The Mulkey Brothers
The Mulkey Brothers, Ray and Shug, were long time performers on John Lair's Renfro Valley Barn Dance. Buddy Starcher reported in one of his 1949 newsletters that the Mulkey Brothers had a five-year contract with John Lair.
In the summer of 1949, the Mulkey Brothers took John Lair's spot at 7:15 am on WHAS in Louisville, Kentucky while Mr. Lair was on tour.
As part of the Renfro Valley gang, the brothers were also sang in the Glory Land Quartette, which specialized in adding old time harmonies to performances of spirituals and hymn. Rounding out the group were Shorty Sheehan, who handled the baritone parts and Old Joe Clark, doing the bass. Shug handled the tenor vocals while Ray sang lead.
The brothers won their first guitar as a prize at a singing contest they had entered as a duet act. For a time, they were also part of a group that essentially had the same makeup as the Glory Land Quartette - Old Joe "Speedy" Clark and his Lonesome Pine Boys.