Rickie Simpkins is an American fiddler and mandolinist in the bluegrass tradition. He is best known for his solo albums and his work with the

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 ...

and

the Seldom Scene The Seldom Scene is an American bluegrass band that formed in 1971 in Bethesda, Maryland. The band's original line-up comprised John Starling on lead vocals and guitar, Mike Auldridge on Dobro and baritone vocals, Ben Eldridge on banjo, Tom Gra ...

Biography

Early years

Simpkins was raised in

Christiansburg, Virginia Christiansburg (formerly Hans Meadows) is a town in Montgomery County, Virginia, United States. The population was 21,041 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Montgomery County. Christiansburg, Blacksburg and the city of Radford are th ...

, southwest of Roanoke. He learned fiddle at age six and played in a show with

Flatt and Scruggs Flatt and Scruggs were an American bluegrass duo. Singer and guitarist Lester Flatt and banjo player Earl Scruggs, both of whom had been members of Bill Monroe's band, the Bluegrass Boys, from 1945 to 1948, formed the duo in 1948. Flatt and Scru ...

at age nine. Simpkins also learned banjo and guitar at a young age. Simpkins and his brother Ronnie played in a family group, and eventually joined the bluegrass band Upland Express, releasing an album on Leather Records in 1979. Other members included his brother Ronnie (bass), Ken Farmer (guitar), Barry Collins (banjo), and Tonya Gibson (mandolin).

McPeak Brothers

When he graduated from high school, Simpkins joined the McPeak Brothers as a full-time member, and continued with them into the early 1980s. Members were Simpkins (mandolin, fiddle), Mike McPeak (guitar), Dewey McPeak (banjo), Jim Buchanan (fiddle), Phil Gazell (harmonica),

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 has ...

(resonator guitar), and Larry McPeak (bass).

Virginia Squires

In 1981, Simpkins joined the band Heights of Grass, which evolved into the Virginia Squires. Members included Rickie Simpkins (fiddle, mandolin), his brother Ronnie Simpkins (bass),

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 ...

(guitar, banjo), and Mark Newton (guitar). 1984, they were voted Bluegrass Band of the Year by the Country Music Association of Virginia. They broke up in 1989, but in 2016 and 2017 got together for reunion shows.

Tony Rice Unit

Simpkins joined the Tony Rice Unit in 1983, who combined traditional bluegrass and jazz. Besides Rice and Simpkins, other members included

Jimmy Gaudreau Jimmy Gaudreau is a singer and mandolinist playing traditional and progressive bluegrass music. He is best known for his solo albums, and his work with The Country Gentlemen, Tony Rice, and J. D. Crowe. Biography Early life In high school in the ...

(mandolin),

Wyatt Rice Wyatt Rice is an American guitarist and bluegrass musician. He is best known for his solo albums and his work in his brother's group the Tony Rice Unit. Biography Rice was born in Long Beach, California but grew up in Florida and other locat ...

(guitar), and Ronnie Simpkins (bass). Simpkins also played in Tony's brother Wyatt Rice's band. Simpkins joined

David Parmley David Parmley (born February 1, 1959) is a bluegrass vocalist, guitarist, and award-winning bandleader. He is best known for being a co-founder of both the Bluegrass Cardinals and Continental Divide. Biography Parmley was born in White House ...

Scott Vestal Scott Vestal is an American banjoist, songwriter and luthier, known for his innovative approach to playing and designing the banjo. Biography Early years The older of two children, Scott Vestal was raised in Duncan, Oklahoma in a musical fami ...

and Continental Divide to record the album "Feel Good Day''.

Lonesome River Band

In 2000, Simpkins joined the

and in 2001, joined gospel group

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 ...

, splitting his time between the two ensembles. In 2002, Simpkins toured with the Gaithers and in 2007, Simpkins also began touring with Emmylou Harris and her Red Dirt Boys.

The Seldom Scene

Simpkins joined

in January 2016 when Ben Eldridge retired from the band. Other members of the band include

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 ...

(mandolin, guitar),

Dudley Connell Dudley Connell (born February 18, 1956) is an American singer in the bluegrass tradition. He is best known for his work with the Johnson Mountain Boys, Longview, and The Seldom Scene. Biography Early years Connell grew up in Rockville, Maryland. ...

