Alan Bibey (born August 24, 1964) is a mandolinist, singer, songwriter, and band leader in the bluegrass tradition.

Biography

Early years

Bibey was raised in

Walnut Cove, North Carolina Walnut Cove is a town in Stokes County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 1,536 at the 2020 census. It is the home of Family Pharmacy and the Walnut Cove Springfest, which draws many visitors to the area. Festival-organizers marke ...

. His dad and his mother's brothers were bluegrass musicians, and Bibey's love of bluegrass music was sparked when at age five his dad took him to see

Bill Monroe William Smith "Bill" Monroe (; September 13, 1911 – September 9, 1996) was an American mandolinist, singer, and songwriter, who created the bluegrass music genre. Because of this, he is often called the " Father of Bluegrass". The genre take ...

in Walkertown. Bibey immediately took up the mandolin. Bibey played at fiddler’s conventions and contests and in two bluegrass bands with his dad. When Bibey was age 12, he and his dad recorded the album ''Southern Tradition.'' He then joined the band Interstate Exchange at age 14, which consisted of Barry Berrier (guitar), Mitch Freeman (bass), and

Sammy Shelor Sammy Shelor is an American banjoist in the bluegrass tradition. He is best known as leader of the Lonesome River Band and for his solo recordings, music instruction, and session work. Biography Early years The Shelor Family has a long banjo ...

(banjo). Bibey won the mandolin championship in 1982 at the World’s Fair in Knoxville at the age of 17. In 1983, Bibey played with Wes Golding & Sure-Fire.

The New Quicksilver

Bibey started playing music full-time in 1985 in The New Quicksilver with

Terry Baucom Terry Baucom is an American bluegrass singer, banjo player, and band leader. He is nicknamed "The Duke of Drive" for his propelling banjo style. He leads his band, The Dukes of Drive, and was a founding member of Boone Creek, Doyle Lawson and Qu ...

, Randy Graham, and Jimmy Haley.

IIIrd Tyme Out

1990, Bibey was a founding member of

IIIrd Tyme Out Russell Moore and IIIrd Tyme Out (formerly known as IIIrd Tyme Out) is a bluegrass band formed in 1991 in Cumming, Georgia. Consisting of Russell Moore (lead vocals and guitar), Keith McKinnon (vocals and banjo), Nathan Aldridge (vocals and fid ...

, along with Russell Moore (guitar), Mike Hartgrove (fiddle), Ray Deaton (bass), and

(banjo). Bibey left three years and three albums later, and was replaced by

Lou Reid Lou Reid Pyrtle (born September 13, 1954 in Union Grove, North Carolina) is an American bluegrass singer, band leader, and multi-instrumentalist. Biography Early life Reid grew up on a tobacco farm in Moore Springs, North Carolina. His father ...

and then Wayne Benson.

Lou Reid and Carolina

Bibey played for a time with Lou Reid and Carolina, and participated in the recording of their self-titled album in 1996.

BlueRidge

In 1997 New Quicksilver reformed as Baucom, Bibey, and BlueRidge. They recorded the album ''Come Along With Me'' with Ed Biggerstaff (bass), Dewey Brown (fiddle), and Junior Sisk (vocals, guitar).

Grasstowne

In 2006, Bibey left BlueRidge to form Grasstowne with Steve Gulley and

Phil Leadbetter Phil Leadbetter (March 31, 1962 – October 14, 2021) was an American resonator guitar player. Life Born in Knoxville, Tennessee, Leadbetter began playing the resonator guitar at age 12. He was a 1980 graduate of Gibbs High School in Corryton, ...

. The current lineup includes Bibey, Gena Britt (banjo), Tony Watt (guitar), Zak McLamb (bass), and Laura Orshaw (fiddle).

Recording projects

2002, released the solo album ''In the Blue Room'' featuring Terry Baucom,

Jerry Douglas Gerald Calvin "Jerry" Douglas (born May 28, 1956) is an American Dobro and lap steel guitar player and record producer. Career In addition to his fourteen solo recordings, Douglas has played on more than 1,600 albums. As a sideman, he h ...

