- From Yorktown, Virginia. Moved to Seattle, Washington in 1971.
- Learned to play autoharp after hearing Mike Seeger of the New Lost City Ramblers.
- After moving to Seattle, he played on the street for coins and in bars for tips.
- 1966, traveled east in his panel truck called “Old Yeller.” Performed at the Cellar Door in Washington, D.C. and was heard by the Dillards, the New Grass Revival, and the Seldom Scene. All three bands have since worked with Bryan both in concert and in the recording studio.
- For several years, he traveled with as many as 12 autoharps. Spent three hours before each performance tuning them. “I was basically a professional piano tuner,” he says. “I got burnt out.”
- 1993, he was inducted into the Autoharp Hall of Fame.
- “Bryan is to the autoharp what Earl Scruggs was to the banjo.” (Bluegrass Unlimited)
RECOMMENDED ALBUMS:
- The View from Home
(Flying Fish, 1977)
- Home Home on the Road
(Flying Fish, 1980)
- By Heart
(Flying Fish, 1984)
- Friend for Life
(Flying Fish, 1990)