He may be a legend, but while Doyle Lawson takes pride in a career that’s stood at the center of bluegrass and bluegrass gospel for over 40 years, he’s hardly resting on his laurels. Look at his schedule and the point is unmistakable – at the same time he’s garnering new acclaim for his historic contributions, he’s plowing new ground alongside artists half his age. At once one of the busiest marquee acts in bluegrass and an iconic figure in its history – that’s Doyle Lawson.
Lawson released his 34th album, Lonely Street, in 2009 to critical acclaim, reconfirming his role as one of the music’s most vital and dynamic artists. No stranger to awards, Lawson has acquired numerous IBMA awards and nominations, including 7 consecutive "Vocal Group of the Year" awards, as well as several Grammy nominations and four Dove nominations over the last decade. His influential and powerful work, as well as his growing list of appearances at venues ranging from A Prairie Home Companion, Mountain Stage and the Grand Ole Opry to New York City’s Joe’s Pub and B. B. King’s Blues Club, testify to the continuing growth of Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver’s impact – and popularity – beyond traditional bluegrass audiences.
Born near Kingsport, Tennessee in 1944, he began his career as a bluegrass musician in 1963 with IBMA Hall of Honor member and bluegrass pioneer Jimmy Martin. Over the next 15 years, he became increasingly prominent as a powerful, expressive singer and distinctive mandolin stylist while working with the Kentucky Mountain Boys and the Country Gentlemen.
Lawson established his own group, Quicksilver, in 1979, and quickly moved to the forefront of the bluegrass scene, releasing a series of acclaimed albums – including the pioneering all-gospel Rock My Soul in 1981 – and influencing generations of younger musicians with a sound that blended traditional bluegrass and gospel elements with progressive material and superb execution. Drawing on the bottomless well of material contained within his father’s shape-note hymnbook collection and on the sounds of African-American gospel quartets and southern gospel groups he heard as a youngster, he made a particularly powerful impression with more than 15 all-gospel bluegrass albums that featured a wide range of styles, including influential a cappella quartets. At the same time, as a member of the Bluegrass Album Band, he helped to bring the repertoire and musical approaches of the music’s early giants to new generations of musicians and fans in a series of acclaimed albums made between 1980 and 1996.
Having established himself as a towering figure in bluegrass, Lawson turned his attention more closely to the world of gospel in the 1990s, issuing a series of sacred albums that earned him regular appearances at the National Quartet Convention, his first Dove nominations and the admiration and enthusiasm of a new generation of gospel artists. Yet at the beginning of the new decade he re-asserted himself in the bluegrass realm, reverting to his earlier practice of alternating sacred with bluegrass albums and earning the renewed admiration of the IBMA’s voters with 2002’s The Hard Game Of Love, which won the organization’s Song of the Year award for “Blue Train (Of The Heartbreak Line).”
While his own devotion to bluegrass stretches back to the genre’s Golden Era of the 1950s, Doyle Lawson has been an artistic leader and innovator almost as long – and a mentor, too, to generations of musicians who have gone through his 30 year old Quicksilver “school of bluegrass” to emerge as some of the music’s biggest names. The future of bluegrass is well represented in his current lineup.
Corey Hensley began playing the guitar at age 6 and formerly played in a band with his father and a friend called "The Christian Echoes" as well as another group called "Change of Heart." After about 7 years of playing Southern Gospel he decided to return to bluegrass and worked with a band called "The Jim and Valerie Gabehart Bluegrass Show" for 3 years before joining Doyle Lawson and Quicksilver in 2009. Corey lives with his wife Mandie and their two kids.
Bassist and vocalist Carl White comes from a family that sang gospel music for 20 years. Carl joined Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver in 2007 after stints with The Whites, Chosen Generation, the Nippers, the Jeff Treece Band, and Young Harmony.
Banjoist Joey Cox started playing when he was 12 years old. Before joining Quicksilver in 2007, he played with Lou Reid, Blue Ridge and Kenny and Amanda Smith.
Before fiddler Jason Barie joined the group in 2009 the six time Florida State Fiddle Champion had already played with the legendary Bobby Osborne and the Rocky Top Express, Carolina Road, The Churchmen, and The Larry Stephenson Band. He has been nominated three times for Fiddle Player of the Year by SPBGMA.
Resophonic guitarist Josh Swift joined the band in 2007 at the IBMA gathering. Born into a musical family, Josh played with Carrie Hassler & Hard Rain and a Gospel group called Set Apart before becoming a member of Quicksilver.
Admired, respected and beloved by gospel enthusiasts, long-time bluegrass followers and a growing number of newly-acquired fans from across the musical spectrum, Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver have truly become a bluegrass band for the ages.
Doyle Lawson And Quicksilver's Friend Space (Top 12)
Thanks for the add guys! I saw you in Springfield Illinois a few weeks back and once again you put on a stellar show. Kepp doing what you are doing, it works !!
Christmas is coming soon. Are you looking for a Christmas present and would like to help handicapped children? Than please request the list of donations in kind from HelpCharity, www.MySpace.com/HelpCharity , by sending me an e-mail at Ch.Lamitschka@t-online.de . Many donations in kind are autographed.
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Thanks for helping me to support handicapped children!
Christian
Founder of HelpCharity Editor & Journalist for Country Music Christian Lamitschka An der Pfingstweide 28 61118 Bad Vilbel Germany Phone: ++49 (0) 6101 544613 Mobil: ++49 (0) 171 6903352 E-Mail: Ch.Lamitschka@t-online.de Internet: www.MySpace.com/HelpCharity Internet: www.MySpace.com/ChristianLamitschka
JUST WANNA SAY HI & HOPE UR OK............ THANK U 4 THE ADD!!!!!!!!!!!! HAVE A GREAT WEEK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! HUGSSSSSSSSSSSSSS KISSSSSSSSSSSSSSES ALL MY LOVE 2 YA!!!!!!!!!!!! LOVE FANTASY
Stopping by to wish you a fantastic week!!! Hope all is going great with you!!! Check out my newest single Whipping Post on Texas radio NOW!!! I also hope to see you out at Rowdy Bucks in Crosby Texas Saturday November 28th 2009 9:30 The show will also be streamed live from www.susanhickman.com Check it out if you cant make it!!! Hope to see you there!!! Love, ~Susan Hickman www.susanhickman.com www.reverbnation.com/susanhickman www.twitter.com/susanhickman
Ruby Jane and Mark O'Connor: Virtuosos of the American Fiddle: http://www.poptech.org/blog/mark_oconnor_and_ruby_jane_smith_virtuosos_of_american_fiddle
Ruby Jane Article in New York Times!! http://mediadecoder.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/09/26/who-do-these-guys-think-they-are/ AND Check out the new pictures and video! Let me know what you think! Ruby Jane
If a kiss was a raindrop... I'd send you showers. If hugs were a second... I'd send you hours. If smiles were water... I'd send you the sea. If friendship was a person... I'd send you me. If you don't send this to at least 10 people... So that they know that you appreciate them. This poem shows lots of appreciation... So send this to all of your friends and let them know you care friends
ARE LIKE BALLOONS ONCE U LET THEM GO YOU CAN'T GET THEM BACK SO I'M
GOING TO tie YOU TO MY HEART SO I NEVER LOSE YOU SEND THIS TO ALL YOUR
Looking forward to your show tomorrow night in Milton, WV....Im not looking forward to getting there 3 hours early to get a seat, but I have done it for the past 7-8 years, and its always been well worth it!.........Chad
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