Buzz Busby Homepage

Buzz Busby

Bernarr Busbice (Buzz Busby) was born on September 6th, 1933 in Eros, Louisiana.. Busby learned to play mandolin as a child by listenong to Bill Monroe on the Grand Ole Opry and playing with his brothers in a local band. He relocated to Washington, DC, where he was briefly employed by the FBI but soon became involved with bluegrass musicians in the area. During the 50s, his band included Scotty Stoneman, Bill Emerson, Eddie Adcock, Jack Clement, Charlie Waller and Pete Pike, with whom he created a comic duo called Ham And Scram (the Country Gentlemen were a spin-off from one of Busby's groups).

Buzz and Scott Stoneman played with Mac Wiseman from 1954-55. Busby had his own daily Hayloft Hoedown on WRC-TV. He and his group, the Bayou Boys, played in Washington, Boston, Shreveport on the Louisiana Hayride and Wheeling. He made recordings for Sheraton, Jiffy (gaining local success with "Me And The Jukebox"), Starday ("Going Home") and Rebel ("Mandolin Twist"). Unfortunately, a growing fondness for drugs and alcohol finally landed him with a six-month jail term in 1962. In the late 60s, he formed a band, with Leon Morris, that recorded for Rounder and Jessup Records, but any further progress was soon halted while he served another prison term.

In the early 80s, he recorded for his brother's Webco label, being backed by the Johnson Mountain Boys, but ill-health saw him retire in 1984, apart from making a few appearances at important festivals and doing some recording. Buzz's fianl recording was in 1993 with the Patuxent Partnes (Patuxent CD-035), which is now out of print. A re-release is planned. Buzz is considered to be the "father of D.C. bluegrass" by experts in bluegrass music. Buzz Busby died of heart failure in January, 2003.

TALKING BANJO * WHOSE RED WAGON * LONESOME ROAD * BUZZ'S RAMBLE *
LONESOME WIND * LOST * MANDOLIN TANGO * I DON'T MIND * BANJO WHIZ *
WINDY STRINGS * GOING HOME * ME & THE JUKE BOX * COLD & WINDY NIGHT *
RENO BOUND * WHERE WILL THIS END * TRAGIC HIGHWAY *
DON'T COME RUNNING BACK TO ME * I'LL CRY TOMORROW * LOVE IS A STRANGER

BUZZ BUSBY, TOM MORGAN, SMILEY HOBBS, CARL NELSON, PETE KYKENDALL, CHARLIE WALLER
PORTER CHURCH, VANCE TRUELL, PETE PIKE, BILL EMERSON, SCOTT STONEMAN, JOHN HALL
ROY SELF, JACK STONEMAN

At the End * Flat Creek * I Stood on the Bridge at Midnight * Long Way From Home *
Fly, Bird Fly * This World's No Place to Live (But it's Home) * Jack's Bass *
Me ant the Jukebox * Rambler * Life to Go * Scramble * Travelin' Down This Lonesome Road *
Just for a While * All the Good Times are Past and Gone

Buzz Busby - Mandolin & Vocals, Leon Morris - Guitar & Vocals
Lamar Grier & Bob Wilkerson - Banjo, Ed Ferris & Jack Stoneman- Bass

Are You From Dixie * Selfish Heart * Jesse James * (It's a Long Way) To the Top of the World *
Lonely Heart * Upstairs in the Bedroom * Lena * Must You Throw Dirt in My Face *
Sing Me Back Home * Sitting Here Waiting for You * I Can Feel it in My Heart *
Isn't it a Beautiful Day

Leon Morris - Guitar & Vocals, Buzz Busby - Mandolin & Vocals, Lamar Grier & Fred Geiger - Banjo
Bill Bialey, Ed Ferris, Gary Henderson - Bass, Russ Hooper - Dobro