Tony Rice David Anthony Rice (June 8, 1951 – December 25, 2020), known professionally as Tony Rice, was an American guitarist and bluegrass musician. He was an influential acoustic guitar player in bluegrass, progressive bluegrass, newgrass and a ...

Kenny Smith Kenneth Smith (born March 8, 1965), nicknamed "the Jet", is an American sports commentator and former professional basketball player in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played in the NBA from 1987 to 1997 as a member of the Sacrame ...

, and

Del McCoury Delano Floyd McCoury (born February 1, 1939) is an American bluegrass musician. As leader of the Del McCoury Band, he plays guitar and sings lead vocals along with his two sons, Ronnie McCoury and Rob McCoury, who play mandolin and banjo resp ...

. In 2013, Bibey and

Wayne Benson John Wayne Benson is an American mandolinist and songwriter in the bluegrass tradition. He is best known for his unique approach to the mandolin, and his long-term involvement with Russell Moore and IIIrd Tyme Out. History Early years Benson wa ...

released ''Mandolin Chronicles'', an album of mandolin duets. Guests included Wyatt Rice,

Barry Bales Barry Turner Bales (born August 23, 1969 in Kingsport, Tennessee, United States) is an American musician best known as the long time bass player and harmony vocalist for Alison Krauss and Union Station. He has been in the band for around 25 years ...

Ron Stewart Ronald George Stewart (July 11, 1932 – March 17, 2012) was a Canadian professional ice hockey player in the National Hockey League (NHL) from 1952 to 1973, as well as a coach. He spent the first half of his career with the Toronto Maple Leafs, ...

, Russell Moore, and

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 ...

Other projects

In the early 1990s, Bibey was based out of Myrtle Beach, SC and was a part of the original cast of the country music variety show "Southern Country Nights." In 1996, Bibey participated in the Young Mando Monsters project with

Ronnie McCoury Ronnie McCoury is an American mandolin player, singer, and songwriter (born March 16, 1967). He is the son of bluegrass musician Del McCoury, and is best known for his work with the Del McCoury Band and the Travelin' McCourys. Biography Ronnie ...

, Adam Steffey, Radim Zenkl, Emory Lester, Wayne Benson,

Dan Tyminski Daniel John Tyminski (born June 20, 1967) is an American bluegrass composer, vocalist, and instrumentalist. He is a member of Alison Krauss's band Union Station, and has released three solo albums, ''Carry Me Across the Mountain'' (2000), on ...

, and Ray Legere.

Gibson Gibson may refer to: People * Gibson (surname) Businesses * Gibson Brands, Inc., an American manufacturer of guitars, other musical instruments, and audio equipment * Gibson Technology, and English automotive and motorsport company based * Gi ...

produced an Alan Bibey signature mandolin in 2004.

Awards

In 2001, Bibey won 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 ...

(IBMA) Instrumental Recording of the Year and the Recorded Event of the Year awards. Bibey was nominated in 2003 for a bluegrass album Grammy for the album ''Side By Side'' by his band BlueRidge. In 2007, 2009, 2010 & 2018 Alan was voted Mandolin Player Of The Year by the Society for the Preservation of Bluegrass Music in America organization in Nashville, TN.

Discography

Solo albums

* 2000: ''In the Blue Room'' ( Sugar Hill)

Alan Bibey and
Wayne Benson John Wayne Benson is an American mandolinist and songwriter in the bluegrass tradition. He is best known for his unique approach to the mandolin, and his long-term involvement with Russell Moore and IIIrd Tyme Out. History Early years Benson wa ...

* 2013: ''The Mandolin Chronicles'' (Pinecastle)

With The New Quicksilver

* 1986: ''Ready For The Times'' (Cross Current) reissued as ''Baucom, Bibey, Graham, and Haley''

With
IIIrd Tyme Out Russell Moore and IIIrd Tyme Out (formerly known as IIIrd Tyme Out) is a bluegrass band formed in 1991 in Cumming, Georgia. Consisting of Russell Moore (lead vocals and guitar), Keith McKinnon (vocals and banjo), Nathan Aldridge (vocals and fid ...

