Last week, we lost another great bluegrass voice and musician, Although exact information is still forthcoming, Pat Enright passed away at the age of 81. While his name was not as well-known to the general music audience, he was a stalwart in the bluegrass community, having been a member of two influential bands and a voice that was on a multi-platinum album.
Born in Indiana, he originally wanted to be an architect. However, he got bit by the folk music bug during high school. He joined the Navy in 1965 to avoid the draft, and while stationed in Washington, DC, he discovered bluegrass music. After the service, he moved to San Francisco and played in a number of area bluegrass bands. He moved to Nashville and secured a job at Gruhn Guitars. While working on a guitar, a string snapped and hit his left eye, causing it blindness.
In 1979, he was invited by Bela Fleck to join Tasty Licks, which had him move to Boston. They would later move back to Nashville and form the Dreadful Snakes. That band’s only album, Snakes Alive, is considered one of the most important bluegrass albums of the time.
In 1984, he and Alan O’Bryant formed the Nashville Bluegrass Band, The band’s 20-year run would leave an indelible impact on bluegrass music, as they not only stressed the traditional side, but included heavy influences from black Gospel, old-time string bands, and the blues. So many of the NBB songs included four-part harmonies arranged by Enright.
The highwater mark of his performing career came in 1999, when he recorded vocals for the soundtrack to O Brother, Where Art Thou?. That is his yodel on the recording of “In the Jailhouse Now,” as well as the harmony singing on “Man of Constant Sorrow.” During the Down From the Mountain US tour, NBB served as the house band to back up many of the vocalists from the soundtrack.
NBB won numerous IBMA awards during its tenure, and of course, he received a Grammy for the soundtrack for OBWAT. After the band retired in 2004, Enright stayed away from the music scene for the most part, occasionally performing at the Station Inn or other Nashville venues. My memory of him is getting to talk to him at a few IBMA World of Bluegrass conferences around 2010. We talked about old Martin guitars and the video that NBB had made for vocal harmony instruction. As with so many bluegrass artists, he was extremely humble and cordial to me and anyone else that wanted to talk. NBB has always been one of my favorite bluegrass bands, particularly due to those amazing harmonies, courtesy of Pat Enright.
Sir, your voice will surely be missed down here, but I know that you are now singing with the Angel Band.
Chew on it and comment.
Luegra 