Balsam Range

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BALSAM RANGE

  • From Clyde, North Carolina.
  • Formed in 2007 by Marc Pruett (banjo), Caleb Smith (guitar), Darren Nicholson (mandolin), Tim Surrett (bass and resonator guitar) and Buddy Melton (fiddle).
  • Pruett has worked with Ricky Skaggs (played banjo on Skaggs’ landmark “Sweet Temptation” album in 1979 and was a founding member of Kentucky Thunder in 1996) and James Monroe. Also had a gospel group called “Harvest.”
  • Nicholson previously worked with Alecia Nugent.
  • Melton was formerly with Rock Springs Reunion (gospel group) and Jubal Foster (country band).
  • Surrett is a former member of the Isaacs and the Kingsmen.
  • Their name (Balsam Range) is the name of the mountain range on the southern edge of the Great Smokey Mountain National Park, surrounding the area where the band members live.
  • 2007, released Marching Home album (Mountain Home)
  • 2008, released Last Train To Kitty Hawk album (Mountain Home).
  • 2010, became the first band to perform at the NASCAR Hall of Fame (at its opening) in Charlotte, NC.
  • 2010, released Trains I Missed album (Mountain Home)
  • 2011, won the IBMA Award for Song of the Year (for “Trains I Missed“).
  • 2012, released Papertown album (Mountain Home).
  • 2013, won the IBMA Award for Album of the Year (for Papertown).
  • 2013, recorded an album with John Driskell Hopkins of the Zac Brown Band called Daylight.
  • 2014, released their fifth album Five (Mountain Home).
  • 2014, won IBMA Awards for Entertainer of the Year, Vocal Group of the Year and Male Vocalist of the Year (Buddy Melton)
  • 2015, won IBMA Awards for Vocal Group of the Year and Song of the Year (for “Moon Over Memphis”).
  • 2016, released Mountain Voodoo album (Mountain Home).
  • 2017, released Christmas Time album (Mountain Home).
  • 2018, released Mountain Overture album (Mountain Home) with the Atlanta Pops Orchestra Ensemble.
  • 2018, won IBMA Awards for Entertainer of the Year (for the second time). Buddy Melton also won for Male Vocalist of the Year (also for the second time) and Tim Surrent won the award for Bass Player of the Year (his first in that category).
  • 2019, released Aeonic album (Mountain Home).
  • 2022, mandolin player Darren Nicholson left the band to purse a solo career. He was replaced by Alan Bibey.