A West Virginia bluegrass legend has died. Everett Lilly passed away at his home at Clear Creek in Raleigh County on Tuesday. He was 87. Lilly was one of the pioneers of bluegrass music. Along with is brother Bea who died in 2005, the Lilly Brothers began performing on Beckley radio station WJLS soon after World War II. They moved on to perform in Wheeling and then Nashville. During the 1950's they played with Flatt and Scruggs regularly on the Grand Ole Opry. In later years the moved to Boston and spent 16-years playing on a bluegrass show called the Hillbilly Ranch. The pair is also credited with bringing bluegrass music to Japan. The brothers are honored in the West Virginia Music Hall of Fame and the Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame. IN 2009, Everett was awarded the Vandalia Award--which is the highest honor a West Virginia folk singer can receive. Most recently, the elder Lilly had been performing with his group called "The Lilly Mountaineers" which included his two sons.
Everette was a friend of maine as was his brother "B" and Don Stover. The Lilly Brother were the first Bluegrass Band to tour Japan back in 1970. The trio were inducted in the Bluegrass Hall of Honor