(guitar), Ronnie Simpkins (bass), and Fred Travers (resonator guitar). Simpkims left the Seldom Scene in 2017, and was replaced by

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, ...

Solo recordings

Simpkins released his solo album ''Dancing on the Fingerboard'' in 1997 on the

Pinecastle Records Pinecastle Records is a record label based in Piedmont, South Carolina specializing in supporting and developing bluegrass music artists. History Tom Riggs started the Pinecastle Records in 1989 as an outlet for bluegrass pioneer Bill Harrell who ...

label. He played fiddle and mandolin, and sang lead vocals, and wrote several of the songs. ''Dancing on the Fingerboard'' was nominated for 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 award. Simpkins released his ''Don't Fret It'' album in 2002 on Doobie Shea. Guests included Wyatt Rice,

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 ...

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 ...

, Tony Rice,

Randy Kohrs Randy Kohrs is an American multi-instrumentalist best known for his resonator guitar prowess, but he plays 13 instruments. He is also a Grammy-winning producer and recording engineer. Biography Early years Kohrs was raised on a farm near the rur ...

, Ronnie Simpkins, Wendy Newcomer, and Ernie Thacker.

Awards

In 2008, Simpkins (along with his brother Ronnie) was inducted into the Virginia Folk Music Hall of Fame.

Discography

Solo recordings

* 1981 Galax 46th Annual Old Fiddlers Convention "Jerusalem Ridge" 5th place Bluegrass Fiddle (Heritage Records) * 1997: ''Dancing on the Fingerboard'' ( Pinecastle) * 2002: ''Don't Fret It'' ( Doobie Shea)

With the McPeak Brothers

* 1978: ''Bend in the River'' (

County A county is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposesChambers Dictionary, L. Brookes (ed.), 2005, Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, Edinburgh in certain modern nations. The term is derived from the Old French ...

)

With Upland Express

* 1979: ''Upland Express'' (Leather LBG 7709)

With Heights of Grass

* 1982: ''Live at the Flatrock!'' (self-released)

With the Virginia Squires

* 1984: ''Bluegrass With a Touch of Class'' (self-released) * 1985: ''I'm Working My Way'' (

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; s ...

) * 1985: ''Mountains And Memories'' (Rebel) * 1986: ''Hard Times & Heartaches'' (Rebel) * 1988: ''Variations'' (Rebel) * 1998: ''Best of Virginia Squires'' (Rebel)

With The Lonesome River Band

* 1994: ''Old Country Town'' (Sugar Hill) * 2000: ''Talkin' to Myself'' (Sugar Hill)

With
David Parmley David Parmley (born February 1, 1959) is a bluegrass vocalist, guitarist, and award-winning bandleader. He is best known for being a co-founder of both the Bluegrass Cardinals and Continental Divide. Biography Parmley was born in White House ...
and Continental Divide

* 1998: ''Feel Good Day'' (Pinecastle)

With
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 ...

* 1996: ''

Tony Rice Sings Gordon Lightfoot ''Tony Rice Sings Gordon Lightfoot'' is a compilation album by United States, American guitarist Tony Rice, released in 1996. It contains tracks written by Gordon Lightfoot and previously recorded by Rice, plus a previously unreleased track, "Whi ...

'' (

Rounder Rounder(s) or The Rounder(s) may refer to: Film and television * ''The Rounders'' (1914 film), a comedy short * ''The Rounder'' (1930 film), a comedy short * ''The Rounders'' (1965 film), a western comedy * ''Rounders'' (film), a 1998 poker f ...

) * 2000: ''

Unit of Measure A unit of measurement is a definite magnitude of a quantity, defined and adopted by convention or by law, that is used as a standard for measurement of the same kind of quantity. Any other quantity of that kind can be expressed as a multip ...

'' (Rounder) * 2003: '' 58957:The Bluegrass Guitar Collection'' (Rounder)

With
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 ...

* 2002: ''Eye of the Storm'' (Horizon)

With
the Seldom Scene The Seldom Scene is an American bluegrass band that formed in 1971 in Bethesda, Maryland. The band's original line-up comprised John Starling on lead vocals and guitar, Mike Auldridge on Dobro and baritone vocals, Ben Eldridge on banjo, Tom Gra ...

