TOM SAFFELL From Nashville (Antioch), Tennessee. Mid-1990’s, was the banjo player with the Jim Buchanon System, the Bob Smiley Band. Also performs as a solo…
SALAMANDER CROSSING From Northampton, Massachusetts. Play “Amphibious Bluegrass,” a blend of bluegrass, folk and rock. Formed in 1991 by Andrew Kinsey (guitar), Rani Arbo (fiddle),…
PHIL SALAZAR (AND THE KINFOLK) From Ventura, California. A veteran Southern California fiddler who has been a performer and studio musician since the early 1970’s.…
JERRY SALLEY From Chillicothe, Ohio. Lives in Nashville. Began his music career in Nashville working at Opryland USA doing impressions of country stars like Roy…
THE SALLY MOUNTAIN SHOW From Kirksville, Missouri. Stage name used by the Vincent family bluegrass band: Johnny Vincent (banjo), Carolyn (bass); sons Darrin and Brian…
SALT AND LIGHT From Graham, North Carolina. A family band (the Moore Family) featuring siblings Kyndal (mandolin), Morgan (guitar), Parker (banjo), Daniel (fiddle), Norah (fiddle)…
SAM HILL From Portland, Oregon. Formed in 1993 by mandolinist Jeff Smith (originally from California) who wrote much of the band’s original material. 1995, released…
JACK SANBOWER (AND THE NO LEEWAY BAND) From Smithsburg, Maryland. Jack Sanbower played banjo with several Baltimore-Washington DC area bands, including CC and Company, Chestnut…
THE SAND MOUNTAIN BOYS Originally from Alabama; relocated to Milton, Florida. Formed in 1989. Sand Mountain is a large plateau in northeastern Alabama. For years,…
EDDIE SANDERS From McAlester, Oklahoma. A singer/songwriter, he played guitar for many years with a band called Signal Mountain. Bandmates included Shawn Camp, Tim and…
DEAN SAPP (AND THE HARFORD EXPRESS) From Aberdeen, Maryland. 1980, formed his band The Harford Express. Sapp’s uncle (Sonny Miller) played fiddle for Del McCoury.…
THE SAUCEMAN BROTHERS From Bright Hope, Tennessee (eastern Tennessee, near Greenville) Featured Carl and John Paul (J.P.) Sauceman. In the mid-forties, Carl had a band…
ZEKE SAUNDERS (AND THE BLADES OF GRASS) From Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Harold K. (“Zeke”) Saunders was a former pilot and Senior Vice President of Piedmont…
SAWMILL ROAD Based in Carson City, NV. Formed in 2006 by Steve Spurgin (bass and lead vocals), Mark Miracle (mandolin), Dick Brown (banjo), Charles Edsall…
CHARLES SAWTELLE From Boulder Colorado. Played guitar for the group Hot Rize. After the group disbanded in 1990, he built “Rancho De Ville” a vintage…
THE SAWTOOTH MOUNTAIN BOYS From Monmouth (Willamette Valley), Oregon. Oregon’s “original bluegrass band.” Formed in 1970 by Steve Waller (mandolin) and Mike Eisler (banjo). Before…
THE SCHANKMAN TWINS From Calabasas, California (San Fernando Valley). A bluegrass/country duo featuring Identical twins Dana (banjo) and Lauren (fiddle). They both played the role…
MARK SCHATZ From Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Grew up in Lexington, Massachusetts (near Boston). Has also lived in Maryland, Nashville, Berkeley, California. Best known as one of…
PETER SCHWIMMER From New York. Lived several years in Colorado before moving to Portland, Oregon. Has played with several bluegrass bands from New York to…
BECKY SCHLEGEL From St. Paul, Minnesota. Began performing in high school in central South Dakota, performing at VFW and American Legion Halls. She also spent…
BARRY SCOTT From Ellijay, Georgia. Began singing and playing bass with his family band (The Scott Family Band) at age 7. At age 11, he…
DARRELL SCOTT Born in London, Kentucky. Grew up in the Chicago area. Lives in Nashville. A successful songwriter: “Long Time Gone” and “Heartbreak Town” (Dixie…
