Adam Steffey (born November 24, 1965) is an American

mandolin A mandolin ( it, mandolino ; literally "small mandola") is a stringed musical instrument in the lute family and is generally plucked with a pick. It most commonly has four courses of doubled strings tuned in unison, thus giving a total of 8 ...

player, best known for playing in the bluegrass and old-time styles. He spent time as a member of bands such as

Alison Krauss & Union Station Alison Krauss & Union Station is an American bluegrass and country band associated with singer Alison Krauss. It was initially composed of Krauss, Jeff White, Mike Harman and John Pennell. Later additions included Tim Stafford, Ron Block, Ada ...

Mountain Heart Mountain Heart is an American band, which combines elements of rock, jam band, country, blues, jazz, folk and bluegrass music. Critics have described the band using terms such as "acoustic overdrive", "Folk rock on steroids", and "slam grass" ...

Lonesome River Band The Lonesome River Band is an American contemporary bluegrass band. The band has released 15 recording projects since its formation in 1982. Lonesome River Band is led by Sammy Shelor who is a member of the Virginia Country Music Hall of Fame ...

, the Dan Tyminski Band,

the Boxcars The Boxcars were an American bluegrass band. In addition to being Grammy-nominated, the band has received numerous International Bluegrass Music Awards both as a group and individually. History The Boxcars were founded by Adam Steffey, Ron S ...

, and

the Isaacs The Isaacs are a bluegrass Southern gospel music group consisting of mother Lily Isaacs (b. September 20, 1947), daughters Becky (b. Aug. 2, 1975) and Sonya Isaacs (b. July 22, 1974) and son Ben Isaacs (b. July 25, 1972), along with John Bowman (h ...

. He was most recently a member of the Highland Travelers, which announced on November 15, 2018 that they were disbanding, with Steffey pursuing an alternative profession other than music. However, his retirement from music was short-lived, as he joined the band Volume Five just a few months later. Steffey has also performed with such artists as

Kenny Chesney Kenneth Arnold Chesney (born March 26, 1968) is an American country music singer, songwriter, and guitarist. He has recorded more than 20 albums and has produced more than 40 Top 10 singles on the US ''Billboard (magazine), Billboard'' Hot Coun ...

Clint Black Clint Patrick Black (born February 4, 1962) is an American country music singer, songwriter, musician, and record producer. Signed to RCA Nashville in 1989, Black's debut album '' Killin' Time'' produced four straight number one singles on the ...

Vince Gill Vincent Grant Gill (born April 12, 1957) is an American country music singer, songwriter and musician. He has achieved commercial success and fame both as frontman of the country rock band Pure Prairie League in the 1970s and as a solo artist b ...

Dolly Parton Dolly Rebecca Parton (born January 19, 1946) is an American singer-songwriter, actress, philanthropist, and businesswoman, known primarily for her work in country music. After achieving success as a songwriter for others, Parton made her album d ...

the Dixie Chicks The Chicks (previously known as Dixie Chicks) are an American country music band from Dallas, Texas. Since 1995, the band has consisted of Natalie Maines (lead vocals, guitar) and sisters Martie Maguire (vocals, fiddle, mandolin, guitar) and E ...

James Taylor James Vernon Taylor (born March 12, 1948) is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. A six-time Grammy Award winner, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2000. He is one of the best-selling music artists of all time, havi ...

Rhonda Vincent Rhonda Lea Vincent (born July 13, 1962) is an American bluegrass singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist. Vincent's music career began when she was a child in her family's band The Sally Mountain Show, and it has spanned more than four de ...

Ronnie Bowman Ronnie Bowman (born July 9, 1961) is an American singer and composer of bluegrass music. Besides his solo albums, he is known for his work with the Lonesome River Band. Biography Early years A native of Mount Airy, North Carolina, Bowman sang gos ...

, Jim Mills, and others.

