ROOTS of Country Music

Roy Ross & His Ramblers

The mandolin trilling Roy Ross seems to hail from the Ohio (OH) area of the Appalachians, at least in the 1960s he was based out of the Canton, OH, area and led a group called Roy Ross' Blue Ridge Mountain Boys.

This band also backed up the famous bluegrass bandleader Hylo Brown on his recordings for the Rural Rhythm label done in 1968.

Pictured left (L-R) Don Jesse, Charley Ross, Roy Ross, Autis Maynard, and Roger Ross.

Ross had been around for awhile before this, recording a series of singles collaborating with country singer Bill Darnell for the Coral label and Ozzie Waters on the Coral label.

Ross had led a band known as Roy Ross and His Ramblers in the 1940s, which recorded several singles for Decca, backing up Red Foley in his early days. Two of the more popular recordings that Ross backed Foley on were, Harriet and Have I Told You Lately That I Love You (1946).

Ross also collaborated with Foley on the singles, Foggy River, Lay Down Your Soul, Old Shep, My Poor Little Heart is Broken, Atomic Power, Love to You Is Just a Game, Honey, Be My Honey Bee and I'll Be True to You My Darlin'. Ross also backed the Ames Brothers on several of their recordings, including the popular single, Stardust.

During the 1960's Roy Ross worked as a DJ on WPKO (Bellefontaine, OH ) from about the mid-1960s through the end of 1968 as he had been elected Sheriff in November and quit to take office in January. He served as sheriff for 12 years. Prior to working at the station around 1955-56 he had a radio show called the Ross Brothers and featured Roy Ross and his brother Charley and played all Gospel music.

In about 1959 or 1960 Ross had a program called Roy Ross and the Blue Ridge Mountain Boys and played a mixture of Blue Grass and Gospel Music. Some of the members of this group at various times included Don Jesse, Bill Wiseman, Charley Ross, Autis Maynard, Roger Ross, Dewey Steppe, Denzil Atkins, Roy's wife Mazel Ross and of course Roy Ross.

Roy Ross passed away November 9, 1998

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Researched and written by Richard Bell, Roots of Country Music, Feb. 17, 2012