MIKE SCOTT From Wautaga, Tennessee. Lives in Gallatin, Tennessee. 1972-1973, formed his first band at the age of 10, the Rocky Mountain Boys. 1974-1977, played…
THE SCOTTSVILLE SQUIRREL BARKERS From San Diego, California. Included Chris Hillman (who was still in high school), Larry Murray, Kenny Wertz, Ed Douglas and Gary…
JEFF SCROGGINS (AND COLORADO) From Oklahoma. Has also lived in Colorado, New Mexico, Kansas and Canada (British Columbia). Grew up playing rock guitar in several…
EARL SCRUGGS From Shelby, North Carolina. Lived in Madison, Tennessee for most of his life. Full name: Earl Eugene Scruggs. He is credited with being…
CURLY SECKLER From China Grove, North Carolina.. Real name: John Ray Sechler. First band: The Yodeling Rangers, with his brothers (1935). 1939, was one of…
THE SELDOM SCENE From Washington, D.C. Formed in 1971 by John Duffey (mandolin), John Starling (guitar and lead vocals), Ben Eldridge (banjo), Mike Auldridge (Dobro™),…
ALAN SENAUKE Guitarist and singer from Berkeley, California. Former editor of the Folk Music magazine “Sing Out!” 1978, formed a duo with Howie Tarnower (mandolin)…
SERENE GREEN From Pennsylvania. Formed in 2017 by Quentin Fisher (mandolin), Michael Johnson (guitar), Shane McGeehan (bass), and Steve Leonard (banjo). They play traditional bluegrass…
KEITH SEWELL From Duncanville, Texas. Began playing fiddle at age 3. Also plays banjo and mandolin, but is best known as a guitarist and songwriter.…
CHRIS SEXTON From Manassas, Virginia. Graduated from Shenandoah University in Winchester, VA with a degree in music performance. Plays classical violin (in orchestras) as well…
ALLEN SHADD From Middleburg, Florida. Played guitar with the Front Porch String Band, Mark Johnson and Clawgrass. 1997, won the National Guitar Championship at Winfield,…
THE SHADY GROVE BAND From Chapel Hill, North Carolina.. Formed in 1981 by Jerry Brown (guitar) and Charles Pettee (mandolin). Have toured Europe several times.…
PAUL SHELASKY From San Francisco. Fiddler who has worked with the Good Old Persons (12 years), John Reischmann, David Grisman, Jann Browne, Laurie Lewis and…
SAMMY SHELOR From Ferrum, Virginia. 1967, started playing banjo at age 5. First band: Posey Boyd family band at age 16. 1980-81, played with Interstate…
ALLEN SHELTON From Reidsville, North Carolina. Legendary banjo player who began his career with Mac Wiseman in the early fifties, also with Jim Eanes and…
EDDIE SHELTON From Temple, Texas. 1955 to 1963, played banjo with a Dallas group called the Country Cutups. 1965 to 1968, lived in Oklahoma City…
JAMES ALAN SHELTON From Gate City, Virginia. Made his home in Church Hill, Tennessee. Played guitar with such bands as the Bluegrass Travelers, the Larkin…
TIM SHELTON From Carlisle, Ohio. Began his career in gospel music. He worked at Renfro Valley with David Marshall (of the Marshall Family). Did a…
SHENANDOAH BLUE From Winchester, Virginia. Formed in 2002 by Scott Walker and Dave Probst. Walker (banjo) and Probst (mandolin) previously worked with Paul Adkins and…
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…
GEORGE SHUFFLER From Valdese, North Carolina. Best known as the man who made the guitar solo an integral part of the “Stanley Sound” when he…
KARL SHIFLETT (AND BIG COUNTRY SHOW) From Longview, Texas. First group: Stringbean and His Mountain Playboys (in high school). Early career: he was a pipeline…
JIM SHUMATE From Hickory, North Carolina. Began playing fiddle at age 14. He is considered one of the pioneers of classic bluegrass fiddling. He is…
