I was searching through some old recordings and I found this tune that was recorded on the spur of the moment in my son Craig’s bedroom just before Craig built his home recording and producing studio. I found this:
I know it really takes a good reach to turn on/off the bass drone on C pipes. I certainly can’t do it, no matter how I twist and turn.
It’s great to hear Bernard! I was just thinking about him the other day. He was such a nice and gentle soul. He passed away too soon, and is sorely missed.
Could you lads enlighten those of us who are not familiar with Bernard Grigsby?
I met Bernard Grigsby when I attended Irish week in Elkins WV. I was blown away with his bright red bag cover.
I was taking reedmaking and he was taking piping.
I got him to attend the Clifftop string band festival in WV and he camped with me. We really bonded and we visited each other for up to 2 weeks at a time.
We attended many events and festivals together, including footmad, the tionals in St. Louis MO and Chapel Hill NC as well as several old fiddlers conventions as well, including Galax VA, about 20 miles from here.
He had the most musical toys I had ever seen, 3 full sets in D, C and B, several other chanters, NSP SSP, flutes, whistles, guitars, banjos Sicilian mouth pipes, etc. He didn’t have any hurdy gurdies, though.
Bernard passed away at his home at age 52 from a brain aneurysm on Feb 2 2010.
He was a true gentleman and my best friend.
Please post your memories of Bernard. The more I read about him, the more I am impressed with him.
wow, a loss for ya mate.
peace, and thanks for that history.
Sounds like he was a fine man.
R
He always had time for me. I first met him on the phone..though I can’t remember exactly how, but I cold called him and a few hours later..we were fast friends. I remember a funny time @ the St. Louis gathering. He came into the class quite late. I think Kevin Rowsome was teaching? Unbothered by his own lateness, he takes out his Marantz half-speed tape recorder, presses “play,” and proceeds to cue at FF through whatever was on the tape looking for a blank spot to record on. “zeeeeeeeeeeeep zipz izp izp pzipzwhooooosh <zipzipzizpizppzpzizppzzzzzzzzzzzzz …garble…” as he fumbled for the volume, which he had on FULL BLAST! In his gentle slow southern drawl, he says, “sorry sorry ,whoooops…oh my…sorryyyyy…!” it was really funny.
I remember in 1999 @ the St. Louis tionol, he played a great reel on the low whistle and Tim Britton said something like, “nice Bernard!” He said, “thayyyyanks, Teeim!”
He loved the pipes, and all things Irish. Mike Mullins, Jim Wenham, and myself drank to him in Miltown as soon as we found out the bad news.
We miss you Bernard!!!
I had no idea Bernard passed away.
So sad for such a kind sort to go so soon. 
Tommy
At 52? That’s a crying shame. Too early for what sounds like an absolute ace fellow. RIP.
that recorder story is hilarious!
I met Bernard in St. Louis through mutual friends and thereafter, always looked forward to seeing him again. One year we spent an entire Sunday at McGurk’s swapping tunes, chanters and stories - just the two of us. He’ll be missed.
I met Bernard in St. Louis through mutual friends and thereafter, always looked forward to seeing him again. One year we spent an entire Sunday at McGurk’s swapping tunes, chanters and stories - just the two of us. He’ll be missed.
Yeah, 52 is way too young, especially for someone like Bernard. It’s a sad loss.
Bernard had enough chanters to trade them for an entire afternoon! 
He was a truly lovely man.
I remember doing a blind taste test with him at the home of the late, lamented Paul Levin: it was the first time I’d heard of spruce reeds.
What a gent.
I met Bernard at the Pittsburgh Tionol 1991 and we became friends right away. We attended the same years at Augusta several times . He was truly a wonderful kind person. He came down with Phil Sexton to a piping party near Raleigh NC. I too did not know he had passed away until I received the summer edition of “The Pipers Review”. I had telephoned him several times over the last year but got no answer. I even telephone him to tell him about the Blue Ridge Parkway piping party about two weeks ago. It was a shock to hear of his passing. He was a wonderful person and it was a pleasure to have known him. He is missed… Ed
Hello Everyone,
I am Bernard’s Sister. I would like to thank everyone for all their kind words. My Brother was a very special person and words will never be able to say how much I loved him.
Again Thank You
“Hello, my name is bernard grigsby I live in the state of West Virginia, in a town that’s on the Ohio river. I have been playing Irish music for twelve years now. I started playing uilleann pipes about 8yrs. ago now.
My first set was an experiment by Mark Hillmann, the best could not get it reeded and playing sufficiently. I was fortunate enough to get ahold of a D. Williams chanter and a Bill Thomas drone (he’s suppose to be making a set of T,B,&Bs reg. with the taylor style reed cap) at this point, was I able to start to learn the ins and outs of the instrument. …”
The above is the start of the first long e-mail from Bernard, with the subject title “To make myself known”, sent to me in 1999. This was the start of a long friendship over the years via e-mail discussing pipes, especially Geoff’s instruments, reeds & music. We never met in person, only through words, but I liked him, a very nice man. I only found out a couple of weeks ago that Bernard had passed away. My condolences to his family, his sister, & friends
I shared Mike Euritt’s basement with Bernard at my first tionol in San Francisco in 1997. I met him at the many other West Coast Tionol in those days and always missed him when he couldn’t be there. Here are a few photos from those events:
He was a gent and I was glad to have known him.
Patrick.