THE GREENBRIAR BOYS
- From New York City.
- Formed in 1958 by John Herald (guitar), Bob Yellin (banjo), Eric Weissberg (bass) and Ralph Rinzler (mandolin).
- They were a popular folk group, performing regularly at the Newport Folk Festival with Joan Baez, Pete Seeger, the Kingston Trio, Bob Dylan, Peter Paul and Mary, and others.
- 1961, they backed Joan Baez on her 1961 album (Volume 2) and also recorded an album in 1963 for Elektra Records with California folk singer Dian James (Dian and the Greenbriar Boys). That album was produced by Jim Dickson, who also produced albums for the Dillards, the Byrds, Chris Hillman and others.
- 1962, released The Greenbriar Boys album (Vanguard)
- 1964, released Ragged But Right album (Vanguard).
- 1966, released Better Late Than Never album (Vanguard)
- Mandolin player Ralph Rinzler left the band in 1964 to become folklorist at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C. and was replaced by Frank Wakefield until the group broke up. Rinzler is credited with discovering and/or bringing to national attention many important folk and bluegrass acts, including Doc Watson.
- 1967, Yellin left the group and was replaced by Joe Isaacs (later of the Isaacs). Yellin moved to his homeland of Israel, changed his name to David (since Bob is not a Hebrew name) and performed there with a group called “Galilee Grass.” In 1982, he returned to the U.S. and formed a new band with his brother Gene and wife Yona called “Yellin Grass”—which he later re-named “The Joint Chiefs of Bluegrass.”
- 1970, the group broke up for good. Lead singer and guitarist John Herald formed the John Herald Band, based out of Woodstock, New York.
- Original bass player Eric Weissburg is best known for his performance of “Dueling Banjos” which was used in the soundtrack for the movie “Deliverance.” He also recorded an album titled “New Dimensions in Banjo and Bluegrass” with Marshall Brickman, a very influential banjo album of the sixties.
- 1992, the group reunited with a lineup including Yellin and Herald, Richard Greene on bass and fiddle and Greg Garing on mandolin.
- 1994, Ralph Rinzler died at the age of 59.
- 2005, John Herald died at the age of 65. He committed suicide.
- 2012, mandolinist and folklorist Ralph Rinzler was posthumously inducted into the IBMA’s Bluegrass Hall of Fame.