Bill Runkle

Bluegrass banjo player. Born January 7, 1939 in Laurel, Pennsylvania. Died January 7, 2021. Runkle’s first full-time job was with Dean Burke, who worked under the name Porky and the Travelers. When Burke started square dances in York, Pennsylvania, Runkle, Dick Laird, his brother-in-law Jerry Lince, his father Richard Laird, and Charlie Shaw – incongruously called the Country Four – played with him about three nights a week. At about this time, Runkle began a 25-year stint hosting a regular Saturday bluegrass radio show on WGCB in Red Lion, Pennsylvania. He then had a six-year stint in a band – initially playing country music – led by Pennsylvania’s popular radio personality Al Shade. When Shade decided to "go bluegrass" with new personnel and a change of billing – the Short Mountain Boys – Runkle recorded three albums in addition to an earlier 45rpm record. Runkle toured and recorded with Del McCoury for about eight years, having joined him in 1970, after having originally met about 1957. The band played as much as two or three times a week with dates in Texas, Oklahoma, North Carolina, up into New England – including Maine and Boston – and in Canada. While with the Dixie Pals, Runkle helped to record songs such as the classic hard-driving bluegrass hits "I’ve Endured", "High On A Mountain", and "Rain Please Go Away". In all he featured on four early McCoury albums, and wrote "I'm Lonely Tonight", a track on the "High On A Mountain" LP. Runkle sang baritone, and lead on the duets when McCoury moved to the high tenor vocal part. Shortly after leaving McCoury, Runkle was hired by Bob Paisley and played with his band for about a year. Along with other former members of the Dixie Pals, Runkle formed a new group, Square Deal, with Dee Gunter (guitar and vocals) joining shortly afterwards. With Gunter they played throughout the mid-Atlantic region, and in 1985 recorded the album "Country Boy Rock N Roll" (DeeBee DB 1985). Subsequently, during another fleeting association with Gunter, Runkle played with the band Dixie Dukes, releasing "Back at it Again". In later years, Runkle established his own band, Smith Hollow, performing in the local area and recording a CD, "Lonely Tonight". Mainly a showcase for Runkle’s banjo work, it features 10 instrumentals, including four original tunes; "Marching Through Glenville", "Kicking The Dog", "Carocus" (in C-tuning) and "Jackrabbit", as well as the aforementioned "I'm Lonely Tonight".