* 2014: '' Long Time... Seldom Scene'' (

Smithsonian Folkways Recordings Smithsonian Folkways is the nonprofit record label of the Smithsonian Institution. It is a part of the Smithsonian's Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage, located at Capital Gallery in downtown Washington, D.C. The label was fou ...

)

Also appears on

* 1981 Galax 46th Annual Old Fiddlers Convention "Jerusalem Ridge" 5th place Bluegrass Fiddle (Heritage Records) * 1984: Virginia Rail - ''No Train Song'' (MRC) * 1987:

Larry Rice Larry Rice (24 March 1946 – 20 May 2009) was an American racing driver in the USAC and CART Championship Car series. He was the 1973 USAC National midget driver's champion and won the USAC Silver Crown series in 1977 and 1981. He was inducted i ...

- ''Time Machine'' (Rebel) * 1988:

Larry Stephenson Larry Stephenson is an American singer-songwriter. He sings, plays mandolin, and writes songs in the bluegrass tradition. Biography Early years Stephenson learned how to play the mandolin as a young boy. At age 13, he recorded a 45 rpm singl ...

- ''Everytime I Sing a Love Song'' ( Webco) * 1989:

Mary Chapin Carpenter Mary may refer to: People * Mary (name), a feminine given name (includes a list of people with the name) Religious contexts * New Testament people named Mary, overview article linking to many of those below * Mary, mother of Jesus, also calle ...

- '' State of the Heart'' ( Columbia) * 1989:

Mike Auldridge Mike Auldridge (December 30, 1938 – December 29, 2012) was an American Dobro player and a founding member of the bluegrass group The Seldom Scene. The ''New York Times'' described Auldridge as "one of the most distinctive dobro players in the ...

- ''Treasures Untold'' ( Sugar Hill) * 1989:

- ''New Market Gap'' (Rounder) * 1989: The Rice Brothers: ''The Rice Brothers'' (Rounder) * 1989:

Bill Emerson Norvell William Emerson (January 1, 1938 – June 22, 1996) was an American politician. He served as a member of the United States House of Representatives from Missouri from 1981 until his death from lung cancer in Bethesda, Maryland in 19 ...

and Pete Goble - ''Dixie in My Eye'' (Webco) * 1989: Chris Warner - ''Chris Warner and Friends'' (Webco) * 1990: The Bluegrass Band - ''Second Cut'' (Hip Hop Helps) * 1990: Bill Emerson - ''Gold Plated Banjo'' (Rebel) * 1990: Larry Rice - ''Artesia'' (Rebel) * 1990: The Spencers - ''It'll Be Worth It After All'' (Skylite) * 1991: Bill Emerson - ''Reunion'' (Pinecastle / Webco) * 1991:

- ''When It Rains'' (Sugar Hill) * 1991: Larry Stephenson - ''Can't Stop Myself'' (Pinecastle / Webco) * 1992:

Jim Eanes Jim Eanes (December 6, 1923 – November 21, 1995) was an American bluegrass and country music singer and guitarist. Biography Homer Robert Eanes Jr. was born in Mountain Valley, Virginia and grew up in Martinsville. Eanes learned to play t ...

- ''Classic Bluegrass'' (Rebel) * 1993: Beaver Creek - ''Having a Wonderful Time'' (Pinecastle) * 1994:

- ''Cold Virginia Night'' (Rebel) * 1994: Emerson and Taylor - ''Appaloosa'' (Webco) * 1995:

Ralph Stanley Ralph Edmund Stanley (February 25, 1927 – June 23, 2016) was an American bluegrass artist, known for his distinctive singing and banjo playing. Stanley began playing music in 1946, originally with his older brother Carter Stanley as part of ...

