KATE MACKENZIE

• From Minneapolis, Minnesota. Born in Mason City, Iowa. Grew up in Green Bay, Wisconsin.
• 1981-1995, performed with her band Stoney Lonesome.
• She made frequent appearances on Garrison Keillor’s “A Prairie Home Companion” (PBS) both as a member of Stoney Lonesome and as a solo performer. She was a member of the original Hopeful Gospel Quartet with Keillor, Chet Atkins and Linda Williams.
• 1995, formed the Kate MacKenzie Band with mandolinist Chris Silver, also a former member of Stoney Lonesome.
• 1995, won “Best Country or Bluegrass Recording” at the Minnesota Music Awards for her album Let Them Talk (Red House).
• 1996, formed a new band called The Pocket Fishermen.
• 1996, released Age of Innocence album (Red House).

BOBBY MACKEY

• From Wilder, Kentucky (near Cincinnati).
• Since 1978, has owned a night club called “Bobby Mackey’s” where he performs and hosts other country acts. Cincinnatti’s classic country radio station (WAOL) broadcasts live music from there on Friday nights.
• Bobby Mackey’s (the night club) has also received national attention because of ghosts that are said to inhabit the building.
• 2002, formed a bluegrass band called The Pine Hill Pickers.
• 2004, released Ten Shades of Green album (no label) with Rhonda Vincent, Sonya Isaacs and other guest artists. Produced by Adam Steffey.
• 2008, released Foolin’ Around album (no label).
• 2012, released Johanna album (no label).
• 2013, released Country Music Lives On album (no label).

UNCLE DAVE MACON

• From Murfreesboro, Tennessee.
• One of the Grand Ole Opry’s first superstars.
• 1926, joined the Opry at the age of 56. His last Opry performance was March 1, 1952.
• He was a vaudeville entertainer who took his act to the Opry and was one of the first to popularize the five-string banjo as a featured instrument.
• Nickname: “The Dixie Dewdrop.”
• Before joining the Opry, he ran a freight line from Murfreesboro to Woodbury Tennessee—two wagons with three mules pulling each wagon.
• 1952, died at the age of 81.
• Elected to the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1966.

RECOMMENDED ALBUMS:

• Go Long Mule (County, 1995)
• Country Music Hall of Fame: Uncle Dave Macon (MCA, 1992)

ROSE MADDOX

• From Boaz, Alabama.
• Full name: Roselea Arbana Maddox.
• Moved with her family to California in 1933 in search of a better life. They traveled by hitching rides in empty railroad boxcars. When they arrived in California, the only work they could find was as migrant “fruit tramps” working the fields and orchards up and down the fertile valleys of California.
• 1937, began performing with her brothers as “The Maddox Brothers and Rose,” one of country music’s most successful acts (broke up in 1956).
• Voted best female country vocalist by both Billboard and Cashbox magazines. She became known as “The Queen of the West.”
• After launching her solo career, she formed a band called The Foggy Notion Band. In her words, “I never had the foggiest notion that I would ever have my own band.”
• 1962, recorded Rose Maddox Sings Bluegrass (Capitol) which is widely believed to be the first bluegrass album released by a female vocalist. Side musicians on the album included Bill Monroe, Don Reno and Red Smiley.
• 1980, released This Is Rose Maddox album (Arhoolie) with the Vern Williams Band.
• 1983, released Beautiful Bouquet album (Arhoolie) with the Vern Williams Band.
• Rose has been the subject of several television specials and one book: Ramblin’ Rose: The Life and Career of Rose Maddox by Johnny Whiteside (Country Music Foundation).
• Died April 15, 1998.

TOMMY MAGNESS (AND HIS TENNESSEE BUDDIES)

• From Roanoke, Virginia.
• A fiddler who worked in the late 1930’s with Roy Hall and His Blue Ridge Entertainers (with whom he made the very first recording of the Orange Blossom Special.)
• 1940, joined Bill Monroe’s Blue Grass Boys and appeared on some of Monroe’s earliest recordings.
• 1946-47, worked with Roy Acuff’s Smoky Mountain Boys. While with Acuff, he made the first recording of the Black Mountain Rag.
• 1947, formed the Orange Blossom Boys.
• 1951, formed Tommy Magness and His Tennessee Buddies, which included Don Reno and Red Smiley. They recorded several juke box hits for King Records.
• He died in 1972.

JOHN MAILANDER

• From San Diego, California.
• A graduate of the Berklee School of Music in Boston, Massachusetts.
• Has played fiddle with Chris Stuart and BackCountry, Tony Trischka and Territory, Darol Anger, other bands.
• Performs as a duo with guitarist Molly Tuttle.
• 2014, played fiddle in Steve Martin & Edie Brickell’s musical, Bright Star, for it’s premier run in New York.
• 2014, released first solo album Walking Distance (no label).
• 2014, released Molly Tuttle & John Mailander album (no label).
• 2017, released a music instruction book A Fiddler’s Guid to Moveable Shapes (self published).
• 2018, joined Bruce Hornsby’s touring band the Noisemakers.

WADE MAINER

• From Weaverville, North Carolina. Lived most of his life in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
• A country music pioneer whose mountain string band music of the 1930’s helped lay the foundation for bluegrass which developed in the 1940’s.
• He and his older brother J.E. Mainer began performing together in 1927. They were first known as J.E. Mainer’s Crazy Mountaineers. Wade played banjo; J.E. played fiddle. In 1935, they recorded 14 songs for the RCA Bluebird label, including their biggest hit “Maple on the Hill.”
• 1936, formed his own band, Sons of the Mountaineers with Zeke and Wiley Morris, Clyde Moody, other musicians. From 1935 to 1941, they were one of the most heavily-recorded country artists of that era.
• 1953, left the music business and moved to Flint, Michigan where he worked for General Motors, retiring in 1972.
• 1975, began performing again with his wife, Julia May (stage name “Hillbilly Lilly”), who sings and plays guitar. They performed exclusively Gospel music.
• Mainer played banjo in the two-finger style popularized by Snuffy Jenkins (who inspired Earl Scruggs to develop his three-finger style.)
• 2002, appeared at the Grand Ole Opry and was Grand Marshall for the Uncle Dave Macon Days parade in Murfreesboro, Tennessee.
• 2011, died at the age of 104.

RECOMMENDED ALBUMS:

• I’m Not Looking Backward (Gusto).
• Wade Mainer & Associates (BACM)

LUBOS MALINA

• From the Czech Republic.
• Pronounced LEW-Bosch Ma-LEEN-a.
• He is the co-founder and banjo player for the Czech bluegrass band Druha Trava (Second Grass).
• Early influences: Larry McNeely and Earl Scruggs; later influences: Bela Fleck and Tony Trischka.
• 1992, won ‘Best Banjo Player Overall’ at Banjo Jamboree Festival (Czech Republic) and he won the award numerous times since then.
• 1999, released first solo album Piece of Cake (Alliance).

LEE MARCUS

• From Westminster, South Carolina.
• Has played banjo with Mercy Tree, Legacy Drive, and Blue Streek. Blue Streek won first place at the Georgia State Bluegrass Festival (2008).
• 2011, released solo project Grandpa’s Pond with guests Jim VanCleve, Cia Cherryholmes, Christian Ward and Josh Shilling.
• 2011, joined Wayne Taylor and Appaloosa, playing banjo.
• 2011, won first place in the International Songwriting Competition for his banjo tune “Gone Berserk.”
• 2012, led a campaign to have December 12 named as National Bluegrass Music Appreciation Day.
• 2012, left Wayne Taylor’s band and joined the military.

WIL MARING

• From Waterloo, Iowa. Grew up in Makanda, Illinois.
• Given name: Lillian Maring (Wil is a nickname acquired in grade school).
• She has a master’s degree in anthropology.
• 1989, she and German-born husband Mark Stoffel founded a band called Shady Mix in Illinois.
• 1992, they moved to Germany and re-formed Shady Mix there, becoming very popular in Europe.
• 2001, moved back to Illinois and re-formed Shady Mix once again with some of the original band members.
• 1998, won the Chris Austin song writing contest at MerleFest.
• 1998, released An Ocean from Home album (Bear Family).
• 2003, released The Turning of a Century album (Roan Pony).
• 2006, released The Calling album (Roan Pony).

THE MARKSMEN QUARTET

• From Murrayville, Georgia.
• A gospel quartet that formed in the early 1970’s.
• Members: Earle Wheeler (bass), his son Mark Wheeler (guitar/banjo), Darrin Chambers (guitar/Dobro™), Tommy Dutton (mandolin.)
• 1991, won Video of the Year for “Grandpa Was a Farmer (Independent Country Music Awards).
• 1992, won a “Telly” award for their video “Wagon Tracks.”
• 1993-95, won SPBGMA award for Best Bluegrass Gospel Group.
• 2009, released Blue Ridge Mountain Memories: 20 Gospel Favorites album (Rural Rhythm).

TAD MARKS

• From Cooksville, Maryland.
• 1990-1992, played fiddle for the Del McCoury Band.
• 1992-1993, the Lynn Morris Band.
• 1994, the Kate McKenzie Band.
• 1995-1997, the James King Band.
• 2000, worked with Scottish folksinger Charlie Zahm.
• 2003, worked with Big Hillbilly Bluegrass.
• 2003, appeared in Chris Rock movie “Head of State.”
• 2006, released solo project Back Road Home (no label).

MARTY MARRONE (AND TANGLED ROOTS)

• From St. Paul, Minnesota, originally from Pennsylvania.
• Marrone is a guitarist and singer who began playing bluegrass in high school.
• 1990-1996, lived in Chicago and played with the Special Consensus.
• 2000, moved to Minnesota, worked a few dates with Monroe Crossing.
• 2005, formed his own band called Tangled Roots.
• 2006, released Seven Years With the Special Consensus album (Indys).
• 2010, released Life of a Dream album (no label).
• 2011, joined The High 48’s, playing guitar.

MIKE MARSHALL

• From the San Francisco Bay area.
• He is of Italian descent; his family name is Marciarelli, which was shortened to Marshall.
• 1979, was an original member of the David Grisman Quintet.
• 1983, formed the Montreux Band, a new age jazz ensemble.
• 1987, formed the Modern Mandolin Quartet.
• 1995, traveled to Brazil and studied Brazilian choro music.
• 1996, formed Psychograss with Darol Anger, David Grier, Todd Philips and Tony Trischka.
• 1999, recorded and performed with Edgar Meyer, Joshua Bell and Sam Bush
• 2000, recorded and performed with NewGrange.
• 2002, released Into The Cauldron, an album of mandolin duets with Chris Thile (Sugar Hill).
• 2006, released Live Duets with Chris Thile (Sugar Hill).

