Sep 11, 2008
Bob Carty always has an interesting story to tell about his experiences on the road as a musician.
Bob Carty, a musician and songwriter who lives in Rossville, has traveled the country, meeting many people and gathering interesting experiences.
The 49-year-old Carty was born in Radford, Va. But his fathers career as a coal mining project engineer meant his family moved from city to city.
I grew up all over Kentucky, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, and just wherever they needed to coal mine, Carty said. We would be there for a year or two, then we would move on.
Carty graduated from high school in Grundy, Va., in 1977. He earned a bachelors degree in 1993 and now works as a substance abuse counselor in Fort Oglethorpe.
He was fortunate to have been exposed to a variety of musicians while growing up. According to Carty, it was in his blood to be a musician.
My great uncle was Indian Joe, who used to be in the Grand Ole Opry, back in the early forties, Carty said.
On Sunday evenings at great-grandmaws after church, people would gather around. Here would come a guitar, here would come a banjo, then a fiddle. And the next thing you know its an all-day-long jamboree, Carty said. So when somebody would put (an instrument) down, I would get it and try to do what they were doing.
Carty said that after learning the various instruments, he finally earned a place on his great-grandfathers porch.
At age 16, Carty was beaten out of a job by Ricky Skaggs, who was 14 at the time. He beat me out for a job traveling with Ralph Stanley, who is known as the father of bluegrass, Carty said. He is the big deal in bluegrass.
Carty said he plays about 50 instruments, including piano, banjo, organ, guitar, bass, fiddle and mandolin, to name a few.
Carty learned to play the instruments by rote and later by ear.
Carty would travel to various towns and cities, including Nashville, with a fish bowl, which he would set up for tips. He played the clubs and music halls.
I was amazed at how little they seemed to be making in (Nashville) for the quality of music they could provide, Carty said. I saw guys on the street begging with a cigar box that were way better than anything in my hometown and it really shaped the way I looked at things. There are a lot of ways to get paid in music, but going off to Nashville to be a big star is not one of them, I dont think.
As a traveling musician, Carty said he did OK financially.
I could break even from Miami to Detroit with a guitar and a fish bowl. I could stay in good accommodations and I could eat well, Carty said.
He spent a lot of his time during his travels writing songs, he said.
Carty has given up the traveling musicians life and settled down in Rossville with his wife Suzanne. He likes to take it easy at home and is content with playing benefit shows and friends parties. Im just doing it for the love now, Carty said.
Link:
http://www.catwalkchatt.com/view/full_story/3345450/article-Meet-Rossville%E2...
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inoxhan 2 months ago
Bob Carty is a master story teller and always has an interesting story from his life to tell. A unique talent and friend.
BookReviewGuy1995 1 year ago