and Joe Isaacs - ''Gospel Gathering'' (Freeland) * 1996: Bill Emerson - ''Banjo Man'' (Pinecastle / Webco) * 1996: Exit Thirteen - ''Wind on My Back'' (Freeland) * 1996: Larry Rice - ''Notions and Novelties'' (Rebel) * 1996: Wyatt Rice - ''Picture in a Tear'' (Rounder) * 1996: Charlie Sizemore - ''In My View'' (Rebel) * 1996: Larry Stephenson - ''I See God'' (Pinecastle / Webco) * 1997: Eddie from Ohio - ''Big Noise'' (Virginia Soul) * 1997: Kazuaki Miyazaki - ''Man-O-Mandolin'' (Red Clay) * 1997: Rice, Rice,

Hillman Hillman was a British automobile marque created by the Hillman-Coatalen Company, founded in 1907, renamed the Hillman Motor Car Company in 1910. The company was based in Ryton-on-Dunsmore, near Coventry, England. Before 1907 the company had b ...

, and

Pedersen Pedersen () is a Danish and Norwegian patronymic surname, literally meaning "son of Peder". It is the fourth most common surname in Denmark, shared by about 3.4% of the population, and the sixth most common in Norway. It is of similar origin as th ...

- ''Out of the Woodwork'' (Rounder) * 1997: various artists - ''Bluegrass '97'' (Pinecastle) * 1998: Emerson and Newton - ''A Foot in the Past, A Foot in the Future'' (Pinecastle) * 1998:

Don Rigsby Donald Glen Rigsby is an American mandolinist, fiddler, guitarist, vocalist, and producer in the bluegrass tradition. He is known for his solo career, and for his work with the Lonesome River Band and Longview. Biography Early years Growing up ...

- ''Vision'' (Sugar Hill) * 1998: Mark Newton - ''Living a Dream'' (Rebel) * 1999:

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, ...

- ''Philibuster'' (Rounder) * 1999: Rice, Rice, Hillman, and Pedersen - ''Rice, Rice, Hillman & Pedersen'' (Rounder) * 1999: various artists - ''Bluegrass '99'' (Pinecastle) * 2000: East Virginia - ''Back Home in East Virginia'' ( Copper Creek) * 2000: Kim Person and Lana Puckett - ''Windows of Life'' (Cimarron) * 2000:

- ''Millennia'' (Pinecastle) * 2000: Zoe Speaks - ''Pearl'' (Redbird) * 2001:

- ''A Crack in My Armour'' (Junction) * 2001: Wendy Lewis - ''Mountain Memories 2000'' (Orchard) * 2001: Wendy Lewis - ''Christmas Favorites'' (RimRidge) * 2001: Rice, Rice, Hillman, and Pedersen - ''Running Wild'' (Rounder) * 2001: Charlie Waller and

The Country Gentlemen The Country Gentlemen was a progressive bluegrass band that originated during the 1950s in the area of Washington, D.C., United States, and recorded and toured with various members until the death in 2004 of Charlie Waller (American musician), C ...

- ''

Crying in the Chapel "Crying in the Chapel" is a song written by Artie Glenn and recorded by his son Darrell Glenn. The song was released in 1953 and reached number six on the ''Billboard'' chart. The song has also been recorded by many artists including the Oriole ...

'' (Freeland) * 2001: Candlewyck - ''Firemen'' (Votive) * 2002:

Nils Lofgren Nils Hilmer Lofgren (born June 21, 1951) is an American rock musician, recording artist, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist. Along with his work as a solo artist, he has been a member of Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band since 1984, a membe ...

- ''Breakaway Angel'' (Vision / Wienerworld) * 2002: Ronnie Reno - ''Portfolio'' (Shell Point) * 2003: Cathy Fink & Marcy Marxer - ''Postcards'' (Community) * 2003: Springfield Exit - ''Americana'' (

Cracker Barrel Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, Inc., doing business as simply Cracker Barrel, is an American chain of restaurant and gift stores with a Southern country theme. The company was founded by Dan Evins in 1969. Its first store was in Lebanon, T ...

) * 2004:

Randy Thompson Randy Thompson is a Virginia based americana/country music singer and songwriter. He is a resident of the Clifton, Virginia Clifton is an incorporated town located in southwestern Fairfax County, Virginia, United States, with a population of ...