SIDELINE From North Carolina. Formed by Steve Dilling in 2010 as a part-time band to perform during open dates when his full-time band IIIrd Tyme…
THE SIDEMEN From Nashville, Tennessee. Formed in 1989 by a group of side musicians, most of whom worked regularly with other bands. They performed regularly…
SIDESADDLE From Saratoga, California (near San Jose). Formed in 1979. For 14 years, they were an all-female band. Went co-ed in 1993 and changed the…
CHRIS SILVER From River Falls, Wisconsin. 1987-1992, played guitar and mandolin with Stoney Lonesome. Mid-1990’s, toured with Kate McKenzie. 1993, released solo project “Over Time.”…
RICKIE SIMPKINS From Christiansburg, Virginia. Lives in Nashville. Learned fiddle at age six. Age 9, played fiddle on stage with Flatt and Scruggs in his…
STURGILL SIMPSON From Jackson, Kentucky; grew up in Lexington. Lives in Nashville. 2004, after serving in the U.S. Navy, he formed a country-rock band in…
BENNY SIMS From Johnson City, Tennessee. One of the pioneers of bluegrass fiddling. Began his career in the 1940’s with the Morris Brothers, Wiley and…
EMILY SINGLETON (AND CUMBERLAND PLATEAU) From Bell Buckle, Tennessee. A vocalist who performs with her band Cumberland Plateau. Her sister Teressa also sings with her.…
JUNIOR SISK (AND RAMBLER’S CHOICE) From Ferrum, Virginia (born in Arlington). Began performing at age 16, playing bass with local bands around Virginia. Eventually switched…
SISTER SADIE From Nashville and various locations in the bluegrass heartland. A all-female band that formed in 2012 after an impromptu jam session at the…
THE SITZE FAMILY From Fredericktown, Missouri. Formed in 1990. Denny (guitar) and Candy Sitze and their three sons: Dennijo (mandolin), Chad (banjo) and Andy (bass).…
CHARLIE SIZEMORE From Magoffin County, (eastern) Kentucky. 1976, began performing with his father in a local bluegrass band and also worked briefly with the Goins…
HERSCHEL SIZEMORE From Leighton, Alabama (near Muscle Shoals). Lives in Roanoke, Virginia. 1957-1965, played mandolin with the Alabama-based group, The Dixie Gentlemen (with Jake Landers…
RICKY SKAGGS (AND KENTUCKY THUNDER) From Brushy Creek (near Cordell), Kentucky. Learned to play mandolin at age 5. Age 7, performed on Lester Flatt and…
SKEETER AND THE SKIDMARKS From Virginia. Formed in 1992 by Willard Gayheart and his son-in-law, Scott Freeman. Performed both bluegrass and old-time music, featuring the…
SKIP, HOP AND WOBBLE A project band featuring Jerry Douglas (Dobro™), Russ Barenberg (guitar) and Edgar Meyer (bass). The name comes from the title of…
SKYLINE From New York City. Formed in 1980 by Tony Trischka (banjo), Larry Cohen (bass), Dede Wyland (vocals), Danny Weiss (guitar), and Barry Mitterhof (mandolin).…
SHANNON SLAUGHTER From Chiefland, Florida. 1992, began professional career playing guitar with the Lost and Found. 1992-1995, joined the Larry Stephenson Band. 2005-2007, joined the…
SCOTT SLAY (AND THE RAIL) From Denver Colorado. Originally from Pensacola, Florida. 2012, was in a band with Sammy Shelor (of the Lonesome River Band)…
THE SLEEPY MAN (BANJO BOYS) From Lebanon Township, Western New Jersey. Three brothers: Tommy (age 14, guitar), Robbie (age 13, fiddle) and Jonnie (age 9,…
THE SLOCAN RAMBLERS From Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Original members: Frank Evans (banjo), Adrian Gross (mandolin), Darryl Poulsen (guitar) and Alastair Whitehead (bass). Charles James replaced…
SLO-GRASS From central Massachusetts. Formed in 1989 by Mark Davis (guitar), Fran McConville (mandolin) and David DiBiasio (fiddle). Bob Dick (bass) joined them in 1993.…
