Charles Samuel Bush (born April 13, 1952) is an American mandolinist who is considered an originator of

progressive bluegrass Bluegrass music is a genre of American roots music that developed in the 1940s in the Appalachian region of the United States. The genre derives its name from the band Bill Monroe and the Blue Grass Boys. Like mainstream country music, it lar ...

music. In 2020, he was inducted into the

International Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame Induction to the International Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame, called the International Bluegrass Music Hall of Honor from its creation in 1991 through 2006, is managed by the International Bluegrass Music Association, and the Hall itself is maint ...

as a member of

New Grass Revival New Grass Revival was an American progressive bluegrass band founded in 1971, and composed of Sam Bush, Courtney Johnson, Ebo Walker, Curtis Burch, Butch Robins, John Cowan, Béla Fleck and Pat Flynn. They were active between 1971 and 1989, r ...

History

Born in

Bowling Green A bowling green is a finely laid, close-mown and rolled stretch of turf for playing the game of bowls. Before 1830, when Edwin Beard Budding of Thrupp, near Stroud, UK, invented the lawnmower, lawns were often kept cropped by grazing sheep ...

, Kentucky, Bush was exposed to country and bluegrass music at an early age through his father Charlie's record collection, and later by the

Flatt & 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 Sc ...

television show. Buying his first mandolin at the age of 11, his musical interest was further piqued when he attended the inaugural Roanoke, VA Bluegrass Festival in 1965. As a teen, Bush took first place three times in the junior division of the National Oldtime Fiddler's Contest in Weiser, ID. He joined guitarist Wayne Stewart, his mentor and music teacher during Sam's teen years, and banjoist

Alan Munde Alan Munde (pronounced "mun-dee") (born November 4, 1946) is an American five-string banjo player and bluegrass musician. Biography Born in Norman, Oklahoma, Munde learned banjo from a well-regarded Oklahoman banjo player, Ed Shelton. He frequen ...

(later of Country Gazette) and the three recorded an instrumental album, Poor Richard's Almanac, in 1969. In the spring of 1970, Bush attended the Fiddlers Convention at Union Grove, NC, and was inspired by the rock-flavored

of the New Deal String Band. Later that year, he moved to Louisville and joined the Bluegrass Alliance. In the fall of 1971, the band dissolved and reformed as the

. The New Grass Revival went through numerous personnel changes, with Bush remaining as the sole original member. Bassist and vocalist John Cowan joined in 1974, with

banjo The banjo is a stringed instrument with a thin membrane stretched over a frame or cavity to form a resonator. The membrane is typically circular, and usually made of plastic, or occasionally animal skin. Early forms of the instrument were fashi ...

ace

Béla Fleck Béla Anton Leoš Fleck (born July 10, 1958) is an American banjo player. An acclaimed virtuoso, he is an innovative and technically proficient pioneer and ambassador of the banjo, bringing the instrument from its bluegrass roots to jazz, classi ...

and acoustic guitarist Pat Flynn being enlisted in 1981. From 1979 through 1981, the group toured with Leon Russell, opening the shows and backing Russell during his headlining set. Beginning in 1980, Bush and Cowan periodically jammed with the Nashville-based Duckbutter Blues Band, whose other members were blues guitarist Kenny Lee, drummer Jeff Jones, and bassist Byron House. Bush recorded his debut solo album, ''Late as Usual'', four years later. In 1989, Bush and Fleck joined

Mark O'Connor Mark O'Connor (born August 5, 1961) is an American fiddle player and composer whose music combines bluegrass, country, jazz and classical. A three-time Grammy Award winner, he has won six Country Music Association Musician Of The Year awards ...

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 ...

, and

Edgar Meyer Edgar Meyer (born November 24, 1960) is an American bassist and composer. His styles include classical, bluegrass, newgrass, and jazz. He has won five Grammy Awards and been nominated seven times. Meyer is a member of the Telluride Bluegras ...

in an all-star bluegrass band,

Strength in Numbers Strength may refer to: Physical strength *Physical strength, as in people or animals *Hysterical strength, extreme strength occurring when people are in life-and-death situations *Superhuman strength, great physical strength far above human ca ...

