THE DRY BRANCH FIRE SQUAD
- From Springfield, Ohio.
- Formed in 1976 by mandolinist Ron Thomason.
- The band is known for playing a raw style of mountain music along with Thomason’s self-deprecating hillbilly humor.
- They are the host band for the annual “Grey Fox” Bluegrass Festival in New York.
- Thomason’s first pro job: 1971, with Ralph Stanley and the Clinch Mountain Boys. (Ricky Skaggs and Keith Whitley were also members of that group.)
- Bandleader Thomason was an English teacher and assistant principal at a junior high school near his home (retired in 1999). He is a prolific writer and story teller. He has also raised and trained Arabian horses. Retired to live in Colorado (near Pike’s Peak). He is an avid hiker and rock climber.
- They recorded 16 albums for Rounder Records including Thirtieth Anniversary Special
(2007).
- 2014, released Don’t Forget This Song
and Gospel Way
albums (no label).
