Country Gentlemen

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Country Gentlemen

Founded in 1957, the Country Gentlemen were the first blue-grass act to bridge the gap between the music's country origins and an urban audience. Combining singer Charlie Waller's Louisiana roots and mandolinist John Duffey's urbane tastes with inspired musician-ship, the Gentlemen rode the 1960s folk revival to prominence with a repertoire ranging from ancient ballads to Bob Dylan songs, culminating in the 1971 release of "Fox On The Run." Their version of the number—originally a failed rock 'n' roll single—became one of the few bluegrass songs to achieve popular culture immortality.

—Jon Weisberger

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