, speaker

= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.

Recordings (Results 1-25 of 123 records)

Company	Matrix No.	Size	First Recording Date	Title	Primary Performer	Description	Role
Victor	BS-94328	10-in.	8/6/1935	Ship sailing now	J. E. Mainer's Mountaineers ; Wade Mainer ; Zeke Morris	String band, with male vocal duet	vocalist
Victor	BS-94330	10-in.	8/6/1935	Maple on the hill	J. E. Mainer's Mountaineers ; Wade Mainer ; Zeke Morris	String band, with male vocal duet	vocalist
Victor	BS-94331	10-in.	8/6/1935	Take me in the lifeboat	J. E. Mainer's Mountaineers ; Wade Mainer ; Zeke Morris	String band, with male vocal duet	vocalist
Victor	BS-94333	10-in.	8/6/1935	New curly headed baby	J. E. Mainer's Mountaineers ; Wade Mainer ; Zeke Morris	String band, with male vocal duet	vocalist
Victor	BS-94339	10-in.	8/6/1935	City on the hill	J. E. Mainer's Mountaineers ; Daddy John Love ; Wade Mainer ; Zeke Morris	String band, with male vocal quartet	vocalist
Victor	BS-94341	10-in.	8/6/1935	Write a letter to Mother	J. E. Mainer's Mountaineers ; Daddy John Love ; Wade Mainer ; Zeke Morris	String band, with male vocal quartet	vocalist
Victor	BS-94342	10-in.	8/6/1935	Lights in the valley	J. E. Mainer's Mountaineers ; Daddy John Love ; Wade Mainer ; Zeke Morris	String band, with male vocal quartet	vocalist
Victor	BS-94675	10-in.	2/12/1936	Two little rosebuds	Dixon Brothers	Male vocal duet, with guitar and steel guitar	songwriter
Victor	BS-94678	10-in.	2/12/1936	Not turning back	Dixon Brothers	Male vocal duet, with guitar and steel guitar	songwriter
Victor	BS-99133	10-in.	2/14/1936	Come back to your dobie shack	Wade Mainer ; Zeke Morris	Male vocal duet, with banjo, guitar, and harmonica	instrumentalist, banjo, harmonica, vocalist
Victor	BS-99135	10-in.	2/14/1936	What would you give in exchange	Wade Mainer ; Zeke Morris	Male vocal duet, with guitar and banjo	instrumentalist, banjo, vocalist
Victor	BS-99136	10-in.	2/14/1936	A leaf from the sea	Wade Mainer ; Zeke Morris	Male vocal duet, with banjo, guitar, and harmonica	instrumentalist, banjo, harmonica, vocalist
Victor	BS-99137	10-in.	2/14/1936	Brown eyes	Wade Mainer ; Zeke Morris	Male vocal duet, with guitar and banjo	instrumentalist, banjo, vocalist
Victor	BS-99138	10-in.	2/15/1936	Maple on the hill	Wade Mainer ; Zeke Morris	Male vocal duet, with guitar and banjo	instrumentalist, banjo, vocalist
Victor	BS-99139	10-in.	2/15/1936	Going to Georgia	Wade Mainer ; Zeke Morris	Male vocal duet, with banjo, guitar, and harmonica	instrumentalist, banjo, harmonica, vocalist
Victor	BS-99140	10-in.	2/15/1936	Nobody's darling but mine	Wade Mainer ; Zeke Morris	Male vocal duet, with banjo and guitar	instrumentalist, banjo, vocalist
Victor	BS-99141	10-in.	2/15/1936	Mother came to get her boy from jail	Wade Mainer ; Zeke Morris	Male vocal duet, with banjo and guitar	instrumentalist, banjo, vocalist
Victor	BS-99142	10-in.	2/15/1936	Where the red, red roses grow	Wade Mainer ; Zeke Morris	Male vocal duet, with banjo, guitar, and harmonica	vocalist
Victor	BS-102600	10-in.	6/15/1936	On a cold winter night	J. E. Mainer's Mountaineers ; Wade Mainer	Male vocal solo, with string band	vocalist, instrumentalist, banjo
Victor	BS-102601	10-in.	6/15/1936	John Henry was a little boy	Beacham Blackweller ; J. E. Mainer's Mountaineers ; Wade Mainer	Male vocal trio, with string band	vocalist
Victor	BS-102602	10-in.	6/15/1936	The old and faded picture	J. E. Mainer's Mountaineers ; Wade Mainer ; Zeke Morris	Male vocal trio, with string band	vocalist
Victor	BS-102603	10-in.	6/15/1936	Take me home to the sweet sunny South	J. E. Mainer's Mountaineers ; Wade Mainer	Male vocal solo, with string band	vocalist
Victor	BS-102604	10-in.	6/15/1936	Walk that lonesome valley	J. E. Mainer's Mountaineers ; Wade Mainer ; Zeke Morris	Male vocal duet, with string band	vocalist
Victor	BS-102605	10-in.	6/15/1936	Got a home in that rock	J. E. Mainer's Mountaineers ; Wade Mainer ; Zeke Morris	Male vocal duet, with string band	vocalist
Victor	BS-102606	10-in.	6/15/1936	Johnson's old grey mule	J. E. Mainer's Mountaineers ; Wade Mainer ; Zeke Morris	Male vocal trio, with string band and talk	vocalist

(Results 1-25 of 123 records)

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Mainer, Wade," accessed November 5, 2024, https://adpprod2.library.ucsb.edu/names/104228.

Mainer, Wade. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved November 5, 2024, from https://adpprod2.library.ucsb.edu/names/104228.

"Mainer, Wade." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 5 November 2024.