Hey, I thouhgt it would be great if everyone could give a synopsis/short bio here. What yall think?
17 Comments |
 | Laurence Diehl says:
2/1/2011 10:56:13 AM
John - why don't you start? I feel everyone knows enough about me. did you come from a musical family?
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 | joemac says:
2/1/2011 10:59:22 AM
I think its a great Idea John, go on mate, kick us off........
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 | Banjophobic says:
2/1/2011 11:19:08 AM
Well, Ok then. I'll keep it condensed. I came from a musically diverse family, Mom sang played guitar,Dad sang, played guitar and was a Luthier. Sis played piano and my brother loved music, just didnt get the 'gene'. I grew up listening to all kinds of music, but lived in the heart of BG /OT country, in Western NC .I Grew up playing fiddlers conventions, dances, playing in local bands,etc and attending shows/festivals. My playing career evolved from part time player to full time as a member of Johnny & Jeanette Williams Band back in the late 80s. That led to jobs with other bands including being a founding member of Wyatt Rice And Santa Cruz. I eventually left them to join the Shady Grove Band. Ive been with them some 15 years or so. I also play reso guitar,guitar and banjo with various other groups as a sideman. Im active as a session player, teach lesson via Skype and run an instrument repair shop. Im a Sagittarius, like to hike and read Sci-fi novels and the History channel is my fav....haha. Theres a lot more I could tell, but this should be enough.
Ok, how about you guys? And dont gives any 'there's nothing to tell' crapola. Spill it brothers....
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| Laurence Diehl says:
2/1/2011 11:48:51 AM
Whoa! you're Sagittarius? I'm Aquarius - are we going to get along?
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 | jimh269b says:
2/1/2011 11:50:04 AM
well ill throw my two cents worth in,i started trying to play my dads old bacon banjo around the age of 5 years old.my dad played clawhammer and three of my uncles played,i always set a listened to dad,man thought thats so great,then before he knowed it was pickin that thing a little,so he went out and bought me a rb250,and also had my self and 4 brothers who but different instruments and bluegrass of course,well you know i have worked in the mines over 40 years but i still found time to pick because i love it so much,and turn down a job with bill monroe and the country gentlemen,love bluegrass just didnt want to play it for a living,thats about it,thanks john
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John Kuhn says:
2/1/2011 6:02:39 PM
Im just an old road dawg (Jobber) 77-95 travelin the US, Canada and Mexico. National Acts include Leon Everette, Judy Byram, Steve Cochran...Nashville Studio work 84-88 at LSI and AMI.Since 95, just been a hack banjo player/vocal around the region and doing alotta of fill in work on several instruments. Since 06..You guys KNOW what Ive been doin..LOL
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 | Stuart Bowen says:
2/1/2011 8:07:25 PM
My first instrument was keyboard, learned to play by ear and played with a rock band through high school in Virginia. While serving in the Navy I took up guitar and played aboard ship in my spare time. Later I bought a Kay banjo and then made my own neck to put on a StewMac metal pot. Enjoyed taking my daughters to festivals during the 70s and 80s but not a lot of time for music as work consumed most of my time. Still working throughout the 90s but played banjo with two bluegrass bands, Dallas Grass and I-30 Express, while living in the Dallas area and attended jams and festivals while working in San Diego and Florida. Increased focus on music after moving to NC in 1998. Recorded, and produced 2 CDs featuring my daughter in 2000 and 2001. Helped get the JAM (Junior Appalachian Musicians) after school program started by teaching banjo and guitar. I continue to play music for pleasure and do recordings for Family and Friends.
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| joemac says:
2/2/2011 3:30:40 AM
Started off on guitar round about 1971, Dylan and Donavan type stuff mainly. Bought an ol banjo off a guy one night and had no idea. Next day went to the record store and bought the first album with a banjo on the cover, turnes out to be a bILL Monroe album.......and that was that.!! Played around my home county in a duo and ended up as a Pro with a skiffle star called Nancy Whiskey, she was real big over here so i did plenty of theatres and caberet type gigs, her husband Bob was the piano player with the hot Jazz combo "the kenny Collier band" so i was in good company as a young guy. Did some stand in jobs for the American bluegrass players when they came over here, Peter Rowan and Happy Traum to name but two. Then Nancy retired and i Joined a bluegrass rig bound for Norway and a residency in Oslo at the infamous Scotsman pub. Was lucky in getting up close to Bill Kieth and T. Trish when they came over way back in the late 70's and went to some great workshops they done. Played support for Ali Krauss at Edale bluegrass fest, same bill as Ralph Stanly and Del McCoury band. Moved band to a top uk band called Out To Grass where i stayed for 14 years doing all the festivals and clubs here in the UK..Now i Play with my good buddy Bob in a little duo called the Old Grey Dogs, just semi-pro with fun being the important thing these days. Still teach a bit but not as much. I guess going back to the 70's i must have played or been around the same guys as you Laurence, but we just didnt know it. I did play with your brother Bob at a few Edale hot sessions. So Bob are I are doing a few festivals and growing old in a nice way i guess!!.......thats me guys!!