Biography

Steffey grew up in

Norfolk, Virginia Norfolk ( ) is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. Incorporated in 1705, it had a population of 238,005 at the 2020 census, making it the third-most populous city in Virginia after neighboring Virginia Be ...

but moved to

Kingsport, Tennessee Kingsport is a city in Sullivan and Hawkins counties in the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of the 2020 census, its population was 55,442. Lying along the Holston River, Kingsport is commonly included in what is known as the Mountain Empire, w ...

when his father retired in 1975. He attended the

Carter Family Fold The Carter Family Fold is a musical performance and concert venue located near Hiltons, Virginia. It is dedicated to the preservation and performance of old time country and bluegrass music. It is named in honor of the original Carter Family, ...

each weekend when he was young, and became interested in the music he heard there. He started playing the mandolin when he was 15, taking lessons first from Audey Ratliff and later on from

Jack Tottle John Walter Tottle, known as Jack Tottle (born November 24, 1939), is an American bluegrass musician, singer, mandolin player, songwriter, music teacher and author. Early life and education Jack Tottle was on born November 24, 1939, in Baltimore ...

. Steffey completed his Bachelor of Science at ETSU in 2014. He served as an adjunct faculty member teaching mandolin at East Tennessee State University.

Personal life

Steffey married musician Tina Trianosky in May 2008, and they have twin sons, born in 2011.

Awards

Steffey is a five-time

Grammy award The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pres ...

winner and has won the bluegrass mandolin player of the year from the

International Bluegrass Music Association The International Bluegrass Music Association, or IBMA, is a trade association to promote bluegrass music. Formed in 1985, IBMA established its first headquarters in Owensboro, Kentucky. In 1988 they announced plans to create the International ...

eleven times, more than any other player.

Selected Discography

* (2001) Grateful (Mountain Home Records) * (2009) One More for the Road (Sugar Hill) * (2013) New Primitive (Organic) * (2016) Here to Stay (Mountain Home) Also performed on: * (2013) It's Just a Road (The Boxcars) * (2013) Life on a Rock (Kenny Chesney) * (2013) The Bluegrass Album (Alan Jackson) * (2012) All In (The Boxcars) * (2008) Good Thing Going (Rhonda Vincent) * (2008) Secrets (

Sierra Hull Sierra Dawn Hull (born September 27, 1991) is an American bluegrass singer-songwriter, mandolinist, and guitarist. Hull was signed to Rounder Records at the age of 13 and released her debut vocal album, ''Secrets'', in 2008 at the age of 16. ...

) * (2007) DoorWay (Ron Block) * (2006) Wide Open (Mountain Heart) * (2005) First Time Around (Aaron McDaris) * (2005) Hide Head Blues (Jim Mills) * (2005) Some Hearts (

Carrie Underwood Carrie Marie Underwood (born March 10, 1983) is an American singer. She rose to prominence after winning the fourth season of ''American Idol'' in 2005. Her single "Inside Your Heaven" made her the only country artist to debut atop the ''Bill ...

) * (2002) Home (Dixie Chicks) * (2002) My Dixie Home (Jim Mills) * (2001) Stand Still (The Isaacs) * (2000) Carry Me Across the Mountain (Dan Tyminski) * (1997) Nothin' But the Taillights (Clint Black) * (1997) So Long So Wrong (Alison Krauss & Union Station) * (1996) High Lonesome Sound (Vince Gill) * (1996) Treasures (Dolly Parton) * (1994) I Know Who Holds Tomorrow (Alison Krauss) * (1993) World Turning (

Tony Trischka Anthony Cattell Trischka (born January 16, 1949) is an American five-string banjo player. Sandra Brennan wrote of him in 2021: "One of the most influential modern banjoists, both in several forms of bluegrass music and occasionally in jazz and ...

) * (1992) Every Time You Say Goodbye (Alison Krauss & Union Station) * (1991) Arkansas Traveler (

Michelle Shocked Michelle Shocked (born Karen Michelle Johnston; February 24, 1962) is an American singer-songwriter. Her music has entered the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, been nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Folk Album, and received an award f ...

) * (1989) Dusty Miller (Dusty Miller)

Footnotes

American bluegrass musicians Grammy Award winners Living people 1965 births American mandolinists East Tennessee State University alumni American bluegrass mandolinists Country musicians from Tennessee Lonesome River Band members Alison Krauss & Union Station members {{US-musician-stub