The Blue Sky Boys: Bill and Earl Bolick

The 1930s country music scene was filled with brother duet acts. Some of the more famous brother duets were The Monroe Brothers, The Delmore Brothers, and The Carlisle Brothers. Bill and Earl Bolick started their recording careers in 1936 and set themselves apart not only by their name, The Blue Sky Boys, but by their unique musical style.

The Roots of the Blue Sky Boys

Bill and Earl Bolick were born and grew up in Hickory, North Carolina. Hickory is located in the foot hills of the Great Smoky Mountains. North Carolina is famous for it's Carolina blue sky and is sometimes referred to as the "Land of the Sky". The Blue Sky Boys later used these descriptions to form the name of their duet.

Many people in the area have strong religious beliefs. The Bill and Earl Bolick's family was no exception. Bill and Earl honed their skills singing hymns and gospel music in church every Sunday.

The Beginning of the Bolick brothers Career

Bill and Earl Bolick learned to play several instruments from their neighbor. Bill started out on the guitar and banjo. Earl learned to play guitar and mandolin. Bill ended up playing mandolin while Earl played acoustic guitar when they stated playing professionally.

The Bolick brothers duet became a local favorite and did local radio shows. They decided to move to Atlanta in 1936 and became well known quickly. The brothers auditioned for RCA records and was signed immediately to a recording contract.

The RCA Years

The Blue Sky Boys coined their name after signing with RCA and recorded their first songs Sunny Side of Life and Where the Soul Never Dies at a Charlotte, NC recording studio. The songs were immediate hits and the brothers went on to record about a hundred songs for RCA up until 1941.

Bill and Earl Bolick served in the military during the war returning to Atlanta in 1946. They had several more hits after returning to RCA, but the music scene was changing fast. The brothers didn't like the new "Honky Tonk" direction country music was taking. After being asked to switch to electric guitar they decided to call it quits in 1951.

Regular Jobs for the Boys

Bill got a job as a postal clerk and Earl went to work for Lockheed Aircraft in Atlanta. They came out of musical retirement occasionally when it suited them but never pursued music as a career again.

Influencing Another Generation

Bill and Earl Bolick left a legacy in hillbilly country music that is considered significant. The Everly Brothers and the Louvin Brothers claimed that the Blue Sky Boys were a huge influence on their style.Critics have stated that the Blue Sky Boy's duet vocals are the best ever recorded in country music. Conway Twitty, Loretta Lynn, George Jones, and Tammy Wynette owe their singing style to what was created by these Bolick brothers.

Sources: Personal knowledge from talking to my relatives that remember Bill and Earl.