BENNY MARTIN

• From Sparta, Tennessee.
• Full name: Benny Edward Martin, Sr.
• John Hartford called him “The World’s Greatest Unknown Fiddle Player.”
• 1944, began musical career with Big Jeff and the Radio Playboys.
• 1946, Milton Estes and His Musical Millers (on the Grand Ole Opry.)
• 1947, joined Bill Monroe and the Blue Grass Boys.
• 1947, worked with Roy Acuff.
• 1952-1954, worked with Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs.
• 1954, worked with Johnny and Jack.
• 1955, embarked on a solo career as a vocalist. Signed by Mercury Records. Act was called “Big Tige and the Little Tigers.”
• 1956, joined the Grand Ole Opry.
• Had the same manager as Elvis Presley, Col. Tom Parker. He was a frequent opening act for Elvis.
• Was a close friend and drinking buddy of Hank Williams, Sr.
• Invented an 8-string fiddle which never caught on. The only other performer to use it professionally was John Hartford.
• 1976, released Tennessee Jubilee album (Flying Fish), produced by John Hartford.
• 1997, received an IBMA Distinguised Achievement Award.
• 1999, released The Big Tiger Roars Again album (OMS) with guests Tom T. Hall, Earl Scruggs, Vince Gill, John Hartford, Ricky Skaggs, Jim & Jesse, Johnny Russell and others.
• 2001, released Big Tiger Roars Again (Part 2) album (OMS), his last.
• 2001, died on March 13. Sadly, one of his closest friends, John Hartford, also died the same year.
• 2005, was inducted into the IBMA’s Hall of Fame.

RECOMMENDED ALBUMS:

• Benny Martin: Just Me & My Fiddle (BACM, 2010)
• Fiddle Collection (CMH, 2007)

JIMMY MARTIN (AND THE SUNNY MOUNTAIN BOYS)

• From Sneedville, Tennessee.
• Nicknames: “Mr. Good ‘n Country” and “The King of Bluegrass Music.”
• 1949, auditioned for Bill Monroe at the Grand Ole Opry and was hired on the spot. Worked with Monroe until 1951. He sang lead on Monroe’s first recording of “Uncle Pen.”
• 1954, formed Jimmy Martin and the Osborne Brothers (with Bobby and Sonny).
• 1955, formed The Sunny Mountain Boys, named after one of Jimmy’s songs, “Sunny Side of the Mountain.”
• 1972, won a Grammy award for his work on the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band’s “Will the Circle Be Unbroken” album.
• Favorite sport: coon-hunting. Over the years, he has kept a large stable of coon-dogs, most of them named after country-music stars.
• He often credited himself with inventing the G-run, a guitar lick which is used widely in bluegrass music.
• 1964, he received a Distinguished Citizenship Award from Nashville’s Mayor Beverly Briley after Jimmy risked his life to pull a mother and her three children to safety from a flaming automobile that was involved in an accident.
• 1995, he was inducted into the IBMA’s Hall of Fame.
• 1999, he was the subject of book by Tom Piazza titled True Adventures with the King of Bluegrass published by the Country Music Foundation.
• 2002, retired from full-time performing.
• Died May 14, 2005.

RECOMMENDED ALBUMS:

• Jimmy Martin and the Sunny Mountain Boys (4-CD boxed set, Bear Family)
• 20 Greatest Hits (Gusto)
• Greatest Hits (King)

MAC MARTIN (AND THE DIXIE TRAVELERS)

• From Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
• His first band: the Pike County Boys (1948). He played mandolin.
• His real name: William (Bill) Colleran. The Pike County Boys had three Bills in it, so he adopted the stage name of Mac Martin and the name stuck with him throughout his career.
• Day job: he was an accountant.
• 1954, formed his own band The Dixie Travelers with Mike Carson (fiddle) and Billy Bryant (banjo). Bryant died in 1994. They were regulars at a Pittsburgh club called Walsh’s Lounge (19 years).
• 1972, retired from the band. Mandolinist (and bluegrass historian) Bob Artis led the Dixie Travelers until Martin returned in 1977.
• 1998, released Buzz Matheson & Mac Martin: Echoes of the Past album (White Oak).
• 2001, released A Dark Starless Night album, a collection of vintage recordings (White Oak).
• 2004, released Travelin’ On album (Copper Creek).
• 2005, released Venango album (Copper Creek).
• 2015, released Goin’ Down the Country album (Rural Rhythm).
• 2015, retired from performing at age 90. Played last concert with his Dixie Travelers on September 17, designated by the mayor of the city as “Mac Martin Day” in Pittsburgh.
• 2022, died at the age of 96.

STEVE MARTIN

• From Los Angeles, California. Born in Waco, Texas; grew up in Garden Grove, California.
• He is an Emmy and Grammy-award winning comedian, writer, musician and actor, appearing in dozens of films such as “The Jerk,” “Parenthood,” “Roxanne,” “Planes, Trains and Automobiles,” “Father of the Bride,” and “The Pink Panther.”
• Began playing banjo in the 1960’s, influenced by Earl Scruggs, Doug Dillard and John McEuen. He frequently used his banjo in comedy routines developed at Disneyland and Knotts Berry Farm and incorporated the banjo into his stand-up routines.
• 1981, released The Steve Martin Brothers album (Warner Brothers) which featured both comedy and banjo tunes.
• 2001, won a Grammy for his appearance on the Earl Scruggs And Friends recording of “Foggy Mountain Breakdown.”
• 2007, appeared on the IBMA and Grammy award-winning Double Banjo Bluegrass Spectacular album by Tony Trischka and Friends (Rounder).
• 2009, released his first all-banjo album The Crow: New Songs for the Five String Banjo (Rounder).
• 2009, began playing live dates with the Steep Canyon Rangers. Also made his first appearance as a musician on the Grand Ole Opry (With Vince Gill, May 30, 2009).
• 2010, won the Grammy Award for Bluegrass Album of the Year.
• 2011, released Rare Bird Alert album with the Steep Canyon Rangers.
• 2011, performed with the Steep Canyon Rangers on the steps of the U.S. Capitol Building for the PBS TV 4th of July Celebration.
• 2011, won the IBMA Award for Entertainer of the Year.
• 2013, released Love Has Come For You, his first album with singer/songwriter Edie Brickell, who formerly fronted the New Bohemians (1985-1990) best known for their hit “What I Am.” She also has a successful solo career (appeared and sang in the movie “Born on the Fourth of July”) and fronts another band called The Gaddabouts. She is married to singer/songwriter Paul Simon.
• 2014, released Steve Martin And The Steep Canyon Rangers Featuring Edie Brickell Live album (Rounder).
• 2015, received IBMA’s Distinguished Achievement Award for his contributions to bluegrass music.
• 2015, was inducted into the National Banjo Hall of Fame.
• 2015, released So Familiar, an album of duets with Edie Brickell (Rounder).

TIM MARTIN

• From Collinsville, Virginia. Was born in Roanoke.
• 1968, (at age 10), joined Dennis Hall and the Hilltoppers, playing banjo.
• 1971 (at age 13), joined Jim Eanes and the Shenandoah Valley Boys, his first professional music job.
• 1973 (at age 15) took up the fiddle.
• Has played fiddle with numerous bands: Lloyd Burge and the Henry County Partners, Garland Lambert and the Stoney Creek Boys, Junior Cassady and the Sundowners, Rich N Tradition, the Southern Gentlemen, and others.
• 2010, released solo album Bluegrass Fiddle (Patuxent).

MARY AND MARS

• From Santa Fe, New Mexico.
• An acoustic trio formed in 2002 to explore the outer limits of bluegrass. They played everything from bluegrass classics to Motown and reggae.
• Members: Sharon Gilchrist (mandolin), Ben Wright (guitar) and Josh Martin (bass).
• Gilchrist previously played mandolin and bass with the Dixie Chicks. She has a degree in Mandolin Studies from Belmont University in Nashville. Also studied mandolin in Savona, Italy with master Carlo Aonzo.
• 2004, released Mary & Mars Live at The Old Blinking Light album (Big Headed Kid Music).
• 2004, broke up. Gilchrist went on to work with Uncle Earl, The Peter Rowan and Tony Rice Quartet and other bands.

THE MASHVILLE BRIGADE

• From Nashville.
• Formed in 2007.
• Like the Sidemen before them, this group was formed to perform at Nashville’s Station Inn on Tuesday nghts.
• Band members included Aaron McDaris (banjo), Darrell Webb, (guitar), Ashby Frank (mandolin), Jim Van Cleve (fiddle) and Randy Barnes (bass). They were all members of other bands.
• Occasional Brigadeers included Josh Williams (guitar) and Scott Vestal (banjo).
• 2008, released Bluegrass Smash Hits Volume 1 album (Rural Rythm), recorded live at the Station Inn.
• 2009, did some touring with Terry Baucom (banjo) subbing for Aaron McDaris.

KATHY MATTEA

• From South Charleston, West Virginia. Lives in Nashville.
• 1976, while a student at WVU, she was a member of a bluegrass band called Pennsboro.
• 1978, moved to Nashville, got a job as tour guide at the Country Music Hall of Fame and did background vocals for Bobby Goldsboro and others.
• 1983, signed her first record deal and has since recorded seventeen albums (as of 2012) with more than thirty singles appearing on the Billboard Hot Country Singles charts including number one hits “Goin’ Gone”, “Where’ve You Been?” “Eighteen Wheels and a Dozen Roses”, “Come From the Heart” and “Burnin’ Old Memories.” She has had 12 number one singles.
• 1990, won Grammy for Best Female Vocal (“Where’ve You Been”)
• 1990, recorded “The Battle Hymn of Love,” a duet with Tim O’Brien which reached #9 on the country music charts (Billboard).
• 1992, had a hit with Larry Cordle’s composition “Lonesome Standard Time.”
• 1993. won Grammy for her Christmas album Good News in the Gospel category.
• 2008, recorded Coal, her first bluegrass/acoustic album.
• 2011, was inducted into the West Virginia Music Hall of Fame.

JIMMY MATTINGLY

• From Leitchfield, Kentucky.
• 1981, won the Grand Masters fiddle championship.
• 1981, joined Spectrum.
• Early 80’s, worked with the Forrester Sisters and Steve Wariner.
• 1989-1993, worked with Dolly Parton.
• 1993, worked with the Osborne Brothers.
• 1995, played fiddle with Garth Brooks until Brook’s retirement from touring in 2001.
• 2002, worked again with Dolly Parton, the Sidemen, other artists.
• 2004, formed The Grascals with Terry Eldridge, David Talbot, Danny Roberts, Terry Smith and Jamie Johnson.
• 2008, left the Grascals to work with Reba McIntyre and Garth Brooks (again). He also does studio and production work.
• 2024, received the Dr. Perry F. Harris Distinguished Fiddler Award from the Grand Masters Fiddle Championship.

