Joe Val
| Joe Val | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Joseph Valiante |
| Born |
June 26, 1926 Everett, Massachusetts, United States |
| Died | June 11, 1985 (aged 58) |
| Genres | Bluegrass |
| Occupation(s) | Instrumentalist |
| Instruments | Mandolin, guitar, banjo |
Joseph 'Val' Valiante (June 26, 1926 - June 11, 1985) was a bluegrass musician and singer from New England, known for his mandolin playing and his high tenor voice.
Joe Val was born Joseph Valiante in Everett, Massachusetts. Val played guitar and banjo, but became well known for his mandolin playing. While he made a living as a typewriter repairman, he played with several bands including the Radio Rangers and the Berkshire Mountain Boys. Joe helped blaze the trail for Boston's folk and bluegrass scene with the Lilly Brothers in the early '60s, and later surrounded himself with that city's top musicians including Joan Baez, The Charles River Valley Boys, banjo legends Don Stover and Bill Keith. Joe Val became "The voice of bluegrass in New England."
It was Bill Monroe's fiddler Tex Logan who coined the name "Joe Val".
In 1970, Joe Val formed his own band, the New England Bluegrass Boys, bringing in Herb Applin (guitar/vocals), Bob French (banjo), and Bob Tidwell (bass). The band recorded their first album One Morning In May in 1972, a tied first bluegrass release for Rounder Records. Joe was the first bluegrass artist signed by Rounder Records, and recorded with them exclusively, releasing albums from 1973 to 1984. Among those that played in the band were guitarists/lead vocalists Dave Dillon and Dave Haney, banjo players Paul Silvius, Karl Lauber and Joe Deetz, bass player Eric Levenson, fiddler Sonny Miller and dobro player Roger Williams.
In 1984, Joe was diagnosed with lymphoma, and his last important performance was at the 1984 Georgia Bluegrass Festival. The Joe Val Benefit, a fundraising event, was organised on the 9th June 1985 to help cover the cost for treatment, but unfortunately he died 2 days later. Joe was laid to rest in Mount Feake Cemetery. His headstone has an engraving of his 1923 Gibson 'Lloyd Loar' Mandolin, designed by Joe's devoted friend and bass player, Eric Levenson.
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