Whitstein Brothers, The

Whitstein Brothers, The

THE WHITSTEIN BROTHERS From Colfax, Louisiana. A brothers duet featuring Robert (guitar) and Charles (mandolin) Whitstein. Their style is reminiscent of the Louvin Brothers, the Delmore Brothers, and the Blue Sky Boys. 1964-65, worked o

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Gulley, Steve

Gulley, Steve

STEVE GULLEY (AND NEW PINNACLE) From East Tennessee. Began his professional career as musical director and performer at Renfro Valley Barn Dance (Renfro Valley, Kentucky). 1995-1998, sang lead vocals with Doyle Lawson and Quicksilver. 1

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Reynolds, Shannon Leigh

Reynolds, Shannon Leigh

SHANNON LEIGH REYNOLDS From Washington DC; originally from Georgia. She is a singer/songwriter/guitarist who performs bluegrass, classic country, and other folk styles of music. 2017, formed a duo with banjo player Keith Arneson called Pea

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Driessen, Casey

Driessen, Casey

CASEY DRIESSEN From Chicago, Illinois. Started playing fiddle at age 6. Attended Berklee College of Music; taught by Matt Glaser. 1999, toured with Steve Earle and the Bluegrass Dukes. 2000, moved to Nashville. Has worked there with Tim O

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Shotgun Holler

Shotgun Holler

SHOTGUN HOLLER From Kentucky. Formed in 2014 by Shawn Brock and Matt Jones. Band members: Shawn Brock (mandolin), Matt Jones (guitar), Rod Lunger (bass), Nathan Treadway (banjo) and Alex Benefiel (fiddle). Band members live in Indiana, Kentuc

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Sugarbeat

Sugarbeat

SUGARBEAT Formed in 1992 by Tony Furtado (banjo), Matt Flinner (mandolin), Ben Demerath (guitar) and Sally Truitt (bass). 1992, won the Telluride Bluegrass Festival Band Contest (which was also the first time they ever played together.) 1993,

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Wiseman, Mac

Wiseman, Mac

MAC WISEMAN From Crimora, Virginia. Lives on Percy Priest Lake, near Nashville. Was born in 1925, the same year the Grand Ole Opry started. Real name: Malcolm Bell Wiseman. 1944, began his career as a DJ in in Harrisonburg, Virginia. 1946,

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Warburton, Marty

Warburton, Marty

MARTY WARBURTON (AND HOME GIRLS) From Las Vegas, Nevada. Plays banjo and guitar. Was a member of Dry & Dusty (with Butch Baldassari) and Sagegrass. Former president of the Southern Nevada Bluegrass Music Society; also hosted a radio pr

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Rigsby, John

Rigsby, John

JOHN RIGSBY From Sandy Hook, Kentucky. Began his career with Dwight Whitley and the Sideroads while in high school. 1995, joined Ralph Stanley and the Clinch Mountain Boys, playing mandolin. 1996, released a duet album with Ralph Stanley II

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Alltop, Travis

Alltop, Travis

TRAVIS ALLTOP From Grafton, Ohio. Lives in Stanford, Kentucky. Began playing guitar at age 6. 1997, released first album “Two Different Worlds” (no label). 1998, played with a band from Parkersburg, West Virginia called “License to Driv

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Find an Artist

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

  1. Use the Search Band or Artist function located at the top of the sidebar on the right to find an artist by name.
  2. 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

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!