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Mandolin Man: The Bluegrass Life of Roland White
A No Depression Most Memorable Music Book of 2022
Roland White’s long career has taken him from membership in Bill Monroe’s Blue Grass Boys and Lester Flatt’s Nashville Grass to success with his own Roland White Band. A master of the mandolin and acclaimed multi-instrumentalist, White has mentored a host of bluegrass musicians and inspired countless others.
Bob Black draws on extensive interviews with White and his peers and friends to provide the first in-depth biography of the pioneering bluegrass figure. Born into a musical family, White found early success with the Kentucky Colonels during the 1960s folk revival. The many stops and collaborations that marked White's subsequent musical journey trace the history of modern bluegrass. But Black also delves into the seldom-told tale of White's life as a working musician, one who endured professional and music industry ups-and-downs to become a legendary artist and beloved teacher. An entertaining merger of memories and music history, Mandolin Man tells the overdue story of a bluegrass icon and his times.
Roland White’s long career has taken him from membership in Bill Monroe’s Blue Grass Boys and Lester Flatt’s Nashville Grass to success with his own Roland White Band. A master of the mandolin and acclaimed multi-instrumentalist, White has mentored a host of bluegrass musicians and inspired countless others.
Bob Black draws on extensive interviews with White and his peers and friends to provide the first in-depth biography of the pioneering bluegrass figure. Born into a musical family, White found early success with the Kentucky Colonels during the 1960s folk revival. The many stops and collaborations that marked White's subsequent musical journey trace the history of modern bluegrass. But Black also delves into the seldom-told tale of White's life as a working musician, one who endured professional and music industry ups-and-downs to become a legendary artist and beloved teacher. An entertaining merger of memories and music history, Mandolin Man tells the overdue story of a bluegrass icon and his times.
- GenresMusic
280 pages, Hardcover
Published June 28, 2022
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
October 31, 2022
I'm extremely grateful Bob Black wrote another bluegrass book, and on Roland White! The first half of the book is the strongest, as it's the most biographical and informational, tying together musical milestones, life events, and smaller stories. My favorite chapters were of Roland's time with Bill Monroe and Lester Flatt - Black really captured the experience, down to entertaining stories. I had the time of my life living the Blue Grass Boys and Nashville Grass life through these vivid tales.
It's extremely difficult to write a biography on musicians, I feel, because commenting on their albums is relevant, but it can turn into liner notes in book form. The second half of the book had insights into the albums and projects Roland had participated in (you'll get more out of these sections if you pull up the music and listen!), but I wanted to hear more about the international experiences and personal connections Roland White had while in the Country Gazette, the Nashville Bluegrass Band, and the Roland White Band. Sometimes we got nothing more than a quick comment that a major event in Roland's life passed, or that he visited half a dozen countries in a sentence. In a biography, I want to learn about the jobs Roland had on the sideline while doing music, things like that, what his experiences really were. That said, I'm sure Black was limited, in some capacity, to what he could get out of interviews from Roland White, who tragically passed away shortly before this book became available.
To a bluegrass fan like me, any book on bluegrass is a celebration - it's collecting memories and information, permanently, in the pages of a book. It records what I hope should never be forgotten. So I thank Mr. Bob Black again for going through the long process of writing a book and sharing it with us all.
It's extremely difficult to write a biography on musicians, I feel, because commenting on their albums is relevant, but it can turn into liner notes in book form. The second half of the book had insights into the albums and projects Roland had participated in (you'll get more out of these sections if you pull up the music and listen!), but I wanted to hear more about the international experiences and personal connections Roland White had while in the Country Gazette, the Nashville Bluegrass Band, and the Roland White Band. Sometimes we got nothing more than a quick comment that a major event in Roland's life passed, or that he visited half a dozen countries in a sentence. In a biography, I want to learn about the jobs Roland had on the sideline while doing music, things like that, what his experiences really were. That said, I'm sure Black was limited, in some capacity, to what he could get out of interviews from Roland White, who tragically passed away shortly before this book became available.
To a bluegrass fan like me, any book on bluegrass is a celebration - it's collecting memories and information, permanently, in the pages of a book. It records what I hope should never be forgotten. So I thank Mr. Bob Black again for going through the long process of writing a book and sharing it with us all.
November 13, 2025
Really great read. It is not a traditional biography—it is not told from purely a 3rd party perspective. I have met Bob Black a couple of times, and what this book felt like to me, was as though I was on a road trip with Bob, while he was telling me all these stories. It is a very successful, endearing read. And it gave me so many albums to look up.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews