_photo by Michael Wilson_

Ralph Stanley, a legend and patriarch in the world of Appalachian and bluegrass music, passed away Thursday from complications resulting from skin cancer, his publicist announced. Stanley was 89.

A native of the coal country of southwest Virginia, Stanley and his brother Carter took from the tradition of Bill Monroe and formed the Stanley Brothers and the Clinch Mountain Boys, using their unique three-part harmonies, with bandmate Pee Wee Lambert, to create a distinct bluegrass sound. They also helped popularize the folk standard “Man of Constant Sorrow,” which was recorded by Bob Dylan for his 1962 self-titled debut.

After his brother’s death in 1966, Stanley forged ahead despite Carter having been the lead singer and frontman for years, using the support of friends, reforming the Clinch Mountain Boys and adopting a more a cappella style of singing. Stanley received an honorary doctorate from Lincoln Memorial University in 1976, a “Living Legends” medal from the Library of Congress and a National Medal of Arts. He recorded an a cappella version of “O Death” for the hit soundtrack for the 2000 film O Brother, Where Art Thou? and won a Grammy for best male country performance in 2002 and best bluegrass album in 2003.