Curly Seckler & The Nashville Grass

Curly Seckler was born on Christmas day in 1919 to musical parents in China Grove, North Carolina. He grew up learning the organ from his mother while working in a cotton mill with his brother. He eventually acquired a banjo and began learning it from local musician Happy Trexler.

In 1939 at the age of 19, he came to the attention of Charlie Monroe, brother of Bill Monroe, and joined him on the road, taking on the life of a touring musician until World War II put his career on hold. By the mid-40s, Curly began playing music professionally again and in 1949 he joined the legendary ensemble the Foggy Mountain Boys, led by Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs.

Curly made seminal recordings with the Foggy Mountain Boys and continued playing with various ensembles for the next two decades. In 1973 he rejoined Lester Flatt in his new ensemble the Nashville Grass, which he eventually took over following Flatt’s passing in 1979.

Curly released two LPs with the Nashville Grass for CMH: 1980’s Take a Little Time and 1981’s There’s Gonna Be a Singing! The 2004 CMH compilation Essential Bluegrass Gospel collects material from each of these albums, culling together an extraordinary collection of bluegrass gospel standards played with adept skill and a whole lot of heart.

In 1994, Curly disbanded the Nashville Grass and retired from touring full-time. He continued playing and recording for many years and was inducted into the International Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame in 2004. He passed away in 2017.