Musical Pioneer. Primarily a mandolinist, he shall be remembered as a premiere bluegrass performer of two generations. Raised in Raleigh County near Beckley, West Virginia, he worked briefly in the coalmines and got his start in the music business in 1938 performing with his brother Bea (1921-2005) on WJLS in Beckley. The brothers soon added banjoist Don Stover and were appearing as "The Lilly Brothers" in ever-larger venues throughout the South. In the early 1950s Mr. Lilly worked in Nashville as the mandolinist for Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs then in 1954 the group relocated to Boston where they spent the next 16 years headlining as "The Confederate Mountaineers". The 1970 death of Mr. Lilly's son Giles ended the Boston days but in 1973 the ensemble staged a successful tour of Japan that produced three "live" albums. The Lilly Brothers continued performing and recording despite changes in personnel over time and were to earn praise at the Newport Folk Festival, Carnegie Hall, and elsewhere. Mr. Lilly was named to the Massachusetts Music Hall of Fame in 1986, to the International Bluegrass Hall of Fame in 2002, and to the West Virginia Music Hall of Fame in 2008, and was to remain an active artist until his death. At his demise much of his recorded legacy remained in print.
Musical Pioneer. Primarily a mandolinist, he shall be remembered as a premiere bluegrass performer of two generations. Raised in Raleigh County near Beckley, West Virginia, he worked briefly in the coalmines and got his start in the music business in 1938 performing with his brother Bea (1921-2005) on WJLS in Beckley. The brothers soon added banjoist Don Stover and were appearing as "The Lilly Brothers" in ever-larger venues throughout the South. In the early 1950s Mr. Lilly worked in Nashville as the mandolinist for Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs then in 1954 the group relocated to Boston where they spent the next 16 years headlining as "The Confederate Mountaineers". The 1970 death of Mr. Lilly's son Giles ended the Boston days but in 1973 the ensemble staged a successful tour of Japan that produced three "live" albums. The Lilly Brothers continued performing and recording despite changes in personnel over time and were to earn praise at the Newport Folk Festival, Carnegie Hall, and elsewhere. Mr. Lilly was named to the Massachusetts Music Hall of Fame in 1986, to the International Bluegrass Hall of Fame in 2002, and to the West Virginia Music Hall of Fame in 2008, and was to remain an active artist until his death. At his demise much of his recorded legacy remained in print.
Bio by: Bob Hufford
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