KEVIN MAUL

• From Round Lake, New York.
• 1990-2000, played Dobro™ with Robin and Linda Williams as part of their “Fine Group.”
• Previously played in a Massachusetts band with Joe Perry of Aerosmith called “P-town Jug Band.”
• Has worked with Chet Atkins, Johnny Gimbel, Mary Chapin Carpenter and Vince Gill.
• 2002, released solo project Toolshed (Mandala).
• 2004, joined the Burns Sisters band.

PATRICK MCAVINUE

• From Hereford, Maryland.
• Began playing fiddle at age 7.
• At age 12, formed first band “The Salem Bottom Boys.”
• Won the Delaware State Fiddle Championship.
• 2006-2016, worked with Audie Blaylock and Redline.
• 2007, released first solo project Grave Run (Patuxent).
• 2009, released Rutland’s Reel album (Patuxent).
• 2014, formed a hybrid band called Charm City Junction with Brad Kolodner (banjo), Sean Comiskey (accordian) and Alex Lacquement (bass). Charm City is a nickname for Baltimore.
• 2016, accepted position as Artist-in-Residence at the Strathmore Arts Center in Bethesda, Maryland.
• 2016, joined Dailey & Vincent.
• 2017, won the IBMA Award for Fiddle Player of the Year.
• 2019, released Perfect Fit album (no label).
• 2020, joined the U.S. Navy, playing fiddle for Country Current.
• 2023, released Fortis album (no label).

DWIGHT MCCALL

• From Cincinnati, Ohio (born in Maryland).
• Began playing mandolin as a teenager.
• First pro job: Vernon McIntyre’s Appalachian Grass.
• 1992-1995, had a band called Union Springs.
• 1995, worked with Charlie Waller and the Country Gentlemen.
• 1996, joined J. D. Crowe and the New South.
• 1999, released first solo project “Kentucky Peace of Mind” (no label).
• 2007, released Never Say Never Again album (Rural Rhythm).
• 2012, formed American Drive with other former members of J.D. Crowe and the New South (after Crowe retired).

DEL MCCOURY (THE DEL MCCOURY BAND)

• From York, Pennsylvania. Currently lives in Nashville.
• Began playing banjo at age 14.
• 1963, played banjo with a Baltimore group, The Virginia Playboys.
• 1963-1964, worked with Bill Monroe and the Blue Grass Boys. Hired by Monroe to play guitar and sing lead (even though he didn’t own a guitar).
• 1964, moved to California to join The Golden State Boys with Vern Gosdin and Don Parmley; also worked with another California band, The Shady Valley Boys.
• After California, moved back to North Carolina and worked in his father’s sawmill.
• 1967, formed The Dixie Pals.
• 1983, changed his band name to the Del McCoury Band. His song Ronnie joined the band playing mandolin.
• 1985, recorded first album (self-titled).
• 1987, his son Robbie joined the band on banjo. First album with this version of the band was Don’t Stop the Music (Rounder).
• 1992, moved to Nashville.
• 1996, won his fourth IBMA Award for Male Vocalist of the Year (also won in 1990, 1991, 1992).
• 1997-8, toured and recorded with country singer Steve Earle. They did one album together called Mountain.
• 1998, appeared on CBS-TV special called “To Life: America Celebrates Israel’s 50th.” They played with a Klezmer band to show the similarities between traditional American music and traditional Israeli music. Also on the program: Stevie Wonder, Harry Connick, Jr., Natalie Cole, Michael Douglas, Kevin Costner.
• 1998, recorded with Doc Watson and Mac Wiseman as the “GrooveGrass Boyz.”
• 2001-2, toured with the “Down from the Mountain” tour.
• 2002, won the IBMA award for Song of the Year (“1952 Vincent Black Lightning”)
• 2003, after a national tour with Leftover Salmon, his newly acquired fans became known as “DelHeads.”
• 2003, was inducted into the Grand Ole Opry.
• 2004, won his ninth IBMA Award for Entertainer of the Year (he also won in 1994, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003).
• 2006, Del began doing a weekly show on Sirius Satellite Radio called “Hand Picked.”
• 2008, he began producing his own music festival called DelFest.
• 2009, his band members formed a progressive group called The Traveling McCoury’s.
• 2011, collaborated with the Preservation Hall Jazz Band for an album called American Legacies and several concert appearances.
• 2013, a stretch of Highway 261 in Mitchell County North Carolina (north of Bakersville) was named “The Del McCoury Highway.”
• 2019, won the IBMA Award for Album of the Year (“Del McCoury Still Sings Bluegrass”).

RECOMMENDED ALBUMS:

• Don’t Stop the Music (Rounder, 1990)
• Classic Bluegrass (Rebel, 1991)
• Livin on the Mountain (Rebel, 1992)
• The Blue Side of Town (Rounder, 1992)
• A Deeper Shade of Blue (Rounder, 1993)
• Cold Hard Facts (Rounder, 1996)
• The Family (Ceili Music, 1999)
• Del and the Boys (Ceili Music, 2001) Includes Song of the Year “1952 Vincent Black Lightning.”
• High Lonesome & Blues (Rounder, 2004)
• It’s Just the Night (McCoury Music, 2003) 2004, won IBMA Award for Album of the Year.
• The Company We Keep (McCoury Music, 2005) 2006, won the Grammy Award for Best Bluegrass Album.
• The Promised Land (McCoury Music, 2006)
• Moneyland (McCoury Music, 2008) Songs about the Great Depression and other songs about greed and poverty.
• By Request (McCoury Music, 2009)
• Family Circle (McCoury Music, 2009)
• Old Memories: The Songs of Bill Monroe (McCoury Music, 2012)
• Streets of Baltimore (McCoury Music, 2013) 2014 winner of the Grammy Award for Best Bluegrass Album.
• Del and Woody (McCoury Music, 2016) A tribute to the songs of Woody Guthrie.
• Del McCoury Still Sings Bluegrass (McCoury Music 2018). A tribute to his first album “Del McCoury Sings Bluegrass” which was recorded 50 years earlier). Won the IBMA Award for Album of the Year.

THE MCCORMICK BROTHERS

• From Westmoreland, Tennessee.
• A family band that began performing together in 1945 (they ranged in age from 7 to 19 at that time.)
• Featured brothers Lloyd (guitar), Haskell (banjo), Kelly (mandolin) and William Harold (bass.)
• Recorded for Fred Rose’s Hickory record label. They were heard by Ernest Tubb who was flying over Gallatin in a small plane and heard them on the radio. Tubb urged Rose to sign them and he did.
• 1955, recorded the original version of “The Bugle Call Rag.” Their signature song was the lighthearted “Red Hen Boogie.”
• 1970, recorded an album for Metromedia Records called “Brass Meets Grass” featuring horns with bluegrass instrumentation.
• Haskell also worked with country singer Marty Robbins and played banjo with Lester Flatt’s Nashville Grass (1971-1973). While with Lester, he recorded two originals: “McCormick String Picnic” and “The Haskel Stomp.”
• 2001, some members of this band formed a group called Bluegrass Invasion.
• 2001, released The Very Best of The McCormick Brothers album (Varese Sarabande)
• 2005, Kelly died.
• 2007, released Bluegrass Invasion album (Stonewall).
• 2009, released Somewhere in Time album (no label).
• 2013, William died.

AARON MCDARIS

• From Hartsville, Missouri.
• Began playing banjo at age 12.
• At age 14, began performing with a regional band called Second Exit.
• 1997, joined New Tradition.
• 2000, joined the Larry Stephenson Band.
• 2005, released a solo album First Time Around (Pinecastle).
• 2006, joined Michael Cleveland & Flamekeeper with Audie Blaylock.
• 2007, joined The Grascals, replacing David Talbot.
• When not traveling playing bluegrass, he has a landscaping business (mowing lawns).
• 2009, joined Rhonda Vincent and the Rage, replacing Kenny Ingram.
• 2010, he acquired Sonny Osborne’s “Rocky Top” banjo (pre-war Gibson RB-3).
• 2022, he acquired ownership of the Starvy Creek Bluegrass Festival (Conway, Missouri).

JOHN MCEUEN

• From Orange County, California. Lives in Aspen, Colorado.
• Founding member of The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band.
• Began his show-business career at age 16 with comedian Steve Martin doing magic tricks at Disneyland. (John gave Steve banjo lessons during that time.)
• Inspired musically by Doug Dillard (The Dillards).
• Made numerous appearances on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson and Nashville Now (TNN) which he has also hosted.Wrote the score for one feature film—”The Man Outside” with Levon Helm, as well as several NBC-TV specials.
• 1976, produced the Grammy-winning Will the Circle Be Unbroken album (Capitol) featuring the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band with Doc Watson, Earl Scruggs, Roy Acuff and many other bluegrass and country music legends.
• 1985, released first solo project John McEuen (Warner Brothers).
• 1987, left the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band to spend more time with his family and pursue other career opportunities.
• 1989, produced a full-length documentary on the original Dillards called The Dillards: A Night in the Ozarks (Varese Sarabande).
• 1991, released String Wizards album (Vanguard).
• 1994, won “Best Traditional Western Album” (for John Mceuen Presents: The Music of the Wild West) at the Western Heritage Awards Show in Oklahoma City.
• 1994, released String Wizards II (Vanguard). This album was nominated for a Grammy Award.
• 1994, won the Uncle Dave Macon award for his role in preserving and performing historic music.
• 1994, wrote and produced the music for “The Good Old Boys”, a TV movie starring Tommy Lee Jones and Sissy Spacek.
• 1996, wrote an autobiography, titled The Dirt Road.
• 1996, released Acoustic Traveller album (Vanguard).
• 2001, re-joined the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band to tour and record again.
• 2005, released Round Trip: Live in L.A. album (Rural Rhythm).
• 2010, won a Grammy Award as producer of Steve Martin’s “The Crow” album (Best Bluegrass Album).
• 2012, released For All The Good album (Mesa Bluemoon) with his sons Jonathan and Nathan.
• 2013, was awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Charlie Poole Music Festival.
• 2017, was inducted into the National Banjo Hall of Fame in Oklahoma City.
• 2017, left the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band following the completion of their 50th anniversary tour.

JOHN MCGANN

• From Boston; born in Morristown, New Jersey.
• Founding member of the Beacon Hillbillies, a Boston band (1991-1995).
• Plays guitar and mandolin.
• 1982, played with a band called Lost in the Shuffle.
• 1985, won the mandolin championship in Winfield, Kansas.
• 1984-1990, played with local bands The Stringbusters and Off Center.
• 1992, formed a group called Rust Farm (formerly Flywheel) with mandolinist Chris Moore.
• Also performs with a variety of fiddle bands, traditional Irish and Celtic groups.
• 2001, performed and recorded with The Wayfaring Strangers, a jazz-bluegrass fusion with Matt Glaser, Andy Statman, Tony Trischka and others.
• 2012, died at the age of 52.

