NEELY, BERNICE (SPARKS) (c.1937-)

Bernice Neely is Larry Sparks’s older sister, and got him started playing guitar. She and Larry performed together as a duo in church and on the radio as they were growing up. When Larry formed the Lonesome Ramblers, Bernice played rhythm guitar and sang harmony in the first band, and recorded with Larry on his first Pine Tree album. She wrote a number of bluegrass standards, which originated with Larry’s recordings.

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