Rigsby, Don

Posted on by WR

DON RIGSBY

  • From Isonville, Kentucky.
  • One of the best known tenor singers in bluegrass music. Plays mandolin.
  • Began professional career as a member of the Charlie Sizemore Band. Also worked with Vern Gosdin, the Bluegrass Cardinals, J.D. Crowe and the New South and True Grass.
  • 1995, replaced Dan Tyminski in the Lonesome River Band.
  • 1998, 2000, released solo projects.
  • 1997, recorded with the group Longview, winning IBMA awards for Recorded Event of the Year and Song of the Year (1998).
  • 1998, released A Vision album (Sugar Hill).
  • 1999, toured with Suzanne Thomas.
  • 1999, released first of two albums of duets with Dudley Connell Meet Me By Moonlight (Sugar Hill).
  • While with the Lonesome River Band, he occasionally appeared on stage as “Soup Bean” with his sidekick “Cornbread” (Kenny Smith) in bizarre comedy routines.
  • 2000, released Empty Old Mailbox album (Sugar Hill).
  • 2001, released second album with Dudley Connell Another Saturday Night (Sugar Hill).
  • 2001, left the Lonesome River Band to become the first Director of the Kentucky Center for Traditional Music (Morehead, KY) and to perform with his own group, Rock County and Longview. (Rock County disbanded in 2004).
  • 2003, released The Midnight Call album (Sugar Hill).
  • 2006, began performing with a new band called Midnight Call (named after a popular song on one of his albums.)
  • 2006, released Hillbilly Heartache album (Rebel).
  • 2010, played dates as Rigsby, Leadbetter and Bennett with Phil and Matt Leadbetter and Richard Bennett.
  • 2010, released The Voice of God album (Rebel).
  • 2012, reunited with Ronnie Bowman and Kenny Smith (former bandmates in the Lonesome River Band) to form a part-time band called The Rambling Rooks (later to be called Band of Ruhks).
  • 2013, sang harmony vocals on Alan Jackson’s “The Bluegrass Album.”
  • 2013, released Doctors Orders: A Tribute to Ralph Stanley album (Rebel).
  • 2014, recorded an album of duets with California guitarist David Thom.
  • 2016, formed Flashback, with Richard Bennett, Phil Leadbetter, Curt Chapman and Stuart Wyrick.