Ezra Cline
Ezra Cline (born January 13, 1907 Gilbert Creek, WV- died July 11, 1984) was an American bluegrass bassist.
He began performing locally with his cousins Ireland "Lazy Ned" Cline and Ray "Curly Ray" Cline, along with local guitarist Zeke Stepp, as the Lonesome Pine Fiddlers in Gilbert Creek, WV. The three cousins worked in the coal mines during the week and played music on the weekends until 1938, when they left Mingo County, WV for Bluefield, WV to perform on WHIS radio.[1]
Cline was the oldest of 15 children, and when their father died at 57, he was left to care for his younger siblings. Ned Cline was killed in the war, and was replaced by Charlie Cline in 1947.[2]
In November 1953, Cline and the Lonesome Pine Fiddlers were performing on the WJR Big Barn Frolic. During the week, he worked at the Hudson plant in Detroit, Michigan. He hired Melvin and Ray Goins, following the departure of Charlie Cline (who went to work for Bill Monroe) and Paul Williams (who went to work for Jimmy Martin), and moved back to Kentucky to perform on a new station, WLSI in Pikeville.[3]