JOSH SLONE AND COAL TOWN From Hindman, Kentucky (Coal mining region of East Kentucky). Formed his band Coal Town in 2007. Members: Josh Slone (guitar),…
JESSE SMATHERS From Eden, North Carolina. Lives in Floyd, VA. 2009, won the guitar championship from the Virginia Folk Music Association. 2010, after graduation from…
BILLY AND TERRY SMITH (THE SMITH BROTHERS) From Nashville, Tennessee (originally from Reidsville, North Carolina). Billy plays guitar, Terry plays bass. Terry played bass for…
CRAIG SMITH From San Bernardino, California. Lives in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. One of bluegrass music’s top session banjo players. 1976, played with a California group…
DICK SMITH & MIKE O’REILLY BAND From Alexandria, Virginia. Dick Smith (banjo) has also worked with The Country Store, The Del McCoury Band, The Country…
EMMA SMITH From Hindman, Kentucky. Began singing Gospel music and playing guitar while in her teens, influenced heavily by Molly O’Day and Loretta Lynn. Made…
FRED E. SMITH From Marshall, North Carolina. A legendary country comedian and guitarist who with his cousin Red Rector (mandolin) performed as “Red and Fred.”…
GERALD SMITH From Statesboro, Georgia. Has lived in Nashville since 1986. He is a singer/songwriter with several number one songs to his credit including “What…
KENNY AND AMANDA SMITH Kenny is from Nine Mile, Indiana. Amanda is from Davisville, West Virginia. They live in Meadows of Dan, Virginia. 1992, Kenny…
TIM SMITH From Kernersville, North Carolina. Began playing fiddle at age 10. Had a group in high school called The Country Five and The Teenage…
VALERIE SMITH (AND LIBERTY PIKE) From Holt, Missouri. Lives in Nashville, Tennessee. Began performing at age 11 at the Gas Station Garage in her hometown.…
JIM SMOAK From Walterboro, South Carolina. Currently lives in Pekin, Indiana (near Louisville.) Learned to play banjo from listening to the original three-finger style banjo…
SMOKEY RIVER BOYS From Nashville. A “trademarked” recording group that has been the property of MCA (Decca) records since 1950. The original group included Lefty…
MIKE SNIDER From Gleason, Tennessee. A member of the Grand Old Opry since 1990. He was a regular on the Hee Haw television show. 1983,…
THE SNYDER FAMILY BAND From Lexington, North Carolina. A family band featuring Bud Snyder (bass), his son Zeb (guitar and banjo) and daughter Samantha (fiddle).…
THE SOGGY BOTTOM BOYS A fictional trio that performed in the movie “O Brother Where Art Thou” in 2001. In the movie, the group was…
FRANK SOLIVAN (AND DIRTY KITCHEN) From Modesto, California. Lives in Alexandria, Virginia. Began playing fiddle and banjo as a youngster. In high school studied the…
SONGS FROM THE ROAD BAND From Asheville, North Carolina. A project band formed by bass player and songwriter Charles R. Humphrey III (formerly with the…
THE SONORAN DOGS From Tucson, Arizona. Formed in 2011 by Peter McLaughlin (guitar), Mark Miracle (mandolin), Tyler James (banjo) and Bryan Davies (bass). McLaughlin (guitar)…
THE SOUL PICKERS From Hazel Green, Alabama (near Huntsville) Formed in 2003. Members: Shane Norman (mandolin), Daniel Wiseman (guitar), Tyler Anderson (banjo), Wayne Clemons (bass).…
SOUTHERN BLEND From Clay City, Kentucky. Formed in 1984 by Ricky Wasson (guitar) and former members of John Cosby and the Bluegrass Drifters including Wayne…
SOUTHERN JUNCTION From Concord, North Carolina. Formed in 1990. Features Bob Shue (banjo) and his sons Terry (bass) and Todd (mandolin). Also in the band:…
SOUTHERN RAIL From Watertown, Massachusetts. Formed in 1979. Personnel: Jim Muller (guitar), Sharon Horovitch (bass), Rich Stillman (banjo), John Tibert (mandolin). Muller is originally from…