- ''That's Not Me'' (Leap) * 2005: Larry Rice - ''Clouds Over Carolina'' (Rebel) * 2005: NewFound Road - ''NewFound Road'' ( Mountain Home) * 2006: Jimmy Gaudreau - ''In Good Company'' ( CMH) * 2006: Nils Lofgren - ''Sacred Weapon'' (Vision) * 2007: Donna Hughes - ''Gaining Wisdom'' (Rounder) * 2007: John Starling and Carolina Star - ''Slidin' Home'' (Rebel) * 2007:

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 ...

- ''Double Banjo Bluegrass Spectacular'' (Rounder) * 2009: Dan Menzone - ''Frostbite'' (self-released) * 2009: Porchlight Trio - ''Bluegrass Gospel Favorites: Songs of Bill & Gloria Gaither'' (Spring Hill) * 2010: Bill Emerson - ''Southern'' (Rural Rhythm) * 2010:

- ''Pieces and Bits'' (Goose Creek) * 2010:

Grace Griffith Grace Bernadette Griffith (née Sisson; October 30, 1956 – June 5, 2021) was a folk and Celtic singer based in Washington, D.C. She has been honored with multiple Wammie awards by the Washington Area Music Association. In 1998, she was diagnose ...

- ''Sailing'' (Blix Street) * 2011: Dave Sharp - ''Rural Roots'' (

CD Baby CD Baby, Inc. is an online distributor of independent music. The company was described as an "anti-label" by its parent company's Chief Operating Officer Tracy Maddux. The CD Baby music store was shut down in March 2020 with a statement that "C ...

) * 2011: Dave Giegerich - ''It's About Time'' (self-released) * 2012: Millpond Moon - ''Broke in Brooklyn'' (Tikopia) * 2012: Richard Bennett - ''Last Train from Poor Valley'' ( Lonesome Day) * 2014: Bill Emerson and the Sweet Dixie Band - ''Dancin' Annie'' ( Rural Rhythm) * 2015: Bill Emerson and the Sweet Dixie Band - ''The Gospel Side of Bill Emerson and Sweet Dixie'' (Rural Rhythm) * 2015:

John McCutcheon John McCutcheon (born August 14, 1952) is an American folk music singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist who has produced 41 albums since the 1970s. He is regarded as a master of the hammered dulcimer, and is also proficient on many other i ...

- ''Joe Hill's Last Will'' (Appalsongs) * 2015: Millpond Moon - ''Time to Turn the Tide'' (Tikopia) * 2017: Randy Thompson - ''War Peace Love Fear'' (self-released)

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Simpkins, Rickie 1955 births People from Virginia American country singer-songwriters Bluegrass musicians from Virginia American mandolinists American bluegrass fiddlers American bluegrass mandolinists Living people Lonesome River Band members The Seldom Scene members Singer-songwriters from Virginia

Biography

Early years

McPeak Brothers

Virginia Squires

Tony Rice Unit

Lonesome River Band

The Seldom Scene

Solo recordings

Awards

Discography

Solo recordings

With the McPeak Brothers

With Upland Express

With Heights of Grass

With the Virginia Squires

With The Lonesome River Band

With David Parmley David Parmley (born February 1, 1959) is a bluegrass vocalist, guitarist, and award-winning bandleader. He is best known for being a co-founder of both the Bluegrass Cardinals and Continental Divide. Biography Parmley was born in White House ... and Continental Divide

With 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 ...

With 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 ...

With the Seldom Scene The Seldom Scene is an American bluegrass band that formed in 1971 in Bethesda, Maryland. The band's original line-up comprised John Starling on lead vocals and guitar, Mike Auldridge on Dobro and baritone vocals, Ben Eldridge on banjo, Tom Gra ...

Also appears on

References

External links

With
David Parmley David Parmley (born February 1, 1959) is a bluegrass vocalist, guitarist, and award-winning bandleader. He is best known for being a co-founder of both the Bluegrass Cardinals and Continental Divide. Biography Parmley was born in White House ...
and Continental Divide

With
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 ...

With
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 ...

With
the Seldom Scene The Seldom Scene is an American bluegrass band that formed in 1971 in Bethesda, Maryland. The band's original line-up comprised John Starling on lead vocals and guitar, Mike Auldridge on Dobro and baritone vocals, Ben Eldridge on banjo, Tom Gra ...