Bluegrass Bios

Thile, Chris

CHRIS THILE Originally from San Diego (CA) County. Born in Oceanside, lived in Idyllwild, California. Now lives in New York City. Pronounced “Theé-lee” (like “really.”) Took mandolin lessons from John Moore (of California and Blue

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Nu-Blu

NU-BLU From Siler City, North Carolina. Formed in 2003 by a husband-wife duo Carolyn and Daniel Routh (bass and guitar). Other band members: Levi Austin (banjo) and Austin Koerner (mandolin). Shortly after the band’s formation, Carolyn had a s

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Bluegrass Martins, The

THE BLUEGRASS MARTINS From Jefferson City, Missouri. A family band featuring the Martin siblings Anne (bass), Dale (guitar), Janice (banjo), Lee (mandolin), Jeana (fiddle) and Larita (Dobro™). 2007, won the SPBGMA International Blue

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Quiz: Are there any “Q’s” in Bluegrass?

NO Q IN BLUEGRASS? So far, no bluegrass bands or artists have made the “Q” category. Maybe the closest would be Rhonda Vincent who sometimes bills herself as the “Queen of Bluegrass.” If your band has a “Q” name (Quiet Grass, Quickstep Reunion, th

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Blue Rose

BLUE ROSE From the San Francisco, CA area. An all-female folk group featuring Laurie Lewis, Cathy Fink, Sally Van Meter, Molly Mason and Marcy Marxer. They recorded one album together (self titled on Sugar Hill Records) in 1988. Broke up short

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Hott, Joe

JOE HOTT From Winchester, Virginia. Grew up in Augusta, West Virginia. Moved to Nashville in 2017. Began performing as a child after hearing the Lewis Family and Ralph Stanley, his biggest influence. 2012 (at age 16), formed the Short Moun

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Moore, Nancy

NANCY MOORE From Crawfordville, Florida. In high school, she played flute and oboe in her school band and was a drum major and band director. She started singing as a child in church. Her big break came when she was introduced to Tom T. Hall

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Sawtooth Mountain Boys, The

THE SAWTOOTH MOUNTAIN BOYS From Monmouth (Willamette Valley), Oregon. Oregon’s “original bluegrass band.” Formed in 1970 by Steve Waller (mandolin) and Mike Eisler (banjo). Before then, the two had a group called the Sawtooth Mountain Volunte

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Block, Ron

RON BLOCK From Torrance, California. Lives in Nashville His father owned a music store (Hogan’s Music) in Southern California. He grew up literally surrounded by musical instruments. Began playing guitar at age 11; banjo at age 13. 1983-1985

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Sand Mountain Boys, The

THE SAND MOUNTAIN BOYS Originally from Alabama; relocated to Milton, Florida. Formed in 1989. Sand Mountain is a large plateau in northeastern Alabama. For years, this group wore white tuxedos decked out with rhinestones. Leader and banjo

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Find an Artist

This web site contains short profiles of the best-known bluegrass artists and bands.

Use the Search Band or Artist function located at the top of the sidebar on the right to find an artist by name.
Or, utilize the Artist List drop-down below the search function in the right sidebar to search by the first letter of their last name if an individual – or – the first letter of a band name.

Check Out These Artists

Trending Today

Burton, Chris

CHRIS BURTON From Roanoke, Virginia. A banjo player and songwriter...

East Coast Bluegrass Band, The

THE EAST COAST BLUEGRASS BAND From Virginia. Formed in 1985...

Wywrot, Thomas

THOMAS WYWROT From Dryden, Ontario, Canada; Lives in Nashville. As...

Access the Bluegrass Calendar

In the navigation at the top of the website, choose a month and then scroll through the days.

Programming Suggestions

Need some music for holidays and other special occasions? Look to the right, I where you’ll find the occasion and some song suggestions to meet your programming needs.

Some Background

A great big howdy to ya, I’m Wayne Rice, a bluegrass radio programmer from San Diego, California. I began compiling this material in 1988 for DJ’s like myself who want to at least sound knowledgeable about bluegrass music on the air. Originally I published Bluegrass Bios® in a three-ring binder and sold it to DJs around the country … but now it’s here on the web and it’s free! Use it for your show prep, or just enjoy learning more about the amazing artists who play and sing bluegrass music. If you find errors or wish to make a suggestion, please contact me. Thanks!