- From Scottsville, Virginia. Lives in Lebanon, Tennessee.
- Full name: Edward Windsor Adcock.
- A member of the IBMA’s Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame (inducted in 1996 as a member of the classic Country Gentlemen.)
- Considered one of the pioneers of “new acoustic music” or “newgrass,” a fusion of bluegrass with jazz and other non-traditional styles.
- He is a master auto mechanic, drag racer, inventor, and former boxer.
- Eddie and Martha have been called “The Sonny & Cher of Bluegrass.”
- Eddie and Martha call their music “twograss.”
- 1954, first pro job, working for Smokey Graves and the Blue Star Boys.
- 1956, worked with Mac Wiseman.
- 1958, worked with Bill Monroe and the Blue Grass Boys.
- 1959, joined the Country Gentlemen and became part of the “classic” band which was inducted into the IBMA’s Hall of Fame.
- 1970, left the Country Gentlemen. Moved to California, grew his hair long and played rock music under the pseudonym “Clinton Codack” (anagram of ‘Adcock’).
- 1971, formed band with Jimmy Gaudreau called the II (also spelled Second or IInd) Generation.
- 1973, met Martha Hearon (guitar) who became a member of II Generation.
- 1976, Eddie & Martha marry and became a duo act. They also had a band for a time, playing original country rock and fusion bluegrass.
- 1978, Eddie invented the “Gitbo”, a double-neck combination electric guitar and electrified acoustic banjo.
- 1984, 1985, Eddie and Martha toured with country singer David Allan Coe.
- 1985, Adcocks formed Talk Of The Town with Missy Raines. This eventually became The Eddie Adcock Band.
- 1990, 1991, performed with The Masters
featuring Eddie on banjo and guitar, Jesse McReynolds on mandolin, Josh Graves on Dobro™, and Kenny Baker on fiddle.
- 1991, released “Dixie Fried” album by The Eddie Adcock Band (CMH).
- 1992, released a duet album with Don Reno “Sensational Two Banjos” (Rebel).
- 1994, released “Talk to Your Heart” album by the Eddie Adcock Band (CMH).
- 1996, was inducted into the IBMA’s Hall of Fame (along with Charlie Waller, John Duffey and Tom Gray) as as a member of the Classic Country Gentlemen.
- 1998, Eddie and Martha released “Spirited” album (Pinecastle).
- 2004, had triple heart-bypass surgery.
- 2008 (and twice in 2011) had brain surgery to correct a tremor in his right hand which prevented him from playing the banjo. The surgery, known as “Deep Brain Stimulation,” was done while he was still awake and played the banjo to help the surgeons know when they had reached the part of his brain which controlled his hand. The story of this first-of-its-kind procedure was carried in many international newspapers and TV broadcasts, including ABC’s “Good Morning America.”
- 2009, Eddie and Martha organized an annual “Christmas Bluegrass Benefit Concert for the Homeless” at Nashville’s Station Inn.
- 2011, former Country Gentlemen bass player Tom Gray teamed up with Eddie and Martha to record an album titled Many A Mile
.
- 2014, Eddie was presented with the $50,000 Steve Martin Prize for Excellence in Banjo and Bluegrass Music.
- 2015, Eddie and Martha were involved in a serious auto accident in their home town of Lebanon, Tennessee. While suffering numerous injuries, they are expected to recover fully.
RECOMMENDED ALBUMS:
- Renaissance Man
(Pinecastle, 1996) Eddie’s signature album.
- Twograss
(Pinecastle, 2003) Eddie and Martha at their best.
- Many a Mile (Patuxent, 2011) with Tom Gray and Friends.