The Mystery Mountain Boys is a three pieced all acoustic band (since November 2007 has become a two pieced band) led by Tony Thomas. They are known for their hard driving bluegrass, bluegrass gospel, classic country, as well as their original music and songs. Tony is joined by Cline Phillips on banjo. Tony and Cline are multi talented musicians, each having their own style on banjo, guitar, mandolin, and fiddle. Both sing lead as well as baritone and write much of their own material. This duo puts on a great show and are capable of arranging their concerts to fit any occasion.
The Mystery Mountain Boys started as a group in the summer of 1974. The group consisted of (at that time) Tony Thomas, the late Charlie Robinson, a very young Cline and Dow Phillips along with older brother Kinley and cousin Elmer Phillips. In the winter of 1977 they recorded their first 45 record at Cumberland Records in Oliver Springs, Tennessee with two original songs, “ I Want to go Back to the Mountains” and “ My Darling Sleeps”. In 1978 they recorded their first long play record album with 13 songs titled, “ The Black Lung Blues”. They worked together as the Mystery Mountain Boys until 1984 at which time Cline, Dow and Tony went into bluegrass gospel and formed a group known as the Backwoods Boys. In 1985 they recorded a gospel Ep. containing 4 songs at Cumberland Records. They worked with several bass players from that time period as well as a very young Chris West on guitar (of Blue Moon Rising fame). They were together until November 1987 at which time the two Phillips brothers took off to raise families. But West and Thomas continued on and played with several bands through the years, including Coal Creek.
Three of the original Mystery Mountain Boys (Tony Thomas, Cline Phillips and Elmer Phillips) merged together again at the Museum of Appalachia’s 4th of July celebration in 2003. Because of the audience’s response they decided to reunite as the Mystery Mountain Boys. In November of 2007, the band lost Elmer after a long battle with cancer. Elmer asked Tony and Cline to keep the music going and the two are definitely keeping the music alive.
The Mystery Mountain Boys developed their own style back when they first started. They’ve played a lot of other people’s songs, but they always tried to do things their way because they never wanted to sound like anybody else. They have strived to keep the old time mountain tradition alive and well.
Their first CD,“The Mystery Mountain Boys Reunited”, contains 17 songs, with four being original. Their second CD, “ I Wanna Go Back to the Mountains”, contains 16 songs with 3 being original. Both CDs are presented in the straight forward mountain bluegrass style and have been reviewed in Bluegrass Unlimited. The band has since released two more CDs, “ When The Mines Grew Still” and“ Appalachian Homecoming”.