THE JAMES & ANGELA MCKINNEY BAND

• From Dallas, Texas.
• James is originally from Ft. Payne, Alabama.
• Age 15, James won the Southern States Banjo Championship.
• Age 19, he moved to Nashville and directed Opryland’s bluegrass show. Also worked as a studio musician.
• 1980, toured with Vassar Clements.
• 1982, won the National Banjo Championship in Winfield, Kansas.
• 1987, moved back to Dallas and formed Danger in the Air with wife Angela.
• 1990, moved back to Nashville and formed the James and Angela McKinney Band.
• 2004, released first album “A Clear View.”
• 2008, Angela formed her own band called Angela McKinney and Her Mighty Small Band (based in Tennessee). James formed a band called James McKinney and the Night Travelers (based in Georgia).

THE MCKRELLS

• From Saratoga Springs, New York.
• Founded by guitarist and vocalist Kevin McKrell (formerly with Donnybrook Fair).
• A regional band, they blended Irish/Celtic music with bluegrass/newgrass.
• 1996, won the band contest at the Winterhawk Bluegrass Festival.
• They performed regularly at the Night Eagle Café in Oxford, New York.
• They played Carnegie Hall and opened for major touring bands suchas Lonestar. They also toured Ireland.
• 2005, broke up for good.

THE MCLAIN FAMILY BAND

• From Berea Kentucky.
• Performed together as a family from 1972 through 1989.
• Were associated with the armed forces which took them to more than 80 foreign countries as “America’s Ambassadors of Traditional Music.”
• Often performed with symphony orchestras and were the first bluegrass band to do so.
• Bought the Big Hill Farm near Berea and for 13 years hosted the first “international” bluegrass festival featuring bands from the U.S. and abroad.
• Included Raymond K. McLain, father of the McLain Family Band and a professor of musicology at Berea College (he died in 2003); Raymond W. McLain, Michael K. McLain, Ruth McLain Riopel, Michael Riopel, and Nancy Ann McLain.
• Recorded more than a dozen albums on their own label, Country Life Records.
• Raymond K. McLain passed away in 2004.
• Michael K. and his wife Jennifer perform together as a duo.
• The entire family has been involved in teaching bluegrass music for decades beginning with the elder Raymond K. McLain, who was a professor of musicology at Berea College in Kentucky, and continuing with Raymond W. McLain’s work at East Tennessee State University and Morehead State University in Kentucky, Michael McLain’s work with the bluegrass program at Belmont University in Nashville, Ruth McLain Smith’s teaching at Morehead State University, and Al White’s (husband of Alice McLain and a former band member) teaching at Berea College.
• 2013, were presented with the IBMA’s Distinguished Achievement Award.
• They reunited for several years with Raymond W., Ruth, Nancy Ann and Michael Riopel performing occasional shows.
• 2024, they were inducted into the Kentucky Music Hall of Fame.

MICHAEL AND JENNIFER MCLAIN BAND (THE BANJOCATS)

• From Nashville, Tennessee.
• Michael plays banjo, Jennifer plays mandolin (although Jennifer is also an award-winning banjo player).
• A husband-wife duo, they began performing together in 1997 as the McLains with Michael’s brother Raymond. Raymond departed the band in 2000.
• Michael was a member of the McLain Family Band, Sam Hill (which later morphed into Crucial Smith), Claire Lynch and the Front Porch String Band. He was also a music instructor at Belmont University.
• Jennifer is an accomplished session musician and vocalist, and she also holds a masters degree in counseling.
• Michael and Jennifer also perform with a group called The Banjocats.

RAYMOND W. MCLAIN

• From Berea, Kentucky.
• 1969-1989 performed with his family, The McLain Family Band.
• 1990-1997, played banjo with Jim and Jesse McReynolds.
• 1992, released solo project A Place of My Own (Flying Fish).
• 1995, released “Kentucky Mountain Banjo” album (Country Life).
• 1997, formed a group with his brother Michael and Michael’s wife Jennifer called The McLains.
• 2000, joined the music faculty of East Tennesse State University (he was formerly on the faculty of Belmont University in Nashville, teaching music.)
• 2005, recorded an album of duets Old Time Mojo with Canadian harmonica player Mike Stevens.
• 2010, left ETSU to become director of the Kentucky Center for Traditional Music at Morehead State University in Kentucky, replacing Don Rigsby.
• 2022, retired from his position at Morehead State to return to writing and performing with the McLain Family Band.

DAVID MCLAUGHLIN

• From the Washington D.C. area; lives in Winchester, Virginia.
• Known as one of the top Monroe-style mandolin players in bluegrass. He is the younger brother of guitarist Peter McLaughlin.
• 1978, worked with the Johnson Mountain Boys, first playing fiddle, then switching to mandolin. Also worked with Patent Pending.
• 1990, worked with the Lynn Morris Band.
• 1993, formed a duo with guitarist Josh Crowe of the Crowe Brothers. They released one album Going Back (Rounder).
• 2003, formed a band with David and Linda Lay called Springfield Exit.
• He is also an innkeeper. Runs a bed and breakfast in Winchester called the Nancy Shepherd House.
• He is also a justice of the peace.

PETER MCLAUGHLIN

• From the Washington D.C. area; lives in Tucson, Arizona.
• A guitarist, he is the older brother of former Johnson Mountain Boy, David McLaughlin.
• 1983, moved to Tucson and played in a band with Ross Nickerson called the Titan Valley Warheads.
• 1988, won the National Guitar Championship at Winfield, Kansas.
• 1991, worked with Laurie Lewis and Grant Street.
• 1996, recorded solo project The Cliffs of Vermilion (Dog Boy).
• 1996, formed the The Frog Mountain Trio (Tucson).
• 2000, joined Chris Brashear and the Perfect Strangers.

ROY MCMILLAN (AND THE HIGH COUNTRY BOYS)

• From Lewisville, North Carolina (originally from Carroll County, Virginia)
• Learned to play mandolin from age 8.
• 1950, moved to Winston-Salem, NC and worked as a cook and auto repairman.
• 1960, joined Larry Richardson and the Blue Ridge Boys.
• 1965, joined the Wandering Valley Boys.
• 1968, joined the Blue Ridge Partners.
• 1970, formed the High Country Boys (Grady Bullins (guitar), Audine Lineberry (bass), Ray Edwards (banjo), Carl Joyner (fiddle) and McMillan (mandolin).
• 1972, released High Country album (Rebel).
• 1973, released Up in the High Country album (Rebel).
• 1975, released Time to Think album (Rebel).
• McMillan wrote many songs, many of which have been covered by other artists. His song “Wandering in the Darkness” was recorded by the Lonesome River Band as “When You Go Out Walking” on their One Step Ahead album and was nominated for Song of the Year by the IBMA in 1996.

JOSH MCMURRAY

• From Church Hill, Tennessee; lives in Nashville.
• Began playing banjo at age 13.
• 1998, joined Larry Sparks and the Lonesome Ramblers (age 18 at the time).
• 2003, released first solo project Pickin Time (Copper Creek).
• 2007, left Larry Sparks band to become a Nashville sideman. He has since worked with Leon Russell, Marty Stuart, Vince Gill, Curly Seckler and Charlie Sizemore.

THE MCPEAK BROTHERS

• From Wytheville, Virginia.
• Original band formed in 1963, with Udell, Larry and Dewey McPeak. Udell dropped out in 1966 and the youngest McPeak brother, Michael took his place.
• 1974, discovered by country music star Mel Tillis, who arranged for them to record an album called “Bluegrass at its Peak” on RCA Records.
• 1993, after several years of inactivity, the McPeak Brothers came out of retirement. They recorded “You Won’t Ever Forget Me” album (no label) and began performing again.
• 1996, released Pathway to Heaven album (Copper Creek).
• 1997, released Acoustic Masterpiece album (Major).
• 1998, Larry McPeak formed The VW Boys with Tim White and Dave Vaught.
• 2009, Udell passed away..
• 2014, Larry died after a long illness.
• 2014, Michael’s son Adam (age 17) formed a new band called Adam McPeak and Mountain Thunder. Adam plays mandolin.

RECOMMENDED ALBUMS:

• Yesteryears: Best of the Mcpeak Brothers (Rebel)
• Bottom Line (Rebel)
• Classic Bluegrass (Rebel)
• Mcpeak Brothers (Rebel)

LARRY MCNEELY

• From LaFayette, Indiana.
• Began his career playing banjo with Charlie Collins and the original Pinnacle Mountain Boys, a Tennessee group.
• Age 17, he and Collins landed a job playing banjo and guitar respectively with Roy Acuff and the Smoky Mountain Boys on the Grand Ole Opry. He lost his job with Acuff because his Scruggs-style playing didn’t fit Roy Acuff’s mountain-style music.
• 1969, moved to Los Angeles and replaced John Hartford as Glen Campbell’s banjo player on the CBS-TV show “The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour.”
• He became well-known for his mastery of the chromatic or melodic-style banjo technique originated by Bill Keith.
• 1971, released Glen Campbell Presents Larry McNeely (Capitol).
• While in LA, he formed The Larry McNeely Band.
• As a session musician, he worked with the Smothers Brothers, Mac Davis, Barbara Mandrell and many others. He also played banjo on the soundtrack to the TV show “The Dukes of Hazzard.”
• 1976, released Rhapsody For Banjo album (Flying Fish).
• 1977, released “Live at McCabe’s” (Takoma).
• 1978, released Confederation album (Flying Fish).
• 1980, released Power Play album (Flying Fish).
• 1984, formed a newgrass band called Southern Manor.
• 1985, moved back to Nashville and again joined Acuff’s Smoky Mountain Boys until Acuff’s death in 1992, mostly playing guitar.
• 1992-1995, worked with The Wood Brothers at Opryland USA.
• Retired from music and moved to North Carolina. He worked as an accountant and also in the antique business.
• 2013, moved back to Nashville. As a hobby, he has been writing unpublished novels.

CURTISS MCPEAKE

• From Mt. Juliet, Tennessee. He was born in Scotts Hill, Tennessee.
• Best known as an early banjo virtuoso who played with Bill Monroe, Wilma Lee and Stoney Cooper, Danny Davis and the Nashville Brass and other bands. He also appeared on recordings by such artists as The McCormick Brothers, George Jones & Melba Montgomery, Chubby Wise, Wade Ray, Wayne Raney, Hylo Brown, Leon Payne, Curly Fox & Texas Ruby, The Willis Brothers, C.W. McCall and many others.
• 1956, he subbed for Earl Scruggs in the Foggy Mountain Boys when Earl was injured in an automobile accident.
• Owned a music shop in Mt. Juliet, Tennessee called “McPeake’s Unique Instruments.”
• 1960-61, played with Bill Monroe and the Blue Grass Boys.
• 1960-1969, he was the staff banjo player for the Grand Ole Opry.
• 1966, he invented a 10-stringed banjo (doubling the strings on a regular five-string banjo).
• 1969-1987, played banjo with Danny Davis and the Nashville Brass.
• 1987, formed his own band The Natchez Express.
• 2018, received a Distinguished Achievement Award from the IBMA.
• 2018, released “The Good Times Outweigh the Bad” album (Swift River Music).
• 2021, died at the age of 93.

KEN MELLONS

• From Nashville. Born in Kingsport, Tennessee.
• 1993, signed with Epic Records and had a hit single “Jukebox Junkie.” Later recorded for Curb Records.
• Has written songs recorded by Willie Nelson, Deirks Bentley, George Jones, Hank Williams, Jr., Mark Chesnutt, other country artists.
• 2009, released a bluegrass album Rural Route (no label) with special guests Sonya Isaacs, Vince Gill, Rhonda Vincent and other notable bluegrass artists.

BUDDY MELTON

• From Haywood County, North Carolina.
• Began playing fiddle while in college (Western Carolina University).
• 1995, played with a gospel group called Rock Springs Reunion. Marc Pruett (formerly with Ricky Skaggs and Kentucky Thunder) was also in this band.
• After Rock Springs Reunion, worked with a country band called Jubal Foster (named for a moonshiner in an Andy Griffith episode).
• 2007, released a self-titled solo project with guest musicians Tony Rice, Marc Pruett, Adam Steffey, Tim Surrett and others.
• 2008, formed Balsam Range with Marc Pruett and Tim Surrett.
• 2012, was seriously injured in a freak farm accident when he was kicked in the face while loading cattle. He required facial reconstruction surgery from which he quickly recovered. He was back on stage performing with Balsam Range a month later.
• 2014, won the IBMA Award for Male Vocalist of the Year.
• 2016, released a duet album with songwriter Milan Miller “Secrets, Dreams and Pretty Things” (no label).

BUDDY MERRIAM (AND BACK ROADS)

• From Sound Beach, New York (Long Island).
• A musical instrument repairman by trade. (Has a college degree in Musical Instrument Technology.)
• Formed his own band Back Roads in 1980. Has also worked with the Sykes Brothers, the Fox Family Band, the Berkshire Mountains Festival Band, and others.
• Turning point in his life: met Bill Monroe at 1976 Berkshire Mountains Bluegrass Festival (the first he ever attended) and was struck by lightning at the same festival. He was hit in the neck and thrown ten feet in the air. His heart and lungs stopped and both eardrums were punctured. He was revived and while recuperating in the hospital, Monroe called him to wish him well. They later became friends.
• 1991, began hosting a radio program called “Blue Grass Time” (WUSB-FM, Long Island, NY).
• 1994, released “Mystery Train” album (Lily Pad).
• 2009, released Back Roads Mandolin album (Lily Pad).
• He also performs with mandolinist Greg Butler in a group called Buddy Merriam’s Mandolin Experience.
• 2015, was inducted into the Long Island Music Hall of Fame.

J. D. MESSER & SANCTIFIED

• From Kermit, West Virginia.
• A gospel group featuring John D. Messer (mandolin), Kenny Stanley (guitar), Jerry Sturgell (resophonic guitar), Brent Amburgey (banjo), Kayla Amburgey (bass) and Albon Clevenger (fiddle).
• Messer and Clevenger were formerly with 5 for the Gospel, Cumberland Gap Connection.
• Clevenger previously worked with the Lost and Found, Dave Evans and River Bend.
• 2013, released first album Coal Miner’s Prayer (Kindred).
  .

LIZ MEYER

• From Washington D.C.
• For more than a decade (70’s and 80’s) she was a very popular Washington D.C. area bluegrass, folk and country artist with her own band.
• 1987, went to Holland on tour and while there married Peter Groenveld, owner of Strictly Country Records. She moved to the Netherlands and after having her first child, became a full-time mom.
• 1995, began performing and recording again with her band Big City Bluegrass.
• 1998-2003, performed in a duo with guitarist Mark Cosgrove.
• Toured with the Austrian group Nugget, the Berlin-based Hot String Quartet, and the Czech band Fragment.
• She has recorded several albums accompanied by such musicians as Ron Block, Sam Bush, Jerry Douglas, Bela Fleck, Byron Berline, David Parmley and Emmylou Harris.
• 2005, released album The Storm (Strictly Country).
• 2011, died after a ten-year battle with breast cancer.

WALT MICHAEL

• From Westminster, Maryland.
• Formerly performed with Bottle Hill.
• One of the top hammered dulcimer players in the U.S.
• His band Walt Michael and Company performs bluegrass, old time, Celtic, folk and New Age music.
• Performed for the closing ceremonies of the 13th Winter Olympics in Lake Placid, New York.
• He is on the faculty of McDaniel College in Westminster, Maryland.
• 2009, released Step Stone album (Flying Fish).
• 2015, released Hammered Dulcimer: Retrospective album (Flying Fish).

MIDDLE SPUNK CREEK BOYS

• From Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota.
• There actually is a Middle Spunk Creek near Minneapolis, after which the band was named.
• Formed in 1968 by Alan Jesperson, the only remaining member of the original band.
• Performed on Garrison Keillor’s “A Prairie Home Companion” radio show.
• Peter Ostroushko is a former member of this group.
• 1976, released first album “Middle Spunk Creek Boys” (no label)
• 1997, released “I’m With the Band” album (Okey Dokey).
• 1999, released No One Else album (Okey Dokey).
• 2000, released Table For One album (Okey Dokey).
• 2002, released House of Gold album (Okey Dokey).
• 2007, they were inducted into the Minnesota Rock and Country Music Hall of Fame.

BILL AND WILMA MILLSAPS

• From Robbinsville, North Carolina.
• Bill is a distant relative of Daniel Boone. He previously worked with Carl Story, Kenny Baker and Josh Graves
• Began performing together shortly after their marriage in 1967.
• 1969, formed The Snowbird Mountain Boys, then the Snowbird Mountain Trio.
• Snowbird Mountain is an actual mountain on the North Carolina-Tennessee state line (just below the Smokies).

MILAN MILLER

• From Waynesville, North Carolina. Moved to Nashville in 1999.
• A multi-instrumentalist and songwriter. Songwriting credits include Caney Fork River and Papertown by Balsam Range, Pretty Little Girl From Galax by Russell Moore and IIIrd Tyme Out, and Terry Baucom’s What’ll I Do.
• 2013, released solo project Poison Cove (no label)
• 2014, released single “The Man from Valdese,” a tribute to George Shuffler.

JIM MILLS

• From Raleigh, North Carolina.
• Has been playing banjo all his life (says he can’t remember not playing the banjo.)
• After high school, joined Summer Wages with Barry Berrier.
• 1988-1993, worked with Doyle Lawson and Quicksilver.
• 1993, was the shipping manager for Sugar Hill Records.
• 1994-1997, worked with the Bass Mountain Boys.
• 1997-2010, worked with Ricky Skaggs and Kentucky Thunder.
• 1998, released Bound To Ride album (Sugar Hill).
• 1999, won IBMA award for “Instrumental Recording of the Year” (“Bound to Ride”).
• 2002, released My Dixie Home album (Sugar Hill).
• 2005, released Hide Head Blues album (Sugar Hill).
• 2006, won his sixth IBMA award for Banjo Player of the Year (also won in 1999, 2000, 2001, 2003 and 2005).
• 2010, left Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder to work full time as a collector and dealer of vintage pre-war Gibson banjos. He owns the Jim Mill Banjo Showroom in Durham, North Carolina.
• 2024, died at the age of 57 (heart attack).

TOM MINDTE

• From Washington, D.C.
• Plays mandolin with a group called Patuxent Partners.
• He is the owner of Patuxent Records.
• As a mandolin player, he has been heavily influenced by Buzz Busby and Frank Wakefield, as well as Bill Monroe.
• 2013, released Something I’ve Been Working On album (Patuxent).
• 2018, released Tom Mindte and Mason Via album (Patuxent).
• 2019, released 409 album with Mason Via (guitar) and Ben Somerville (bass).

MIPSO

• From Chapel Hill, North Carolina.
• Formed in 2010 by Jacob Sharp (mandolin), Joseph Terrell (guitar) and Wood Robinson (bass). All three are graduates of the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. They are often joined by Libby Rodenbough on fiddle.
• Their name (Mipso) has no meaning other than it’s original with the band.
• Terrell and Robinson previously played together in a funk-rock cover band called Funkasaurus Rex.
• 2012, released Long, Long Gone album (EMR).
• 2013, released album Dark Holler Pop (Robust).
• 2015, released Old Time Reverie album (Robust).
• 2020, released self-titled album (Rounder).

PATTY MITCHELL

• From Perrin, Texas (moved to Nashville in 1999).
• Began singing and recording at age seven.
• Early 1990’s, played bass and mandolin with the Dixie Chicks when they won the band contest at Telluride.
• Recorded for Electra Records with her trio “The Domestic Science Club.”
• Was a founding member of the band Red Oak.
• Sang the National Anthem at World Cup Soccer matches.
• Sang with Ralph Stanley on his “Clinch Mountain Sweethearts” album, with Emmylou Harris on her “Caught in the Web” album, and with Gail Davies on her “Live and Unplugged at the Station Inn” album.
• 2003, recorded solo project These Are the Good Old Days (no label).

BARRY MITTERHOFF

• From New York City. Lives in Scotch Plains, New Jersey.
• Began playing bluegrass while at Rutgers University. Formed a band called Bottle Hill.
• Has played mandolin with Tony Trischka and Skyline, Peter Rowan and Tex Logan, the Lynn Morris Band.
• Has also performed with the New York City Ballet and the Metropolitan Opera.
• 1998, joined Chris Jones’ band, the Night Drivers.
• 2002, joined Hot Tuna featuring Jorma Kaukonen and Jack Cassidy (formerly with rock band Jefferson Airplane).
• Also has a band called the Klezmer Cowboys (combining country/bluegrass music with Jewish Klezmer music from Europe.)
• 2016, was awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award at the New York Folk Festival.

KATSUYUKI MIYAZAKI

• From Kyoto, Japan.
• Most people call him “Katsu.”
• One of Japan’s top mandolin players. Has won many awards in Japan for his playing, including Moonshiner magazine’s Mandolin Player of the Year award (1988).
• 1985, formed a group in Japan called Birdland.
• 1988-1989, hosted a bluegrass radio show in Kyoto.
• 1991 and 1996, placed third at the U.S. National Mandolin Championship in Winfield, Kansas.
• 1997, released Man-O-Mandolin album (Grave) and toured with a band including Ronnie McCoury, Rickie Simpkins, Richard Bailey and Gene Libbea.

MOLASSES CREEK

• From North Carolina.
• Formed in 1993.
• Live on a tiny island 23 miles off the coast of North Carolina (Ocracoke Island). They own and operate Deepwater Theatre, performing there June-September.
• Tour under the auspices of the North Carolina Performing Arts Council.
• Band includes Gary Mitchell (guitar), Dave Tweedie (fiddle), Marcy Brenner (mandolin), Lou Castro (Dobro™), Gerald Hampton (bass).
• 1998, their album Citybound (no label) reached #1 on the European Country Music charts.
• 2001, released The Best of Molasses Creek: 1993-2000 album (no label).
• 2014, released Something Worth Having album (Soundside).

BRUCE MOLSKY

• From Ithica, New York.
• Began playing guitar at age 10. Added banjo and fiddle to his repertoire during his teen years. He is best known as a fiddler.
• He is a regular instructor at Mark O’Connor Fiddle Camp, Rocky Mountain Fiddle Camp, Alasdair Fraser’s Valley of the Moon and Sierra Fiddle Camps, Swannanoa Gathering, and others.
• 1973, went the Galax Fiddler’s Convention and heard old-time music for the first time. Got hooked.
• Attended Cornell University, became a mechanical engineer.
• 1994, performed with “Fiddles on Fire,” a national tour.
• 2003, performed and recorded with “Fiddlers 4” with Darol Anger, Michael Doucet and Rushad Eggleston.
• 2004, released solo project Poor Man’s Troubles on Rounder Records which won a 2001 “Indie” award for Best Traditional Folk Recording
• 2006, toured with “Highlands, Heath and Holler” with Martin Hayes & Alasdair Fraser.
• 2006, released Soon Be Time album (Compass).
• 2007, he is also part of an international musical ensemble called “Mosaic.”
• 2013, released If It Ain’t Here When I Get Back album (no label).
• 2015, released Lost Boy album (Rounder).

MONROE CROSSING

• From the Twin Cities (Minneapolis/St. Paul), Minnesota.
• Formed in 2000 by members of “The Pretty Good Bluegrass Band”, “Big Skyota” and “The Deadly Nightshade Family Singers.”
• One of the few full-time bluegrass bands in Minnesota.
• Members: Art Blackburn (guitar), Matt Thompson (mandolin), Graham Sones (banjo), Mark Anderson (bass), Lisa Fuglie (fiddle).
• 2001, released Across the Blue Mountains album (no label).
• 2002, released “Then Sings My Soul” album (no label).
• 2003, won Best Female Vocalist, Best Guitar, Best Mandolin and Best Banjo from the Minnesota Bluegrass & Old-Time Music Association at their 25th Anniversary Awards Banquet.
• 2003, received the Minnesota Music Academy’s Bluegrass Album of the Year Award, and was one of only six artists statewide (and the first Bluegrass band EVER) to be nominated as Artist of the Year
• 2007, released Live From Silver Dollar City album (no label).
• 2007, inducted into the Minnesota Music Hall of Fame.
• 2007, released The World Beloved: A Bluegrass Mass (Clarion) the first catholic mass to be recorded in a bluegrass style.
• 2011, rleased their 11th album Plays the Music of Bill Monroe with band members Lisa Fuglie (fiddle), Matt Thompson (mandolin), Mark Anderson (bass), Benji Flaming (banjo) and Derek Johnson (guitar).
• 2012, released Joy Joy Joy album (no label).
• 2012, released “The Road Has No End” album (no label).
• 2018, released their 15th album Monroe Crossing Plays Classic Country (no label).

BILL MONROE (AND THE BLUE GRASS BOYS)

• From Rosine, Kentucky.
• Born September 13, 1911. Died September 9, 1996.
• Full name: William Smith Monroe.
• He is known as the Father of Bluegrass Music.
• Mentors: “Uncle Pen” (Pendleton) Vandiver, a fiddler; and Arnold Schultz, a African-American guitarist and fiddler whom Monroe credits with inspiring the blues in bluegrass.
• Began playing music when he was eight years old. His brothers and sisters played fiddles and guitars, and Bill wanted to do the same. But since he was the youngest, he was given the mandolin.Lived with his Uncle Pen Vandiver (his mother’s brother) after his parents died (they both died before Bill was 17). He learned fiddle music from him.
• 1929, at age 18, began performing with his brothers Birch and Charlie in east Chicago, while working at the Sinclair refinery (during the Great Depression.)
• 1934, formed “The Monroe Brothers,” a duo with his brother Charlie. Signed by on RCA Victor’s “Bluebird” label and made first record on February 17, 1936.
• 1938, moved to Little Rock, Arkansas and formed “The Kentuckians.” Later moved to Atlanta and formed “The Blue Grass Boys,” named after the nickname of his home state.
• 1939, auditioned for the Grand Ole Opry and was hired on the spot.
• First song sung on the Grand Ole Opry: “The Muleskinner Blues.”
• 1940’s, traveled with a professional baseball team that played local semi-pro teams in exhibition games preceding the concert.
• Experimented with various musicians during the early 40’s, including an accordian player and a clawhammer style banjo played by David “Stringbean” Akeman.
• 1945, Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs joined Monroe’s band and bluegrass music as we know it today was born. Other members of the original “bluegrass” band: Chubby Wise on fiddle, and Howard Watts on bass.
• The only bluegrass artist to have remained with a major record label throughout his career. He began on RCA, but switched to Columbia Records in 1945 because he didn’t want to be on the same label with his brother, Charlie. In 1950, he switched again to Decca (now MCA) because he didn’t want to be on the same label with Flatt and Scruggs who left his band to form their own. While he did not record new material during the latter part of his life, MCA claims that he was still with their label until his death in 1996.
• 1951, purchased the Brown County Jamboree in Bean Blossom, Indiana and hosted bluegrass festivals there beginning in 1967.
• 1966, was made an honorary Kentucky Colonel.
• 1970, was elected to the Country Music Hall of Fame.
• 1981, survived a bout with cancer.
• 1986, U.S. Senate passed a resolution recognizing and honoring Monroe’s contribution to American music.
• 1989, was awarded the first Grammy Award in the newly-created Bluegrass category (for his album Southern Flavor).
• 1991, had double heart bypass surgery.
• 1991, inducted into the Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame (then known as the Hall of Honor.) Monroe is considered the Hall’s first inductee although Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs were inducted that same year.
• 1993, received a Lifetime Achievement Award from NARAS (National Association of Recording Arts and Sciences) at the Grammy Awards—the highest honor that can be presented to a recording artist.
• 1995, awarded the National Medal of the Arts by President Clinton at the White House.
• 1996, died of complications from a stroke (September 9) just 3 days short of his 85th birthday.
• 1997, was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio.
• Last recording of an original song: “The Days Gone By” (on his 1988 Southern Flavor
  album).
• Last recording session: Feb. 21, 1996, sang harmony on an album by Billy and Terry Smith: Bill Monroe Tribute (K-Tel Records).
• Last live performance: The Friday night Opry, March 15, 1996. He sang “True Life Blues.”

RECOMMENDED ALBUMS:

• Music of Bill Monroe From 1936-1994 (MCA) This is a 4-CD set featuring highlights from Monroe’s entire career. A wonderful overview of his musical legacy.
• The Very Best Of Bill Monroe And His Blue Grass Boys (MCA Nashville) A nice sampling of Monroe’s hits (22 cuts on one CD).
• Anthology (MCA Nashville) A 2-CD set with another good selection of Monroe classics.

CHARLIE MONROE

• From Rosine, Kentucky.
• The older brother of Bill Monroe. (According to Sam Bush, that makes him the “uncle” of bluegrass.)
• 1934-1938, Bill and Charlie recorded and performed as the Monroe Brothers. Their biggest hit for was “What Would You Give In Exchange for Your Soul?” (RCA Victor).
• 1938, after Bill left to form The Blue Grass Boys, Charlie formed The Kentucky Partners and remained very popular, performing on radio stations all over the south. Made over 120 recordings on RCA Victor and Decca Records. Lester Flatt and his wife Gladys (aka Bobbie Jean) were members of The Kentucky Partners before Lester teamed up with Bill Monroe and Earl Scruggs in 1945.
• 1960, retired from music.
• Died in 1975.

RECOMMENDED ALBUMS:

• What Would You Give in Exchange for Your Soul (Rounder) A good collection of their biggest hits.

JAMES MONROE (AND THE MIDNIGHT RAMBLERS)

• From Rosine, Kentucky.
• Son of Bill Monroe.
• Began his musical career as bass player for the Blue Grass Boys in 1964. Became lead singer and guitarist in 1969.
• 1971, formed his own band, The Midnight Ramblers.
• After his father’s death in 1996, James oversaw the Monroe Estate including Monroe Talent Enterprises. He also produced the Bill Monroe Memorial Festival held in Rosine, Kentucky.
• 2003, released The Way I Am album (no label).

MONROEVILLE

• From Gatlinburg, Tennessee.
• Formed in 2010. Most of this band had been the nucleus of Barry Scott’s band “Second Wind.”
• Original band: Matt (AKA “Scooter”) Munsey (mandolin), Daniel Salyer (bass), Travis Houck (resonator guitar), Zane Petty (banjo), Seth Taylor (guitar) and Matt Flake (fiddle.)
• 2010, appeared on the Today show (NBC). How it happened: NBC sent correspondent Jenna Wolfe to shoot a piece on the Ole Smoky Distillery in Gatlinburg, TN, the first to offer lawful moonshine whiskey since Tennessee allowed counties to approve legal distilleries last year. Monroeville performs there on occasion, and were on hand for the NBC taping.
• 2012, won the first IBMA “Momentum” Award in the band category.
• 2013, after numerous personnel changes, settled into a three-piece band featuring original member Munsey, Rachel “Mayo” Mayanavic (fiddle/vocals) and Carl “Carebear” White (electric bass).
• 2014, band members are: Munsey (mandolin), Matt Fox (guitar), Andy Ruff (resonator guitar) and McCoy Borg (banjo).
• 2014, released Can’t Put Me Out album (no label).
• 2018, released World’s Apart album (no label).
• 2019, released Momentum album (no label).
• 2020 lineup: Munsey (mandolin), Borg (banjo/guitar), Chevy Watson (guitar) and Kyle Dillow (bass), Evan Pitchers (drums).

FRANCES MOONEY

• From Northern Georgia
• 1975, played bass in The Bluegrass Generation,” a Louisville, Kentucky band.
• 1978, formed Cherokee Rose, an all-female bluegrass band.
• 1981, formed Indian Summer, an award-winning band which toured China in 1990.
• 1998, formed Fontanna Sunset with Louisa Branscomb, an award-winning songwriter.
• 2009, won IBMA award for her work on the Daughters of Bluegrass project (Recorded Event of the Year).
• 2010, Frances Mooney & Fontanna Sunset released “I Didn’t See It Coming” album on Blue Circle Records.
• 2019, released Heartache Hanging Round album (RonDale Records).

CHARLIE MOORE (AND HIS DIXIE PARTNERS)

• From Piedmont, South Carolina; later, Richmond, Virginia.
• Began performing at age 17 (1952) with his group The Dixie Partners
• 1960, formed a partnership with Bill Napier and performed as Moore and Napier throughout most of the sixties, recording several albums for King Records. They were famous for their truck driving songs which got heavy juke-box play.
• 1969, re-formed The Dixie Partners and recorded several more albums for Old Homestead and Leather Records.
• As a songwriter, he is best known for songs like “Kentucky Girl” (recorded by Larry Sparks) and “The Legend of the Rebel Soldier” (recorded by the Country Gentlemen), a song based on the life of his great grandfather.
• Had his own TV show in the Greenville-Spartanburg, SC region. Also was a country DJ.
• 1979, died at the age of 44.

RECOMMENDED ALBUMS:

• Truckin’ Favorites (King)
• Good Bluegrass & Gospel Favorites (Vetco)

JOHN MOORE

• From Vista, California (near San Diego). He lived for several years on Palomar Mountain, near the famous Observatory. In 1997, he moved to Colorado.
• 1973, as a 12-year-old he was in a kid band called The Pendleton Pickers with Stuart Duncan. They won a radio station talent contest and played the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville.
• 1980, formed a San Diego-based band with Dennis Caplinger called Bluegrass Etc. They have released three albums including Bluegrass Etc. (Tricopolis).
• 1990, joined the band California with Byron Berline, John Hickman, Dan Crary and Steve Spurgin.
• He gave Chris Thile mandolin and guitar lessons.
• He has performed on numerous movie soundtracks and television commercials.
• Day job: he is a professional cowboy. He breaks and trains horses on ranches both in the US and abroad.

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 at his Florida home on St. George Island. Her first album Local Flowers (Blue Circle) became a pet project for Tom T. and wife Dixie, as they wrote the songs and produced the album.

RUSSELL MOORE (AND IIIRD TYME OUT)

• From Pasadena, Texas. Lives in Cumming, Georgia.
• First band: the Bluegrass Ramblers in Cleveland, Texas.
• 1983, formed Southern Connection in Arlington, Texas (with Scott Vestal).
• 1985, joined Doyle Lawson and Quicksilver. Appeared on seven Doyle Lawson albums as lead singer.
• 1991, was a founding member of IIIrd Tyme Out.
• 2007, began performing as Russell Moore and IIIrd Tyme Out.
• 2019, won his sixth IBMA award for Male Vocalist of the Year (also won in 1994, 1997, 2010, 2011, 2012).

WAYNE MOORE

• Born in Livingston, Kentucky but spent most of his musical career in Southern California. Now lives in Rio Rancho, New Mexico.
• A journeyman guitarist and singer who was part of the early “country-rock” music scene during the sixties. Worked with Clarence White, Gib Gilbeau, Gene Parsons, Vern Gosdin, Glen Campbell and other influential musicians of that era.
• Has had a long relationship with famed record producer Gary Paxton.
• Played in bands such as The Four Young Men (1959-1963), The Castaways (1963-1966), The New Hollywood Argyles (1966), Nashville West (also known as The Reasons 1967), The Gosdin Brothers (1969), The Flying Burrito Brothers (1971) and several others.
• 2001, released A Treasury Of American Railroad Songs And Ballads Vol 2. album (Shiloh).
• 2003, released Walk & Talk With Jesus album (Grace Mountain), on which he played all the bluegrass instruments and sang all the vocals.

CRAIG MORRIS

• From Alabama. Also lived in Spring Hill, Tennessee.
• A banjo player, he had a recording studio and a band called Flashpoint.
• 1976-1984, played banjo on a local Birmingham, Alabama TV program called “The Country Boy Eddie Show.”
• 1981, worked with a band called Lickety Split.
• 1982, worked with The Warrior River Boys.
• 2000, moved to the Nashville area.
• 2010, released solo project of banjo tunes called Banjology (no label).
• 2014, released second solo project Twix N Tween (no label).
• 2024, died at the age of 70.

LEON MORRIS

• From the Washington DC area (Rockville, MD); originally from Canada.
• Began performing in 1947. Plays all the bluegrass instruments and sings traditional bluegrass.
• 1960’s, worked and recorded with Buzz Busby, Frank Wakefield, Bill Emerson, David Grisman.
• 1974, released “Buzz Busby and Leon Morris” album (Rounder).
• 1970’s and 80’s, led a group called Leon Morris and the Bluegrass Associates, recording several albums now out of print.
• 2002, released Drifting with the Tide album (International).
• 2011, released Thinking Today Of My Home album (Patuxent).

LYNN MORRIS

• From Lamesa, Texas. Lives in Winchester, Virginia.
• Learned to play guitar at age 12 from the same man who taught Buddy Holly to play.
• Went to school in Colorado, and there began playing banjo in a bluegrass band. Her first professional gig was performing at a local McDonald’s restaurant for $10 a day.
• Won the national banjo championship at Winfield, Kansas twice (1974 and 1981) while a member of the Denver-based group City Limits Bluegrass. She was the first person to win the Winfield banjo contest twice.
• 1980-1986, performed with a Pennsylvania band called Whetstone Run. Her future husband Marshall Wilborn was also in that band.
• 1987, worked for a short time with Laurie Lewis and Grant Street.
• 1988, formed the The Lynn Morris Band with husband Marshall Wilborn when the Johnson Mountain Boys broke up. Joining them in the band were banjo player Tom Adams and mandolinist David McLaughlin who had also been with the JMB.
• Was the the first woman elected to the board of the IBMA.
• Notable appearances: On the steps of the Library of Congress, the Grand Ole Opry, The Aladdin Hotel (Las Vegas), Leavenworth Federal Penitentiary.
• An animal activist, she adopted many abandoned animals and was sponsored by SPAY/USA, an organization that provides affordable spay/neutering services for house pets.
• 1990, released The Lynn Morris Band album (Rounder).
• 1992, released The Bramble & the Rose album (Rounder).
• 1995, released Mama’s Hand album (Rounder).
• 1996, 1998, 1999, won “Female Vocalist of the Year” at the IBMA Awards.
• 1996, her recording of “Mama’s Hand” (by Hazel Dickens) was voted “Song of the Year” at the IBMA Awards.
• 1999, released You’ll Never Be the Sun album (Rounder).
• 2003, released Shape of a Tear album (Rounder).
• 2003, suffered a stroke following a knee operation that has affected her ability to sing and play.
• 2010, recieved a Distinguished Achievement Award from the IBMA.

HAROLD MORRISON

• From High Lonesome, Missouri, near Springfield.
• One of a long line of country performers to combine banjo virtuosity and country humor. He was also a versatile session musician who played banjo, guitar, pedal steel and Dobro™.
• 1953-1954, worked with Jimmy Gately at the WWVA Jamboree.
• 1955-1957, was a regular on Red Foley’s Ozark Jubilee.
• 1957, moved to Nashville to work with Johnny and Jack and Kitty Wells.
• 1965, released Hoss, He’s The Boss album (Decca) which included his classic novelty song “The Great Bicycle Wreck.”
• He played banjo on Loretta Lynn’s hit single “Blue Kentucky Girl.”
• 1960’s, was a regular on the Wilburn Brothers TV show.
• 1969, worked with George Jones and Tammy Wynette.
• 1973, released “The Harold Morrison Show” album (GKG) with Billy Smith (guitar), Buddy Spicher (fiddle), Buck White (mandolin), Jerry Douglas (Dobro™) and Johnny Rice (bass).
• 1976, formed his own band called Smokin’ Bluegrass with his daughter Karla and Benny Williams.
• 1984, released Blue Grass Classics (Old Homestead) with his band The Maple Hill Boys.
• 1992, worked with Mac Wiseman in Branson, Missouri.
• Died December 21, 1993.

JUSTIN MOSES

• From Madisonville, Tennessee. Lives in Nashville.
• Plays all the bluegrass instruments.
• After high school, played with a band called Kentucky Wind.
• 2000, formed Blue Moon Rising with Kentucky Wind bandmates Tim Tipton and Keith Garrett.
• 2005, joined Sierra Hull and Highway 111.
• 2006, re-joined Blue Moon Rising, playing Dobro™ and fiddle.
• 2006, released Dusty Roads album (DustyGrass).
• 2008, joined the Dan Tyminski Band.
• 2010, joined Ricky Skaggs and Kentucky Thunder, replacing Jim Mills.
• 2014, left Ricky Skaggs to do studio work and to perform regularly with Sierra Hull.
• 2015, released Beyond Measure EP (no label).
• 2017, married Sierra Hull (May 14).
• 2018, joined Blue Highway to play resophonic guitar.
• 2018, won the IBMA Award for Dobro™ Player of the Year.
• 2019, he is featured in the Country Music Hall of Fame’s American Currents exhibit with his 2018 IBMA Dobro Player of the Year award and childhood mandolin on display.
• 2019, appeared on PBS TV Special “Ken Burns: A Celebration of Country Music” recorded live from the Ryman Auditorium. He played banjo and resophonic guitar.
• 2019, signed with Mountain Fever Records.
• 2020, won the IBMA Award for Resophonic Guitar Player of the Year.

STEPHEN MOUGIN

• From Joelton, Tennessee.
• Has been playing bluegrass since the age of 6.
• Has a degree in Vocal Music Education from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst.
• Nickname: Mojo.
• Has played in bands with Valerie Smith and Liberty Pike, Jim Lauderdale, Melonie Cannon, Randy Kohrs, Audie Blaylock, others.
• 2006, joined the Sam Bush Band, playing lead guitar.
• 2007, married Jana Dolalova of the Czech band Fragment.
• 2009, started a record label called Dark Shadow Recording where he serves as producer and engineer.
• 2009, formed a duo with Ned Luberecki called “Nedski and Mojo.” Released a self-titled project in 2010.
• 2016, won the IBMA Momentum Award for Mentor of the Year.

MOUNTAIN FAITH (SUMMER AND BRAY)

• From Sylva, North Carolina.
• A family bluegrass-gospel band featuring Summer McMahan (fiddle & lead vocals), Brayden McMahan (banjo), and their dad Sam McMahan (bass). Other band members: Luke Dotson (guitar) and Dustin Norris (mandolin).
• McMahan is pronouned Mack-ma-HAN.
• Paul Harrigill (of Flatt Lonesome) is a former member of this band.
• 2010, they worked with Barry Scott as his back-up band.
• The family owns a filling station, tire shop (“High Country Tire”) and deli in Sylva, North Carolina. Members of the band work there during the week.
• 2011, released Battlefield (Mountain Home).
• 2014, released Blue (Mountain Fever), their first non-gospel album.
• 2014, Cory Piatt (mandolin) joined the band, replacing Dustin Norris.
• 2015, appeared on the TV show “America’s Got Talent!” and made it to the semi-final round of voting. They were also invited to perform at U.S. military bases in the Middle East and sing the national anthem at a Carolina Panthers NFL game.
• 2015, released That Which Matters album (Mountain Fever).
• 2015, added David Meyer (guitar/keyboards) to the band.
• 2016, guitarist Luke Dotson left the group. New members: Cory Piatt (mandolin), Jimmy Meyer (guitar) and Chris Wright (drums/percussion).
• 2016, David and Jimmy Meyer departed; guitarist Nick Dauphinais (of the Dauphinais Brothers) joined.
• 2016, made their debut on the Grand Ole Opry (September 16).
• 2017, changed their name to Summer Brooke and the Mountain Faith Band, a nod to their featured vocalist Summer Brooke McMahan.
• 2017, released Sounds of Christmas album (Mountain Fever).
• 2017, released Small Town Life album (Mountain Fever).
• 2018, mandolinist Cory Piatt left the band and was replaced by Nate Burie.
• 2019, changed the name of the group to Summer and Bray.