, at the

Telluride Bluegrass Festival Telluride Bluegrass Festival is an annual music festival in Telluride, Colorado hosted by Planet Bluegrass. Although traditionally the festival focuses on bluegrass music, it often features music from a variety of related genres. History The tow ...

Colorado Colorado (, other variants) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It encompasses most of the Southern Rocky Mountains, as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of t ...

. When the New Grass Revival dissolved in 1989, Bush joined

Emmylou Harris Emmylou Harris (born April 2, 1947) is an American singer, songwriter and musician. She has released dozens of albums and singles over the course of her career and has won 14 Grammys, the Polar Music Prize, and numerous other honors, including ...

' Nash Ramblers, touring and recording with Harris for the next five years. In 1995, Bush worked as a sideman with Lyle Lovett and Bela Fleck's Flecktones. He formed his own band, featuring Cowan and ex-Nash Ramblers Jon Randall and Larry Atamanuick, shortly before recording his second solo album, ''Glamour & Grits'', in 1996. He released his next album, ''Howlin' at the Moon'', in 1998, with many of the same players and special guests, including Harris, Fleck and

J. D. Crowe James Dee Crowe (August 27, 1937December 24, 2021) was an American banjo player and bluegrass band leader. He first became known during his four-year stint with Jimmy Martin in the 1950s. Crowe led the bluegrass group New South from 1971 until ...

. In the winter of 1997, Bush and the New Grass Revival reunited for an appearance on

Late Night with Conan O'Brien ''Late Night with Conan O'Brien'' is an American late-night talk show hosted by Conan O'Brien. NBC aired 2,725 episodes from September 13, 1993, to February 20, 2009. The show featured varied comedic material, celebrity interviews, and music ...

as the backup band for

Garth Brooks Troyal Garth Brooks (born February 7, 1962) is an American country music singer and songwriter. His integration of pop and rock elements into the country genre has earned him popularity, particularly in the United States with success on the co ...

. On March 28, 1998, Bush's hometown of

Bowling Green, KY Bowling Green is a home rule-class city and the county seat of Warren County, Kentucky, United States. Founded by pioneers in 1798, Bowling Green was the provisional capital of Confederate Kentucky during the American Civil War. As of the ...

, honored him with a special "Sam Bush Day" celebration. Following ''Howlin' at the Moon'' in 1998, he released ''Ice Caps: Peaks of Telluride in 2000'', which was a live recording. In 2004, Randall left Bush's band and Brad Davis took over harmony vocals and guitar duties. In 2006, Bush released ''

Laps in Seven ''Laps in Seven'' is the title of a 2006 album by the progressive bluegrass artist Sam Bush, on the Sugar Hill Records (bluegrass), Sugar Hill label. Reception In his Allmusic review, music critic Ronnie D. Lankford, Jr. called the album "an ...

''. The release was significant because it marked the return of the

to Bush's recordings, played by

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 fam ...

. The guitarist, Keith Sewell, performed on the recording, but shortly after took a job with 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 ...

. Bush sought a new guitarist for his recordings and road band and found Stephen Mougin. In 2007, Bush released his first

live concert A concert is a live music performance in front of an audience. The performance may be by a single musician, sometimes then called a recital, or by a musical ensemble, such as an orchestra, choir, or band. Concerts are held in a wide variety ...

DVD, titled ''On The Road''. 2007 also marked the first time he had been chosen to host 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 ...

Awards. Bush contributed to two bluegrass

tribute album An album is a collection of audio recordings issued on compact disc (CD), vinyl, audio tape, or another medium such as digital distribution. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early 20th century as individual 78 rpm records coll ...

s to the British

Progressive Rock Progressive rock (shortened as prog rock or simply prog; sometimes conflated with art rock) is a broad genre of rock music that developed in the United Kingdom and United States through the mid- to late 1960s, peaking in the early 1970s. Init ...

band

the Moody Blues The Moody Blues were an English rock music, rock band formed in Birmingham in 1964, initially consisting of keyboardist Mike Pinder, multi-instrumentalist Ray Thomas, guitarist Denny Laine, drummer Graeme Edge and bassist Clint Warwick. The g ...

