Ralph Edmund Stanley (born February 25, 1927), also known as Dr. Ralph Stanley, is an American bluegrass artist, known for his distinctive singing and banjo playing. Stanley has been playing music since 1946, originally with his brother Carter as part of the "Stanley Brothers", and most often as the leader of his band, the "Clinch Mountain Boys". He is part of the first generation of bluegrass musicians and has been inducted into both the International Bluegrass Music Hall of Honor and the Grand Ole Opry.