The Lonesome River Band

Band · Active 1985–present · Floyd, Virginia · lonesomeriverband.com
Contemporary Bluegrass

The Lonesome River Band has been one of the most consistent forces in contemporary bluegrass for more than four decades — a Virginia-based group whose driving banjo, strong vocal harmonies, and blend of traditional bluegrass with a rock-and-roll downbeat have kept them at or near the top of the bluegrass charts since their 1991 breakthrough. Led since 2001 by banjoist Sammy Shelor, the band has served as a proving ground for generations of top bluegrass players.

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  • Founded in 1982 in Ferrum, Virginia, by guitarist and vocalist Tim Austin; original lineup also included Steve Thomas (fiddle, mandolin), Rick Williams (banjo), and Jerry McMillan (bass, vocals).
  • Nearly disbanded in the late 1980s before being revived by the addition of mandolinist and singer Dan Tyminski, who joined in 1988 and appeared on that year's album Looking for Yourself.
  • Solidified its breakthrough lineup in fall 1990 when banjoist Sammy Shelor and vocalist/bassist Ronnie Bowman joined alongside Austin and Tyminski.
  • The 1991 Rebel Records album Carrying the Tradition topped the Bluegrass Unlimited chart for six months and won IBMA Album of the Year in 1992 — a landmark record widely credited with changing the trajectory of 1990s bluegrass.
  • Band founder Tim Austin left in 1995 to focus on his Doobie Shea recording studio; Shelor and Bowman took over band management.
  • When Bowman left in 2001, Shelor became the sole leader and has run the band as bandleader, booking manager, road manager, and bus driver ever since.
  • Sammy Shelor — born in southwestern Virginia into a banjo-playing family that included connections to the 1927 Bristol Sessions through the Shelor Family (Dad Blackard's Moonshiners) — has won IBMA Banjo Player of the Year five times (1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2012).
  • In November 2011, Shelor received the prestigious Steve Martin Prize for Excellence in Banjo and Bluegrass, with the award presented by Martin himself on the Late Show with David Letterman.
  • 1998 marked a peak year with three IBMA awards: Ronnie Bowman as Male Vocalist of the Year, Shelor as Banjo Player of the Year, and the band as Vocal Group of the Year.
  • Alumni who passed through the Lonesome River Band before going on to major careers include Dan Tyminski, Ronnie Bowman, Don Rigsby, Jeff Parker, Kenny Smith, and many others.
  • Has released more than 15 recording projects since formation, including Heyday, Bridging the Tradition, Mayhayley's House, and their most recent album The Winning Hand.
  • Continues to tour roughly 70–85 dates per year out of their base in Floyd, Virginia.
  • Sammy Shelor
    Played on recordings with The Lonesome River Band
  • Ronnie Bowman
    Played on recordings with The Lonesome River Band
  • Tim Austin
    Played on recordings with The Lonesome River Band
  • Dan Tyminski
    Played on recordings with The Lonesome River Band
  • Don Rigsby
    Played on recordings with The Lonesome River Band
  • Kenny Smith
    Played on recordings with The Lonesome River Band
  • Brandon Rickman
    Played on recordings with The Lonesome River Band
  • Mike Hartgrove
    Played on recordings with The Lonesome River Band
  • Stuart Duncan
    Played on recordings with The Lonesome River Band
  • Jerry Douglas
    Played on recordings with The Lonesome River Band
  • Jerry McMillan
    Played on recordings with The Lonesome River Band
  • Jesse Smathers
    Played on recordings with The Lonesome River Band
  • Aubrey Haynie
    Played on recordings with The Lonesome River Band
  • Barry Reed
    Played on recordings with The Lonesome River Band
  • Jeff Parker
    Played on recordings with The Lonesome River Band
  • Rickie Simpkins
    Played on recordings with The Lonesome River Band
  • Alison Krauss
    Played on recordings with The Lonesome River Band
  • Adam Steffey
    Played on recordings with The Lonesome River Band
  • Brian Fesler
    Played on recordings with The Lonesome River Band
  • Dale Perry
    Played on recordings with The Lonesome River Band
  • John Wade
    Played on recordings with The Lonesome River Band
  • Steve Thomas
    Played on recordings with The Lonesome River Band
  • Barry Berrier
    Played on recording with The Lonesome River Band
  • Gil Landry
    Played on recording with The Lonesome River Band
  • Irl Hees
    Played on recording with The Lonesome River Band
  • Jeff Midkiff
    Played on recording with The Lonesome River Band
  • Randy Driskill
    Played on recording with The Lonesome River Band
  • Shannon Slaughter
    Played on recording with The Lonesome River Band

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