– 2004's '' Moody Bluegrass: A Nashville Tribute to the Moody Blues'', and 2011's '' Moody Bluegrass TWO...Much Love''. Bush provided the lead vocal for the

Ray Thomas Raymond Thomas (29 December 1941 – 4 January 2018) was an English multi-instrumentalist, flautist, singer, founding member and composer in the English progressive rock band the Moody Blues. His flute solo on the band's 1967 hit single "Night ...

song "Nice To Be Here" on the latter album. He lives in Nashville, Tennessee.

Awards and honors

*Sam Bush hosted the 22nd annual

Awards September 29, 2011 held at Nashville's historic

Ryman Auditorium Ryman Auditorium (also known as Grand Ole Opry House and Union Gospel Tabernacle) is a 2,362-seat live-performance venue located at 116 Rep. John Lewis Way North, in Nashville, Tennessee. It is best known as the home of the ''Grand Ole Opry'' fr ...

. He also hosted the 2007 IBMA Awards, held at the

Grand Ole Opry House The ''Grand Ole Opry'' is a weekly American country music stage concert in Nashville, Tennessee, founded on November 28, 1925, by George D. Hay as a one-hour radio "barn dance" on WSM. Currently owned and operated by Opry Entertainment (a divi ...

. *The Americana Music Association (AMA) presented Sam Bush with the Lifetime Achievement for Instrumentalist award at the 8th Annual Americana Honors & Awards ceremony, presented by the Gibson Foundation at Ryman Auditorium September 17, 2009. *The

(IBMA) has named Sam Bush Mandolin Player of the Year four times, in 1990, 1991, 1992, and 2007. *Sam Bush has been awarded a

Grammy 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 pre ...

for ... **Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group With Vocal with Emmylou Harris & Nash Ramblers on ''Emmylou Harris & the Nash Ramblers'' in 1992. **Best Pop Instrumental Performance with Béla Fleck & The Flecktones on ''The Sinister Minister'' in 1996. **Album of the Year with various artists 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 ...

Gillian Welch Gillian Howard Welch (; born October 2, 1967) is an American singer-songwriter. She performs with her musical partner, guitarist David Rawlings. Their sparse and dark musical style, which combines elements of Appalachian music, bluegrass, coun ...

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

Tim Blake Nelson Timothy Blake Nelson (born May 11, 1964) is an American actor and playwright. Described as a "modern character actor", his roles include Delmar O'Donnell in '' O Brother, Where Art Thou?'' (2000), Gideon in '' Minority Report'' (2002), Dr. Pend ...

for ''O Brother, Where Art Thou'' in 2001. *He was nominated in 2006 for the Grammy for Best Country Instrumental Performance with

and Béla Fleck for ''Who's Your Uncle''. *In March 2010, Legislation passed in Kentucky that officially named Bowling Green the "Birthplace of Newgrass" and Sam Bush the "Father of Newgrass." The Resolution, sponsored by Representative Jim DeCesare, passed the Kentucky Senate 37-0 on March 25. It passed the House on March 3, 99–0. *Sam Bush was the subject of the 2015 documentary Revival: The Sam Bush Stor

which features commentary from Alison Krauss, Emmylou Harris, Bela Fleck, David Grisman, Ricky Skaggs, and The Avett Brothers, among others. Directed by Wayne Franklin and Kris Wheeler, the film was shown at various independent film festivals throughout 2015.

Performance

As well as being an accomplished Bluegrass music, bluegrass vocalist, Bush also is an accomplished instrumentalist on mandolin and

fiddle A fiddle is a bowed string musical instrument, most often a violin. It is a colloquial term for the violin, used by players in all genres, including classical music. Although in many cases violins and fiddles are essentially synonymous, th ...

winning title of National Fiddle champion at fifteen years of age. He was a founding member of the

and has been called a modern-day

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 ...

, or as Sam would tell . . Sam, affectionately "Sammy", or "Mr. Entertainment", also recalls meeting Mr. Monroe as a young teen. After demonstrating his mandolin technique Monroe offered the advice: "stick to the fiddle". Sam Bush and Byron House

Sam is one of the main attractions at the annual

Telluride, Colorado Telluride is the county seat and most populous town of San Miguel County in the southwestern portion of the U.S. state of Colorado. The town is a former silver mining camp on the San Miguel River in the western San Juan Mountains. The firs ...

and plays the eight p.m. set on Saturday night as well as many guest appearances throughout the weekend. He is affectionately known as "The King of Telluride" for his perennial appearances there (and

the "Queen of Telluride"). Sam did tour with Harris' band, The Nash Ramblers. Additional collaborations include recording and live performances with many virtuoso musicians and artists such as

Doc Watson Arthel Lane "Doc" Watson (March 3, 1923 – May 29, 2012) was an American guitarist, songwriter, and singer of bluegrass, folk, country, blues, and gospel music. Watson won seven Grammy awards as well as a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. W ...