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| Banjophobic says:
2/2/2011 6:44:50 AM
Good stuff guys-keep posting. Im always interested in folks musical influences and how they arrived at where they are.
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| jimh269b says:
2/2/2011 8:16:08 AM
this a great post john
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| Laurence Diehl says:
2/2/2011 3:36:44 PM
Growing up in England in the 70's you rarely saw the American bands and even BG albums were hard to get. But I think the British BG fans were all the more passionate about it for that. Bill Clifton was a kind of "Bluegrass Ambassador" over there during that time. Any of you remember him?
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| joemac says:
2/2/2011 5:23:42 PM
Yeah Laurence, i played support to Bill many years back, he came over with Jimmy Gardreu, (i know, its spelt wronG) any way as you say ,Bill spent a load of time over here. Hey i tell ya what mate, i just remembered, Sally Van Meter was touring on the same show, she had Tony Furtado on banjo as a young man!!!
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 | archtop717 says:
2/2/2011 8:12:27 PM
Been playing Banjo for over 34 years but started in my early twenties. Played Guitar first in the Simon-Garfunkle era and now play some Dobro, Bass & just started Mandolin. Nobody in my family is musical and I was very shy in my youth so I never played out or Jammed. Banjo changed all that. When I had 3 tunes under my belt and I joined a band. It was learn fast or make a fool of myself. went through a lot of bad stages, timing, speed ( too fast ) , sloppy, etc. Then I wised up, slowed down, and worked on clean and even. Now I jam too much. I got lucky and married a woman that not only loves Bluegrass music, but plays Bass in our band. She also hates to shop. I am in heaven. We love to play all types of music. Its amazing how music changes your life.
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 | banjo5don says:
2/5/2011 7:24:22 PM
Hey guys! I started out playing piano. My influences there were mainly Floyd Cramer and the guys who played in Gospel quartets. I always liked BG but knew little about it, other than Earl's picking on Beverly Hillbillies. My mom loved country so I heard some banjo on Porter's and Wilburn Bros. shows. I got a cheap banjo for Christmas @ age 15, but didn't get serious until I decided football in college was not an option! I started playing electric bass in a local group (Laurel, Ms) called Sweet Dixie in '84. I've played with several groups thru the years. I most recently played 6 years with the Jason Boone Band. We recorded 2 Cds and got some national airplay. Myself and 2 members of that group left in August and formed Magnolia Drive. We're excited about the direction this group's headed! I also teach banjo and write songs. I have three banjos: a late 30s TB-11 conversion, a Yates RS mahogany, and just this week acquired a 1930 TB-3 conversion that's a real hoss!
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 | pipefitter61 says:
2/8/2011 7:49:29 AM
I grew up with my dad being a semi famous country D.J. for KIKK radio in Houston Texas. Moved to Oklahoma in early 70's Naturally, I started playing country when I started. Guitar was first for me around 1974. Played that for several years, and got saw a guy playing a banjo at the jr. high school one day. Managed to get one, and the "Earl" book. (the one with the wrong tabs in it) Alan Munde lived in my hometown of Norman Ok. He straightend me out with the bad stuff, and was a mentor for me. I played with a lot of the regional groups. Bill Grant/Delhia Bell, Rocky Road, Jim Roberts etc. I did a short stint with Joe Diffee, and Special Edition when Bill Joe Foster left to go play bass for Alan, and Country Gazette. I started Union Standard in 1983 with Danny Watters. We came to Nashville in 84 to audition for "You Can Be a Star" Wound up winning all the way to the end (4 episodes I think) and Roy Acuff took a liking to us, and helped us with a lot of things. Took 14 years off in 1987, and went back to work in the country field as a bass player for Hit and Run. Came out from under the rock in 2000. Went to work for Rose Ridge, followed by Todd Rakestraw and Timberline Drive, and currently Blackjack Ridge.
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 | Russell Carson says:
2/16/2011 10:21:33 AM
Hey guys! I grew up with my father playing clawhammer banjo, fiddle, mandolin & guitar. So I have been surrounded by music basically from day one. I started playing banjo when I was 10 years old and have been playing ever since. My first teacher was Nev Jackson of Campbelltown Pa. I took lessons from Nev for about six years until I started taking lessons from different artists.
Some of the guys that helped me are Jens Kruger, Bill Keith, Tony Trischka, Chris Warner & Tom Adams. I started playing in Nev's local band Iron Wood Drive around 2004 and played mostly local gigs around Pa. I played with them for about two years until the band fizzled out. I worked around filling in for different bands until I joined Gold Heart in May of 2009. I traveled the country playing with them for a little more than a year. Until I got a call from my buddy Pat McAvinue of Audie Blaylock & Redline. Their banjo player Evan Ward was going full time to Xavier University, and they needed a replacement. I started with Audie in September of 2010, and I have loved ever minute of it. He has really taught me how to be a better banjo player & a better musician.
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| Laurence Diehl says:
2/23/2011 1:15:43 PM
This blog keeps getting buried - be nice to have it as a 'sticky' but that's probably not possible. Anyway, any new members are welcome to add your profile here.
L
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