Lewis, Laurie

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LAURIE LEWIS

  • From Berkeley, California.
  • Early 60’s, she heard the Dillards and got hooked on bluegrass.
  • She is a two-time winner of the California State Fiddle Championship.
  • She owned and operated Marin Violin (a music store) for six years.
  • 1974, played bass with The Phantoms of the Opry (with Pat Enright, later of the Nashville Bluegrass Band.)
  • 1975, founded The Good Old Persons with Kathy Kallick.
  • 1977, worked with Peter Rowan’s Free Mexican Air Force.
  • 1980, formed her own band Grant Street.
  • 1981, played bass with the Vern Williams Band.
  • 1986, released first solo project Restless Rambling Heart album (Flying Fish).
  • 1988, recorded Blue Rose album with Cathy Fink, Sally Van Meter, Molly Mason and Marcy Marxer (Sugar Hill).
  • 1989, released Love Chooses You album (Flying Fish). The title song (written by Laurie) was subsequently recorded by Kathy Mattea and went to #1 on the country charts.
  • 1990, released Singin’ My Troubles Away album (Flying Fish).
  • 1992, 1994, won the IBMA award for Female Vocalist of the Year.
  • 1992, made first appearance at the Grand Ole Opry.
  • 1993, released True Stories album (Rounder Records).
  • 1994, she and mandolinist Tom Rozum were seriously injured in an automobile accident while traveling to a performance in Arizona (they both recovered).
  • 1995, released The Oak and the Laurel (Rounder), a duet album with Tom Rozum.
  • 1997, rode her bicycle 593 miles to raise $6000 for AIDS research.
  • 1997, released Earth & Sky: Songs of Laurie Lewis album (Rounder).
  • 1998, disbanded Grant Street and began working as a trio with Tom Rozum and Todd Phillips. She added Craig Smith (banjo) and Mary Gibbons (guitar) to the trio and performed as Laurie Lewis and Her Bluegrass Pals.
  • 1998, released Seeing Things album (Rounder).
  • 1999, released Laurie Lewis & Her Bluegrass Pals album (Rounder).
  • 1999, she and Tom Rozum began hosting an annual river rafting trip down the Rogue River (Oregon).
  • 2002, released Birdsong album (Spruce and Maple).
  • 2004, released Guest House, a duet album with Tom Rozum (High Tone).
  • 2004, released Winter’s Grace, a holiday duet album with Tom Rozum (Dog Boy).
  • 2005, released Blossoms album (Spruce and Maple).
  • 2006, released The Golden West album (High Tone) with her new band The Right Hands.
  • 2008, released Live album (Spruce and Maple).
  • 2011, released Skippin’ and Flyin’ album (Spruce and Maple).
  • 2013, released One Evening in May album (Spruce and Maple), recorded live at the Freight and Salvage in Berkeley, CA.
  • 2014, released a duet album with Kathy Kallick Laurie and Kathy Sing the Songs of Vern and Ray (Spruce and Maple).
  • 2016, released The Hazel and Alice Sessions album (Spruce and Maple) with her band The Right Hands, a tribute to the music of Hazel Dickens and Alice Gerrard.
  • 2020, released …And Laurie Lewis (Spruce and Maple) album, featuring duets with many guest artists.
  • 2024, released Trees album (Spruce and Maple).
  • 2024, received the Distinguished Achievement Award from the IBMA for her contributions to bluegrass music.