* 1991: ''IIIrd Tyme Out'' (

Rebel A rebel is a participant in a rebellion. Rebel or rebels may also refer to: People * Rebel (given name) * Rebel (surname) * Patriot (American Revolution), during the American Revolution * American Southerners, as a form of self-identification; ...

) * 1992: ''Puttin' New Roots Down'' (Rebel)

With
Lou Reid Lou Reid Pyrtle (born September 13, 1954 in Union Grove, North Carolina) is an American bluegrass singer, band leader, and multi-instrumentalist. Biography Early life Reid grew up on a tobacco farm in Moore Springs, North Carolina. His father ...
and Carolina

* 1996: ''Lou Reid & Carolina'' (Rebel)

With Baucom, Bibey, Graham and Haley

* 1998: ''Baucom, Bibey, Graham & Haley'' (Rebel)

With BlueRidge

* 1999: ''Common Ground'' (Sugar Hill) * 2002: ''Come Along with Me'' (Sugar Hill) as Baucom, Bibey & BlueRidge * 2004: ''Side by Side'' (Sugar Hill) * 2006: ''Gettin' Ready'' ( Pinecastle)

With Grasstowne

* 2007: ''The Road Headin' Home'' (

Thirty Tigers Thirty Tigers is an American entertainment company which offers music marketing, distribution, and management services to independent artists. It is based in Nashville. History The company was founded in 2002 by David Macias and Deb Markland ...

) * 2009: ''The Other Side of Towne'' (Pinecastle) * 2011: ''Kickin' Up Dust'' ( Rural Rhythm) * 2015: ''Alan Bibey & Grasstowne 4'' ( Mountain Fever) * 2019: ''Gonna Rise & Shine'' (

Morning Glory Morning glory (also written as morning-glory) is the common name for over 1,000 species of flowering plants in the family Convolvulaceae, whose current taxonomy and systematics are in flux. Morning glory species belong to many genera, some of ...

) * 2021: ''Hitchhiking to California'' (

Billy Blue William Blue (c. 1767 – 7 May 1834) was an Australian convict who, after completing his sentence, became a boatman providing one of the first services to take people across Sydney Harbour. He was also made a water bailiff and watched boat t ...

)

Also appears on

* 1983: Larry Richardson - ''Ship Of Zion'' (LifeLine) * 1998:

- ''The Man I'm Tryin to Be'' (Sugar Hill) * 2000: Mark Newton - ''Follow Me Back to the Fold'' (Rebel) * 2000: Herschel Sizemore - ''My Style'' (Hay Holler) * 2000: various artists - ''Knee Deep in Bluegrass: The AcuTab Sessions'' (Rebel) * 2004: John Lawless - ''Five & Dime'' ( Copper Creek) * 2007: Dwight Mccall - ''Never Say Never Again'' (Rural Rhythm) * 2008: various artists - ''Hornography'' (Left of Center) * 2012: Carrie Hassler - ''Distance'' (Rural Rhythm) * 2014: Steve Gulley - ''Family, Friends & Fellowship'' (Rural Rhythm) *2014:

- ''The Next Move'' (Pinecastle) * 2016: Stuart Wyrick - ''East Tennessee Sunrise'' (Rural Rhythm) *2017: Wilson Banjo Co. - ''Spirits in the Hills'' (Bonfire) *2018: Mike Bentley - "All I've Got" (Union House Records)

Music Instruction

* 1998: ''AcuTab Transcriptions, Vol. 1'' (Acutab) * 2000: ''Mel Bay Presents 2000 Mandolin: Featuring Solos by the World's Finest Mandolinists'' book (

Mel Bay Mel Bay (February 25, 1913 – May 14, 1997) was an American musician and publisher best known for his series of music education books. His '' Encyclopedia of Guitar Chords'' remains a bestseller. Biography Early life Melbourne E. Bay was bo ...

) contributor * 2004: ''Alan Bibey - Master Mandolinist'' DVD (Acutab) * 2016: ''Master Anthology of Mandolin Solos, Volume 1'' book, online video (Mel Bay) contributor

References

External links

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Bibey, Alan 1964 births People from Stokes County, North Carolina American country singers American country songwriters American male singers Bluegrass musicians from North Carolina American mandolinists American bluegrass mandolinists Living people Country musicians from North Carolina