Sunny Siders WLEN Adrian, MI

About The Group The Sunny Siders were a bluegrass duo that worked out of the Michigan area. They are both originally from West Virginia, but did not start working together until they met in Michigan in the early 1960s. Sonny Nelson was getting recognized for his talent on the five-string banjo. Roy McGinnis wsa known for his clear high tenor vocals. The two men and their wives traveled quite a bit together early on - attending various country music shows as spectators, but all the while, practicing their own music together. Then came a time when they felt they were ready to be seen and heard. They decided that the bluegrass show that came to the area, they would try and be on the list of acts on the show. Jimmy Martin and his Sunny Mountain Boys were coming to town around that time. The Sunny Siders contacted the promoter and were given a slot on the show. The audiences appreciated the new group's soft harmony vocals. That led to appearances with such acts as Bill Monroe and the Blue Grass Boys, the Stanley Brothers, LOnesome Pine Fiddlers, Hylo Brown, Mc WIseman, Jim Greer and the Mac-o-bee Valley Boys, Stringbean and more. They appeared on various radio shows in the area. For a year, they were a part of the regular cast of performers on the Monroe County Jamboree that originated in Monroe County, Michigan. Each Saturday night, they entertained the audiences for two hours over WLEN-FM in Adrian, Michigan. Roy was the show's manager. They did their first recording on October 19, 1966 for REM Records at the Nugget studios in Nashville. A couple of the tunes from this session include "Sometimes Late At Night" written by Charlie Palmer, a dobro player from Michigan. ANother tune was "On The Rock", written by Michigan bluegrass artist Wandell Smith. Credits & Sources Buddy Meredith Fan Club Journal; March 1967; Buddy Meredith Fan Club Read More About The Group

Recordings (78rpm/45rpm)

Rem
Rec. No.	Side	Song Title
408	A	On The Rock
408	B	Sometimes Late At Night