SOUTHERN RAISED From Crane, Missouri. A family band featuring four siblings: Lindsay Reith (bass), Sarah Reith (banjo), Emily Reith (fiddle/mandolin) and Matthew Reith (guitar). They…
THE FAMILY SOWELL From Knoxville, Tennessee. Pronounced “Sow-(as in “cow”)-ell” A family band featuring the Sowell siblings: Jacob (banjo), Joshua (guitar), Naomi (bass), Abigail (mandolin),…
STEVE SPARKMAN From Harlan, Kentucky. Has the distinction of being only the second banjo player to perform as a member of the Clinch Mountain Boys…
LARRY SPARKS From southern Ohio. Lives in Greensburg, Indiana. Began singing and playing bluegrass when he was 5 years old, learning the guitar from his…
SCOTTIE SPARKS From eastern Kentucky. First band: The Wilson Brothers, playing guitar. Also played with Redwing and Unlimited Tradition. Performed on the award-winning “Stanley Tradition”…
RON SPEARS From West Valley City, Utah. 1970’s, played in a band called “Obadiah’s Organic Bluegrass Band.” 1976-1993, played rock and country music. 1990, had…
SPECIAL CONSENSUS From Chicago, Illinois. The name Special Consensus comes from the writings of Carlos Casteneda, an anthropologist who wrote about the mystical and spiritual…
SPECTRUM From Nashville. A band that included Glenn Lawson (guitar and lead vocals), Bela Fleck (banjo), Jimmy Gaudreau (mandolin), and Mark Schatz (bass.) Jimmy Mattingly…
SPILLWATER DRIVE From Arkansas/Missouri (the Ozarks). Formed in 2017 by Adam Ash (banjo), Samuel Cobb (mandolin), Gary Cook (bass) and Jake Stogdill (guitar). Stogdill is…
SPINNEY BROTHERS From Wolfville, Nova Scotia, Canada. Formed in 1992 as The Spinney Brothers and Close Company. Features brothers Allan (guitar) and Rick (banjo), born…
SPRING CREEK From Lyons, Colorado 2004, formed at South Plains College in Levelland, Texas where they studied music under Alan Munde and Joe Carr. Members:…
SPRINGFIELD EXIT From Virginia. Formed 2003 by Linda and David Lay (Appalachian Trail) and David McLaughlin (formerly with the Johnson Mountain Boys) to record a…
BLAINE SPROUSE From Martinsburg, West Virginia. Lived in Nashville for many years, then moved to California. Currently lives in Point Reyes, California. Has been a…
SPRUCE PINE From The Netherlands (Holland). Formed in 1977 by Dennis Schut, who played guitar with Charlie Moore on several European tours in the 1970’s.…
ROGER SPRUNG From Newtown, Connecticut. He was originally from New York City. His father was a Manhattan lawyer. Began playing banjo in the early days…
STEVE SPURGIN From McKinney, Texas (near Dallas). Now living in Carson City, Nevada. Best known as the bass player and lead vocalist with the band…
JOHNNY STAATS (AND THE DELIVERY BOYS) From Jackson County, West Virginia. Lives on a 20 acre farm. Started playing mandolin at age seven. Also plays…
TIM STAFFORD From Kingsport, Tennessee. 1990-1993, played guitar with Alison Krauss and Union Station. Appeared on the Grammy winning album “Every Time You Say Goodbye.”…
ART STAMPER From Hindman, Kentucky. One of bluegrass music’s pioneering fiddle players. As a teen, he began professional career working with Jim and Jesse and…
THE STANLEY BROTHERS From McClure, Virginia. Carter and Ralph Stanley were among the most influential of the first-generation bluegrass bands. First began recording “hillbilly music”…
KRISTI STANLEY From Pikeville, Kentucky. She is the wife of Ralph Stanley II. She began singing as a teenager and performed with a country band…
NATHAN STANLEY From Coeburn, Virginia. He is the grandson of Ralph Stanley. He started touring with his grandfather at age 10. Released 7 solo albums…
RALPH STANLEY (AND THE CLINCH MOUNTAIN BOYS) Born in 1927 in Big Spraddle Creek, Virginia. His home was in McClure, Virginia. 1946, began performing with…
RALPH STANLEY II From McClure, Virginia. Son of Ralph Stanley, who in 1995 began performing full-time in his father’s band, playing guitar and singing lead…
STARLETT & BIG JOHN From Southampton County, Virginia (Big John) and Ruffin, North Carolina (Starlett). Starlett Boswell Austin grew up in Cascade, Virginia and began…
JOHN STARLING From Alabama. Lived in Fredericksburg, VA. One of the founding members of the Seldom Scene. Left the Seldom Scene in 1988 to devote…
STATEMENT From Christiansburg, Virginia. A gospel bluegrass band featuring the lead vocals of Ashlee Blankenship. Members: Josh Blankenship (mandolin), Ashlee Blankenship (vocals), Trent Cox (Guitar),…
ANDY STATMAN From Brooklyn, New York. 1965, at age 15, took mandolin lessons from David Grisman. Early 70’s, worked with Tony Trischka in two bands:…
JODY STECHER (AND KATE BRISLIN) A husband-wife duo from the San Francisco area. Stecher plays mandolin, guitar, fiddle, banjo and other instruments. He is originally…
THE STEELDRIVERS From Nashville. Formed in 2005 by veteran musicians Mike Henderson (mandolin), Richard Bailey (banjo), Tammy Rogers (fiddle), Chris Stapleton (guitar) and Mike Fleming…
STEEL STRING SESSION From Ducktown, Tennessee. Formed in 2003 under the name Ducktown Station. Their music is described as “Cosmic Rockin’ Boogie Grass.” Their original…
STEEP CANYON RANGERS From western North Carolina (Asheville). Their name came from a Colorado beer called “Steep Canyon Stout.” Formed in 1998 by Lizzie Hamilton…
ADAM STEFFEY From Johnson City, Tennessee. Inspired to play mandolin by the Lost and Found’s Dempsey Young. First band (on graduation from high school) The…
JEREMY STEPHENS From Danville, Virginia. Began playing banjo at age four–a wooden banjo made by his father. At age nine, formed a band called Shallow…
LARRY STEPHENSON From Fredericksburg, Virginia. Moved to Nashville in 1992. Began playing mandolin at age 5. First band: Larry Stephenson and New Grass (in high…
STETSON AND CIA From Nashville. Stetson Adkinsson (guitar) and Cia Cherryholmes (banjo) formed a duo in 2011. Stetson is a singer/songwriter from Colorado. His family…
THE STETSON FAMILY From Melbourne, Australia. Formed in 2008 by Nadine Budge (guitar/vocals), John Bartholomeusz (guitar), Andrew Carswell (mandolin), Colin Swain (banjo), Luke Richardson (bass).…
THE STEVENS FAMILY BLUEGRASS BAND From Berkeley Springs, West Virginia. Began performing together as a bluegrass gospel band in 2007. The Stevens Family Bluegrass Band…
THE STEVENS SISTERS (BETH AND APRIL) From Hampton, Tennessee. Since they were children (Beth was 12, April was 8) they have been performing with their…
MIKE STEVENS From Bright’s Grove, Ontario, Canada. One of the few professional harmonica players in bluegrass. 1990, voted Central Canada’s Entertainer of the Year (Central…
ART STEVENSON (AND HIGH WATER) From Babcock, Wisconsin. Formed in 1994. Perform weekly at a club called Schmidt’s Corner Tavern, in central Wisconsin. Band features…
RONNIE STEWART From Paoli, Indiana. He has a ranch called Sleepy Valley Ranch. Began playing fiddle at age 3. Also learned to play guitar, banjo,…
MARK STOFFEL From Munich, Germany. Since 2001, has lived in Southern Illinois. 1979, asked his parents for a ukelele and was given a mandolin instead.…
BRADY STOGDILL From Heltonville, Indiana (originally from Bedford, Indiana). 1993, he was a member of the original “Bluegrass Youth All-Star Band” that performed at the…