Linda Ronstadt Linda Maria Ronstadt (born July 15, 1946) is a retired American singer who performed and recorded in diverse genres including rock, country, light opera, the Great American Songbook, and Latin. She has earned 11 Grammy Awards, three American ...

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 ...

Ann Savoy Ann Savoy (; born Ann Allen on January 20, 1952) is a musician, author, and record producer. Biography Savoy was raised in Richmond, Virginia. She resides with her husband Marc Savoy and family in Eunice, Southern Louisiana. As a musician, sh ...

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 ...

Peter Rowan Peter Rowan (born July 4, 1942) is an American bluegrass musician and composer. Rowan plays guitar and mandolin, yodels and sings. Biography Rowan was born in Wayland, Massachusetts to a musical family. From an early age, he had an interest ...

, Russ Barenberg, David Grisman, Mark O'Connor, Edgar Meyer, and importantly; "Strength in Numbers", a band consisting of Bela Fleck,

, and Sam Bush. Strength in Numbers was a collaboration born from jam sessions at the

. The music on their CD release entitled "The Telluride Sessions" was all instrumental and recorded live, showcasing the individual talent of each player and their ability to improvise. During recent years (2000–2008) there have been many variations of the Strength in Numbers band, also known as "Bluegrass Sessions", always including Jerry Douglas, (

Dobro Dobro is an American brand of resonator guitars, currently owned by Gibson and manufactured by its subsidiary Epiphone. The term "dobro" is also used as a generic term for any wood-bodied, single-cone resonator guitar. The Dobro was originally ...

), and usually bassist Byron House, also from

. Other musicians include Gabe Witcher (

Bryan Sutton Bryan Sutton is an American musician. Primarily known as a flatpicking acoustic guitar player, Sutton also plays mandolin, banjo, ukulele, and electric guitar. He also sings and writes songs. Biography Early career Sutton's grandfather and ...

(guitar), Tim O'Brien (

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 ...

, guitar, vocals) and Darol Anger (

). Sam Bush Band tours extensively, appearing at many small venues and large festivals such as the Strawberry Music Festival (

Memorial Day Memorial Day (originally known as Decoration Day) is a federal holiday in the United States for mourning the U.S. military personnel who have fought and died while serving in the United States armed forces. It is observed on the last Monda ...

and Labor Day), Rockygrass (late July), and every spring at the Americana Festival, Merlefest in

Wilkesboro, North Carolina Wilkesboro is a town in and the county seat of Wilkes County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 3,687 at the 2020 census. The town is located along the south bank of the Yadkin River, directly opposite the town of North Wilkesbor ...

. Sam Bush is known as one of the liveliest performers at these festivals, and makes many guest appearances with the other artists.

Discography

Solo albums

DVDs

* ''On the Road'' (2007) Sugar Hill

Specialty projects

* ''Down South'' - Doc & Merle Watson - Sugar Hill Records 1984 * ''Riding The Midnight Train'' -

- Sugar Hill Records 1986 * ''Drive'' –

–

Rounder Records Rounder Records is an independent record label founded in 1970 in Somerville, Massachusetts by Marian Leighton Levy, Ken Irwin, and Bill Nowlin. Focused on American roots music, Rounder's catalogue of more than 3000 titles includes records by Al ...

1988 * '' The Telluride Sessions'' by supergroup

– MCA 1989 * '' Short Trip Home'' –

Sony Classical Sony Classical is an American record label founded in 1924 as Columbia Masterworks Records, a subsidiary of Columbia Records. In 1980, the Columbia Masterworks label was renamed as CBS Masterworks Records. The CBS Records Group was acquired by ...

