Bluegrass Pioneer Dies

The bluegrass music community lost one of its pioneers Dec. 31, 2002, when James Monroe "Jim" McReynolds, half of the legendary brother duo Jim & Jesse, passed away at a hospital in Gallatin, Tenn. He was 75.

Jim & Jesse charted 10 singles on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart between 1964 and 1986. The duo's best-known songs include "Diesel on My Tail," "The Golden Rocket," and "Better Times A-Coming."

Jim McReynolds and his younger brother Jesse, who survives him, were raised in Carfax, Va. Their grandfather, Charlie McReynolds, recorded for RCA in the 1920s.

The duo's unique sound was rooted in familial harmonies, with Jim singing high tenor and playing guitar while Jesse sang lead and played the mandolin in a unique, cross-picking style he developed. The brothers made their recording debut on Capitol Records in 1952 but had most of their chart success while recording for Epic. They also recorded for Columbia, Opryland, CMH, Rounder, and their own Old Dominion label.

Through much of its career, the duo maintained a heavy touring schedule, backed by its band, the Virginia Boys. In addition to extensively touring the U.S., it has performed in Canada, Mexico, Japan, Europe, and Africa.

Jim and Jesse became members of the Grand Ole Opry cast in 1964 and performed at the Opry regularly. Among the other honors they received during their career were induction into the International Bluegrass Music Assn.'s Hall of Honor, the Virginia Country Music Hall of Fame, and Bill Monroe's Bluegrass Hall of Fame. In 1997, Jim & Jesse received the National Heritage Fellowship Award from the National Endowment for the Arts.

McReynolds, a World War II veteran, had been suffering from cancer. His wife, Areta, died of a heart attack Dec. 19, 2002.