Curley Seckler to NC Hall of Fame

In April this year we reported that The Board of Directors of the North Carolina Music Hall of Fame had selected Curly Seckler to be an inductee in its Class of 2010.

Curly will be featured in a Legends of Bluegrass set during the IBMA FanFest on October 2 in Nashville.  Then, less than a week later, he will return to his native North Carolina to be inducted into the NC Music Hall of Fame in Kannapolis.

Seckler was born in China Grove, NC on 25th December 1919.  He got his start as a professional musician at WSTP radio in Salisbury, NC in 1935.  In 1939 he joined Charlie Monroe’s Kentucky Pardners and moved to radio WWVA in Wheeling, WV.  He went on to perform with several of the top first generation bluegrass bands, including Jim and Jesse, the Stanley Brothers, the Sauceman Brothers, and Mac Wiseman and the Country Boys.

Now at age 90, Seckler continues to be a creative, hard working entertainer.

In 1949 Seckler joined Lester Flatt, Earl Scruggs and the Foggy Mountain Boys, as tenor singer and mandolin player.  He was an integral part of this group during its most musically productive years.  During his tenure they landed a lucrative sponsorship with Martha White Mills and a daily radio show on WSM in Nashville, became members of the Grand Ole Opry, and began a series of highly successful television programs in multiple markets across the Southeast.

Seckler remained with the Foggy Mountain Boys for about twelve years, recording over 130 songs with them, many of which have become bluegrass classics.  After Flatt and Scruggs parted ways, Seckler joined Lester Flatt’s Nashville Grass.  Before Flatt passed away in 1979 he asked Seckler to take over leadership of the band.  Seckler continued to lead the Nashville Grass for another 15 years, before retiring from active touring.

In 2004 he was inducted into the IBMA Hall of Fame.  That same year he made a series of new recordings and began performing more frequently.  His recent appearances have included MerleFest in NC, Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival in CA, River of Music Party in KY, the IBMA Awards Show in Nashville, and the Song of the Mountains television series on PBS.

Now at age 90, Seckler continues to be a creative, hard working entertainer.  This year he celebrates his 75th anniversary in music!