Ron Thomason
Best known for
Mandolin
Ron Thomason is a southwest Virginia-born mandolinist, lead singer, and emcee whose Dry Branch Fire Squad — founded in 1976 and on Rounder Records since 1978 — has anchored a generation of bluegrass festivals with traditional repertoire and his beloved comedy stage patter.
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- Born in southwest Virginia, near Honaker in Russell County, above the Clinch River; spent his youth between southwest Virginia and central Ohio.
- Joined Ralph Stanley and the Clinch Mountain Boys in summer 1969 and toured with the band before founding his own group.
- Founded Dry Branch Fire Squad in October 1976; the band is named for a small Virginia town tied to his roots.
- Serves as the Squad's lead singer, primary mandolin player, and MC; also plays guitar and banjo and performs hambone (body-percussion) routines learned in childhood.
- Signed Dry Branch Fire Squad to Rounder Records in 1978 and remained on the label for the band's career.
- Career outside music: English teacher and assistant junior-high principal until retirement in 1999; Arabian-horse trainer; festival producer of Grey Fox and High Mountain Hay Fever (Westcliffe, Colorado).
- Long-running annual performer at Hardly Strictly Bluegrass in San Francisco since 2003.
- Inducted into Colorado Bluegrass Music Society Hall of Honor in 2017; current Colorado resident.
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Dry Branch Fire SquadPlayed on recordings with Dry Branch Fire Squad
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Keith Whitley and Ricky SkaggsPlayed on recordings with Keith Whitley and Ricky Skaggs
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Bill EvansPlayed on recording with Bill Evans
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Hazel DickensPlayed on recording with Hazel Dickens
