Mountain Heart

Posted on by WR

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).