Join
Barry Bales

Barry Bales

Musician · b. 1969 · Kingsport, Tennessee
Best known for Bass Lead Vocals

Barry Bales is the longest-serving member of Alison Krauss & Union Station — a 35-year bassist-vocalist whose understated, propulsive acoustic bass has been the foundation of some of the most commercially successful bluegrass albums ever made. With 15 Grammy Awards and 23 IBMA honors (including four Bass Player of the Year trophies), he is one of the most decorated sidemen in acoustic music, while also working as an in-demand Nashville session player and producer.

  • Born Barry Turner Bales in Kingsport, Tennessee. Grew up in nearby Colonial Heights, Tennessee; attended Sullivan South High School. Father worked for Eastman Kodak and played amateur country and bluegrass after supper, introducing Barry to the records of Bill Monroe, Flatt & Scruggs, the Stanley Brothers, Bob Wills, Buck Owens, and Hank Thompson.
  • Started on guitar at age 10; took lessons from James Alan Shelton (who later worked with Ralph Stanley). Attended Saturday-morning jam sessions at the Guitar Shop on Market Street in Kingsport. Found his instrument on acoustic bass by age 15.
  • Enrolled at East Tennessee State University in fall 1987. Officially majored in engineering technology but was an early enrollee in ETSU's Bluegrass, Old-Time, and Country Music program.
  • With fellow ETSU students Adam Steffey (mandolin) and Tim Stafford (guitar), formed the band Dusty Miller. Released a well-received 1990 debut album on June Appal.
  • Alison Krauss met Dusty Miller on the festival circuit in 1990 and hired all three members into Union Station in June 1990. Bales's first recording with Union Station was Every Time You Say Goodbye (1992), which won the Grammy for Best Bluegrass Album.
  • Has remained in AKUS continuously for 35 years — the longest tenure of any member besides Krauss herself. Performed on every AKUS album from Every Time You Say Goodbye (1992) through Arcadia (2025).
  • Contributed to the 2001 O Brother, Where Art Thou? soundtrack — appeared as one of the fictional Soggy Bottom Boys in the film, and played on four of the nineteen soundtrack songs.
  • Founding member of the Earls of Leicester (Jerry Douglas's Flatt & Scruggs tribute, 2013–present). Won the 2015 Grammy for Best Bluegrass Album with that group.
  • Co-wrote Chris Stapleton's Top 10 country hit “Nobody to Blame” with Stapleton and Ronnie Bowman — won the 2016 Academy of Country Music Song of the Year award.
  • Extensive Nashville session credits include Dolly Parton, Dwight Yoakam, Merle Haggard, Reba McEntire, Vince Gill, Willie Nelson, Shania Twain, Kenny Chesney, Elvis Costello, the Civil Wars, and the Chieftains. Also appeared on the soundtracks for Cold Mountain, Get Low, Walk the Line, and Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood.
  • Active producer; has produced Russell Moore & IIIrd Tyme Out, Tim Shelton, and others.
  • Lives on a family farm near Greeneville, Tennessee that has been in his family since 1882. Calls time on the tractor between tours “diesel therapy.” Moved back to east Tennessee from Nashville in 1993.
  • Touring schedule during AKUS's prime years reached 300 dates annually. Returned to full touring with AKUS in 2025 for the Arcadia album with new lead vocalist Russell Moore replacing Dan Tyminski and Stuart Duncan joining on fiddle.

Roulette Settings

Calculating…
Popularity
Type
Genres
Bluegrass
Folk
Country
Old-Time
Other
Popularity
Difficulty
Type
Key
Featured Instruments
Origin
All Instrument Tuner
Metronome
Chord Finder

Share Playlist