THE STONEMANS (THE STONEMAN FAMILY) From Galax, Virginia. Earnest V. “Pop” Stoneman was one of the early pioneers of recorded country music (his first record…
STONEY CREEK From Martinsburg, West Virginia. Formed in the early 2000’s. 2015 lineup: Libby Files (bass), Brett Smeltzer (mandolin), Kenton Catlett (guitar), and Troy Stangle…
STONEY LONESOME From St. Paul, Minnesota. Formed in 1982 by by guitarist and lead singer Kate MacKenzie and banjo player Kevin Barnes. They were voted…
FERRELL STOWE From Lebanon, Missouri. Lives in Vanleer, Tennessee. Plays resonator guitar (Dobro™) with several bands: George Clark and Dixie Flyer, the James Price Band,…
CARL STORY From Lenoir, North Carolina. Formed the first version of his band “The Ramblin’ Mountaineers” in 1934. Rose to prominence on radio station WHKY…
DON STOVER From Ameagle, West Virginia. Also lived in Boston and in the Baltimore, MD area. An early banjo player who influenced Bill Keith, Tony…
STRENGTH IN NUMBERS From Nashville, Tennessee. A bluegrass/jazz supergroup that included Sam Bush (mandolin), Bela Fleck (banjo), Mark O’Connor (fiddle/guitar), Edgar Meyer (bass) and Jerry…
BILLY STRINGS From Iona, Michigan. Also lived in Traverse City, Michigan. Moved to Nashville. Real name: William Apostol. While in middle school, he played in…
CHRIS STUART From San Diego, California. Originally from Jacksonville, Florida. Twice has won the Chris Austin Songwriting Contest at MerleFest, His songs have been recorded…
MARTY STUART From Philadelphia, Mississippi. Full name: John Martin Stuart. He was nicknamed Marty after country music legend Marty Robbins. Began in career in music…
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…
JERRY AND TAMMY SULLIVAN From Wagarville, Alabama. Father and daughter duo. Began performing together in the late 70’s, when Tammy was only 14 years old.…
THE SULLIVAN FAMILY From St. Stephens, Alabama. The first band to use the term bluegrass gospel to describe their music. Originally included Arthur, Margie, Aubrey,…
SUMMERTOWN ROAD From Ashland, Kentucky. Formed in 2008 by Jack Hicks (banjo), John Rigsby (fiddle/mandolin), Bo Isaac (guitar) and Randy Thomas (bass). Hicks and Rigsby…
See MOUNTAIN FAITH From Sylva, North Carolina. They are a brother-sister duo, Summer Brooke McMahon and Braydon McMahon, formerly performing in their family band Mountain…
SUMMER WAGES From North Carolina. A band that was together from 1983-1988. Original band included Craig Smith (banjo), Barry Berrier (guitar), Rick Allred (mandolin), Garland…
TIM SURRETT From Canton, North Carolina. 1992, joined the Kingsmen, an award-winning gospel group from Asheville, NC. Sang lead and played bass. 1992, recorded a…
BRYAN SUTTON From Candler, North Carolina. Lives in Nashville. Began playing guitar at age 8. Heavily influenced by Doc Watson and Tony Rice. 1992, first…
SWEET POTATO PIE From North Carolina. An all-female bluegrass band featuring Sonya Stead (guitar), Missy Pyne (mandolin), Crystal Richardson (banjo), Ashley Davis (fiddle), Julie Brown…
SWIFT CREEK From Raleigh, North Carolina. Formed in 2010 by Kevin Brown (guitar, lead vocals), Casey Elder (mandolin), Dennis Hoyle (bass), Ashley Kovacs (fiddle) and…
BILLY SWINSON From Richlands, North Carolina. Lives in Jacksonville, FL. At age 15 (early 90’s), began playing mandolin with several regional North Carolina bands. 1996…
JUSSI SYREN (AND THE GROUNDBREAKERS) From Finland. Syren plays mandolin and sings lead with his band The Groundbreakers. Other band members include Tauri Oksalas (banjo),…