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Cedar Hill (Missouri)

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CEDAR HILL

  • From Hillboro, Missouri (in the Missouri Ozarks).
  • Formed in 1967 by Frank Ray and his uncle Richard Orchard. The original name of the band was Rich Orchard, Frank Ray, and The Ramblin’ Blue Grass Boys. The name was changed to Cedar Hill Grass in 1972, and later shortened to just Cedar Hill.
  • Winner of several SPBGMA awards and in 2000, won first place at the Gibson National Bluegrass Band Showcase.
  • 2004 lineup: Frank Ray (mandolin), Mel Besher (guitar), Kenny Cantrell (banjo), Lisa Ray (fiddle) and Ali Keisler (bass).
  • 2005, released Stories album (Hay Holler).
  • 2011, released “I’ve Got a Thing About Doors” album (Blue Circle)
  • 2008, released Looking Back album (Hay Holler).
  • 2013 lineup: Ray (mandolin), Jim Bunch (banjo), Pete Brown (fiddle), Patti LeFleur (bass), Brit McGarity (guitar).
  • 2015, released “Miss Dixie, Tom T. and Me” (Blue Circle), a collection of songs written by Tom T. and Dixie Hall especially for Cedar Hill. For two years following the deaths of Frank Ray’s son Scott and his father Dallas, Ray was unable to write new songs for his band. So the Hall’s responded by offering Ray ten new songs.
  • 2008, Ray was inducted into the National Traditional Country Music Association Hall of Fame and received the Association’s Lifetime Achievement Award in 2018
  • 2019, Ray was inducted into SPBGMA’s Hall of Greats.
  • 2019, released Grandpa Built a Church House album (Nickeltown).
  • 2020, signed with Mountain Fever Records.