MOUNTAIN HEART

• Formed in 1998 by Adam Steffey, Steve Gulley, Barry Abernathy, Jim Van Cleve and Johnny Dowdle after having worked with Doyle Lawson and Quicksilver. Steffey was replaced during the recording of the band’s first album by Alan Perdue. Since the beginning, the band experienced numerous personnel changes.
• 1999, released first album Mountain Heart (Doobie Shea).
• 1999, Jason Moore replaced Dowdle on bass. Moore had formerly worked with James King.
• 1999, won IBMA award for Emerging Artist of the Year.
• 2001, released Journey album (Doobie Shea).
• 2001, mandolinist Adam Steffey returned to the group after a short stint with the Dixie Chicks.
• 2002, released No Other Way album (Skaggs Family).
• 2002, won IBMA award for Gospel Recording of the Year (“The Journey”)
• 2003, Clay Jones joined the band.
• 2004, released Force of Nature album (Skaggs Family).
• 2006, released Wide Open album (Skaggs Family).
• 2006, Gulley left the band to form Grasstowne with Phil Leadbetter and Alan Bibey.
• 2006, Josh Shilling replaced Gulley and the band began moving towards a more country-rock, jam-band style.
• 2007, released Road That Never Ends album (Rural Rhythm).
• 2007, Jones left the band and was replaced by Clay Hess.
• 2007, Steffey left the band to work with Dan Tyminski (and later the Boxcars) and was replaced by Aaron Ramsey.
• 2008, Hess left the band (to join Sierra Hull’s band) and Tony Rice subbed on guitar for several dates.
• 2009, Clay Jones re-joined the band on guitar.
• 2010, Clay Jones left the band and was replaced by Jake Stargel (formerly with the Lovell Sisters, Greencards, Bearfoot).
• 2011, released That Just Happened album (no label).
• 2011, Stargel left the band to join Sierra Hull and Hwy 111 and was replaced by Seth Taylor (formerly with Monroeville and Pine Mountain Railroad).
• 2014, Taylor (guitar) left the band to join Dailey and Vincent.
• 2014, Van Cleve left the band to devote more time to his recording and production business. Remaining members: Abernathy (banjo), Ramsey (mandolin), Taylor (guitar), Moore (bass) and Shilling (guitar, keyboards).
• 2014, Moore and Abernathy departed, selling the band’s assets to the other members. Van Cleve (fiddle) and Taylor (guitar) returned and the group re-organized with Van Cleve, Taylor, Shilling and Ramsey plus new bass/Dobro™ player Jeff Partin (formerly with Volume Five).
• 2015, Molly Cherryholmes (fiddle) replaced Van Cleve. She joins Shilling (guitar, keyboards), Ramsey (mandolin), Taylor (guitar), and Partin (bass, resophonic guitar).
• 2016, released Blue Skies album (Compass).

JOE MULLINS (AND THE RADIO RAMBLERS)

• From Southwestern Ohio.
• Mullins previously played banjo with the Traditional Grass. He also was a founding member of the band Longview.
• Joe’s father Paul Mullins was also a member of the Traditional Grass and a popular radio personality in Ohio.
• 1995, Mullins purchased radio station WBZI in Xenia. Later purchased WKFI (Wilmington) and WEDI (Eaton).
• 1995, released an album of banjo/fiddle duets with fiddler Gerald Evans of the Traditional Grass called Just A Five String & Fiddle (Rebel).
• 2006, formed his band The Radio Ramblers to promote his radio stations, The band included Adam McIntosh (guitar), Evan McGregor (fiddle), Mike Terry (mandolin), and Tim Kidd (bass).
• 2009, released Rambler’s Call album, his first with the Radio Ramblers (no label).
• 2011, released Hymns from the Hills album (Rebel).
• 2012, released They’re Playing My Song album (Rebel).
• 2012, won the IBMA Award for Emerging Artist of the Year.
• 2000, 2013, 2016 won IBMA Award for Broadcaster of the Year.
• 2013, released an album of duets with Junior Sisk called Hall of Fame Bluegrass (Rebel) which honored members of the Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame.
• 2014, was elected to the IBMA Board of Directors.
• 2014, released Another Day From Life album (Rebel).
• 2015, Radio Ramblers lineup: Mullins (banjo), Mike Terry (mandolin), Jason Barie (fiddle), Duane Sparks (guitar) and Randy Barnes (bass).
• 2015 released Sacred Memories album (Rebel)
• 2016, was elected as chairman of the IBMA Board of Directors.
• 2016, won the IBMA Award for Gospel Recording of the Year (for “All Dressed Up” on his Sacred Memories album).
• 2017, won the IBMA Award for Gospel Recording of the Year (for “Sacred Memories” on his Sacred Memories album).
• 2017, released The Story We Tell album (Rebel).
• 2018, won the IBMA Award for Song of the Year (for “If I’d Have Wrote That Song” from his The Story We Tell album).
• 2019, released For the Record album (Billy Blue).
• 2019, won the IBMA Award for Entertainer of the Year.
• 2019, won the IBMA Award for Collaborative Recording of the Year (for “The Guitar Song” with Del McCoury).
• 2020, Jeff Parker joined the Radio Ramblers, replacing Mike Terry.
• 2022, Chris Davis (formerly with the Grascals) joined the Radio Ramblers, replacing Jeff Parker who left to resume his solo career.

ALAN MUNDE

• From Norman, Oklahoma. Has lived in Nashville, Los Angeles, Levelland and Wimberly Texas, Oklahoma City.
• 1969, began playing banjo professionally at age 22 with 16-year-old Sam Bush in a band called Poor Richard’s Almanac.
• 1970, joined Jimmy Martin and The Sunny Mountain Boys.
• 1972, moved to Los Angeles and with Byron Berline, Roger Bush and Kenny Wertz, formed The Country Gazette, a band that he would lead in one form or another for the next 30 years. During this time he also performed with The Flying Burrito Brothers.
• 1976, released first solo album Banjo Sandwich (Ridge Runner).
• 1980, released “The Banjo Kid Picks Again” album (Ridge Runner).
• 1980-1985, released several Festival Favorites albums (Ridge Runner).
• 1986-2007, taught bluegrass music at South Plains College in Levelland, Texas. He has also written and recorded dozens of banjo instruction books, recordings and videos.
• 1994, formed a duo with former Country Gazette member Joe Carr (guitar, mandolin) performing what they called “Border Bluegrass,” a mix of bluegrass with Tex-Mex influences. They released several albums for Flying Fish Records.
• 1994, released Blue Ridge Express album (Rounder).
• 2004, formed The Alan Munde Gazette and released a self-titled album (no label).
• 2006, was elected to the board of the IBMA.
• 2007, released “Old Bones” album (Munde’s Child) featuring earlier recordings never-before released.
• 2008, received a Distinguished Achievement Award from the IBMA (with Joe Carr).
• 2009, performed and recorded with an Austin-based band The Two High String Band.
• 2014, released an album of duets with mandolinist Billy Bright called “Bright Munde” (Munde’s Child).
• 2018, released “Es Mi Suerte” album (Munde’s Child) with mandolinist Billy Bright.
• 2021, was awarded the Steve Martin Banjo Prize.
• 2023, released Excelsior album (Patuxent).

C. W. MUNDY

• From Indianapolis, Indiana.
• Full name is Charles Warren Mundy.
• Plays banjo with a group called the Disco Mountain Boys but is best known as a world-renowned fine artist. He is a Master Signature Member of the Oil Painters of America and holds Master Status with the American Impressionist Society.
• 1969, moved to Southern California where he played at various times with Byron Berline, Dan Crary, Pat Cloud and other SoCal musicians. He formed a band called the Tarzan Swing Band.
• 1978, moved back to Indiana, his home state, where he has focused primarily on his fine art pursuits.
• 2011, released solo project called Road Trip (Moon Surf Records) featuring guest musicians Jeff Autry, Randy Kohrs and other bluegrass artists.

MIKE MUNFORD

• From Baltimore (lives in Glen Rock, Maryland). He was born in St. Louis, MO.
• A banjo player since age 15, he has worked with Peter Rowan, the Tony Rice Unit, The Rice Brothers, the Lynn Morris Band, Mark Newton and many others.
• 2009, joined Frank Solivan and Dirty Kitchen.
• 2013, won the IBMA Award for Banjo Player of the Year.

MICHAEL MARTIN MURPHEY

• From Dallas, Texas (born in Oak Cliff, Texas). Lives in Colorado.
• 1964, formed first band with Michael Nesmith (later of the Monkees) called the Trinity River Boys.
• 1967, wrote “What Am I Doing Hanging Round” for the Monkees and other songs recorded by the group.
• 1971, became part of the “outaw country” movement in Austin, Texas with Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, Jerry Jeff Walker, etc.
• 1973, recorded biggest hit “Wildfire.”
• 1983, recorded “Carolina in the Pines,” and won Male Vocalist of the Year at the Academy of Country Music Awards.
• 1990, recorded “Cowboy Songs,” the first Gold Record for an album of cowboy music since Marty Robbins’ “Gunfighter Ballads.”
• 2004, inducted into the Western Music Hall of Fame (WMA).
• 2008, recorded Buckaroo Blue Grass (Rural Rhythm) produced by his son Ryan.
• 2009, named “Entertainer of the Year” at the Texas Music Awards.
• 2010, released Buckaroo Blue Grass II, (Rural Rhythm), his second bluegrass album.
• 2010, released a bluegrass Christmas album Acoustic Christmas Carols (Rural Rhythm).
• 2011, released Tall Grass & Cool Water (Rural Rhythm), his third bluegrass album.

MUSTERED COURAGE

• From Melbourne, Australia.
• A Newgrass quartet formed in 2010 by Nick Keeling (banjo), Julian Abrahams (guitar), Paddy Montgomery (mandolin) and Josh Bridges (bass).
• Keeling is originally from Texas. The others are Australian.
• Montgomery plays a left-handed mandolin.
• 2011, released first album Mustered Courage (no label).
• 2014, released Powerlines album (Travianna Records).
• 2014, toured the US and showcased at IBMA in Raleigh, NC.
• 2015, won the Country Music Australia Award for Instrumental Recording of the Year (for their song “Candle Creek”).