1999 :(

Joshua Bell Joshua David Bell (born December 9, 1967) is an American violinist and conductor. He plays the Gibson Stradivarius. Early life and education Bell was born in Bloomington, Indiana, to Shirley Bell, a therapist, and Alan P. Bell, a psychologis ...

with Sam Bush and Mike Marshall) * ''Bluegrass Mandolin Extravaganza'' –

Acoustic Disc David Grisman (born March 23, 1945) is an American mandolinist. His music combines bluegrass, folk, and jazz in a genre he calls "Dawg music". He founded the record label Acoustic Disc, which issues his recordings and those of other acoustic mu ...

1999 :(w/ David Grisman,

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 Mc ...

Jesse McReynolds Jesse Lester McReynolds (born July 9, 1929) is an American bluegrass musician. He is best known for his innovative crosspicking and split-string styles of mandolin playing. Biography McReynolds was born in Coeburn, Virginia. He and his brothe ...

Ricky Skaggs Rickie Lee Skaggs (born July 18, 1954), known professionally as Ricky Skaggs, is an American neotraditional country and bluegrass singer, musician, producer, and composer. He primarily plays mandolin; however, he also plays fiddle, guitar, ma ...

, others) * ''The Bluegrass Sessions'' –

–

Warner Bros. Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (commonly known as Warner Bros. or abbreviated as WB) is an American film and entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California, and a subsidiary of Warner Bros. D ...

1999 * ''Soulgrass'' – Bluegrass and Jazz Fusion 2005 * '' Goin' Home: A Tribute to Fats Domino'' 2007, performing " Rising Sun" with

Marc Broussard Marc Broussard (born January 14, 1982) is an American singer-songwriter. His style is best described as "Bayou Soul", a mix of funk, blues, R&B, rock and pop, matched with distinct Southern roots. He has released eight studio albums, one live ...

New Grass Revival

* ''

'' ( Hollywood, 1972) * ''

Fly Through the Country ''Fly Through the Country'' is the second studio album by the progressive bluegrass band New Grass Revival, released in 1975 on the Flying Fish label. It is also the title of the fifth song on the album. In 1992, ''When the Storm is Over'' and ' ...

'' (

Flying Fish The Exocoetidae are a family of marine fish in the order Beloniformes class Actinopterygii, known colloquially as flying fish or flying cod. About 64 species are grouped in seven to nine genera. While they cannot fly in the same way a bird d ...

, 1975) * ''

When the Storm Is Over ''When the Storm is Over'' is the third studio album recorded by the progressive bluegrass band New Grass Revival, released in 1977 on Flying Fish Records. The album includes a mix of covers, both traditional and contemporary, as well as band-pen ...

'' (Flying Fish, 1977) * '' Too Late to Turn Back Now'' (Flying Fish, 1977) * ''

Barren County Barren County is a county located in the south-central portion of the U.S. state of Kentucky. As of the 2020 census, the population was 44,485. Its county seat is Glasgow. The county was founded on December 20, 1798, from parts of Warren and ...

'' (Flying Fish, 1979) * ''Leon Russell & New Grass Revival'' (Paradise, 1981) * '' Commonwealth'' (Flying Fish, 1981) * '' On the Boulevard'' ( Sugar Hill, 1984) * '' Live in Toulouse'' (Sugar Hill, 1984) * ''

'' (

Capitol A capitol, named after the Capitoline Hill in Rome, is usually a legislative building where a legislature meets and makes laws for its respective political entity. Specific capitols include: * United States Capitol in Washington, D.C. * Numerous ...

, 1986) * '' Hold to a Dream'' (Capitol, 1988) * ''

Friday Night in America ''Friday Night in America'' is a studio album by progressive bluegrass band New Grass Revival, released in 1989. The album includes the single "Callin' Baton Rouge", the band's only Top 40 hit on Hot Country Songs. Both it and " Do What You Gotta ...

'' (Capitol, 1989) * ''When the Storm Is Over/Fly Through the Country'' (Flying Fish, 1992)

References

External links

Official site
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bush, Sam 1952 births Living people Musicians from Bowling Green, Kentucky American bluegrass guitarists American male guitarists New Grass Revival members Grammy Award winners American music educators American bluegrass fiddlers American bluegrass mandolinists Singers from Kentucky Bluegrass musicians from Kentucky Guitarists from Kentucky 20th-century American guitarists Country musicians from Kentucky 20th-century American male musicians Flying Fish Records artists Singers from Nashville, Tennessee Lyle Lovett and His Large Band members