Bill Monroe
The Grand Ole Opry With Bill Monroe
I first met Bill Monroe in June of 1953 when he (along with Jimmy Martin, Charlie Cline, and L.E. White) appeared at the Barbeque Barn near Florence, South Carolina. I was playing with Slim Mims and The Dream Ranch Boys on WJMX at the time. We opened the show for Bill Monroe and The Bluegrass Boys that night. Bill needed a bass player for his show and I filled in for him. Before the evening was over, he had offered me a job with his band. We met the next weekend at the Pick Theater in Mt. Airy, North Carolina where he had a show. Monroe gave me 15 minutes on his show to perform a comedy act. It was my debut as the comedian, Uncle Puny. After that, Monroe and I started to do two-man comedy routines together in addition to my playing the bass as a regular part of his shows. We put on shows at a lot of schools and traveled quite a bit. Times on the road got really bad, and I left Monroe in the winter of 1953, worked awhile with Slim Mims then went back with Monroe in 1954. In 1957, I played the guitar on 9 of the 12 songs on Monroe's first LP "Knee Deep in Bluegrass". My name on the LP was incorrectly listed as Lester Sandy instead of Leslie Sandy. Don Stover, Dale Potter, Gordon Terry, Tommy Jackson, and Joe Stuart are also on the same recording.
I have many memories of the times I shared as one of The Bluegrass Boys. One is the time I visited Monroe's old home place in Rosine where I met his brothers, Charlie, John, and Birch. All in all, I did three stints with Bill Monroe. Over the years, I guess I became one of the "lost Bluegrass Boys". Thanks to Walt Saunders, Tom Ewing (writers for BU), and Russell Palmer of Gulf, North Carolina I became "found" again through their inquiries, research, and articles in BU.
I do not have any photographs of the times with Bill Monroe. Times were hard back then and I could not afford a camera and film. However, I do still have one special memento - the Nashville Union Card (Kind of worn with age now) that admitted me to appear on The Grand Ole Opry.
Little did I know then that Bill Monroe would later become known as The Father of Bluegrass. It was an honor and a privilege to have been one of the original Bluegrass Boys and to have appeared with Bill Monroe on the Grand Ole Opry.
Jim and Jesse McReynolds
Les Sandy's Memories of Jim and Jesse McReynolds
Musicians who formerly played with Jim and Jesse McReynolds are reunited at the 1999 Winter Bluegrass Festival at Lenoir Community College in Kinston, NC.
Leslie Sandy (Center) first met Jim and Jesse in Augusta, Georgia in 1949 when he played bass for Hoke Jenkins & The Smokey Mountaineers on WGAC- He played with Jim and Jesse in 1955 in Danville, Virginia. During this time, the album Airmail Special was recorded (Jan. 24, 1955-Capitol Records). Leslie played the bass on four songs: "I'll Wear The Banner", "My Garden of Love", "I'll See You Tonight in My Dreams" and "Tears of Regret". He left Jim and Jesse & The Virginia Boys for a while but returned to play with them again in 1957 on The Suwanee River Jamboree in Live Oak, Florida. He recalls the times with Jim and Jesse with fondness and was saddened upon the death of his friend and fellow musician, Jim McReynolds.
Jesse McReynolds, Jim McReynolds, and Jerry Dunbar. Jerry played the fiddle for Jim and Jesse. He now resides in Kinston, North Carolina. (This reunion at the Winter Bluegrass Festival would be the last time these old friends would all be together to talk about the "olden days".)
Other Performances
Performances
Throughout the years, Leslie Sandy has performed at many festivals, wedding receptions, private birthday parties, family reunions and homecomings. Fourth of July Celebrations, senior citizen groups, churches and various fundraisers. He has been on radio and television programs and has performed in several theatrical productions.
SMOKE ON THE MOUNTAIN
A ROUSING MUSICAL COMEDY ABOUT THE
SANDERS FAMILY
Written by Connie Ray
Featuring Leslie Sandy on the fiddle.
Beth Newton, the director, said "Mr. Sandy brought a whole new level to the performance of the show.
His Knowledge and talent were invaluable." The show featured more than two dozen standard bluegrass gospel songs.
Presented by
ENCORE Theatre Laurel Hill Community Center Auditorium
Laurinburg, NC
October 25-27, 2002
THE ROBBER BRIDEGROOM
A BLUEGRASS MUSICAL PRESENTED BY
WEST COLUMBUS HIGH SCHOOL
Cerra Gorda, NC
April 8-9, 2004
Featuring the musical talent of Bluegrass Legend, Leslie Sandy on the fiddle along with musicians David Cable, Dennis Cash and Randy Parnell.
BIG RIVER, THE ADVENTURES OF HUCKLEBERRY FINN
This Broadway Musical is a classic adapted from the novel by Mark Twain.
The award-winning score is by King of the Road, Roger Miller. This was Mr. Miller's first and only Broadway musical. Mr. Sandy played the fiddle in the production.
Cape Fear Regional Theatre
Fayetteville, NC
January 30-February 15, 2004
“The band, led by musical director Mark Simonsen, is among the most eclectic to perform at the theater in recent years. From 75-year-old Les Sandy to Bryon Settle, the former guitarist of 1980s rockers The Pressure Boys and hillbilly swinger Jon Parsons of The Parsons, the Big River band sounded great."
Stacy Peterson, Staff writer – The Fayetteville Observer
1-910-486-3512