The Nashville Bluegrass Band is an American bluegrass music ensemble founded in 1984. The group's members first played together in 1984 as a backing band for Vernon Oxford and

Minnie Pearl Sarah Ophelia Colley Cannon (October 25, 1912 – March 4, 1996), known professionally as her stage character Minnie Pearl, was an American comedian who appeared at the Grand Ole Opry for more than 50 years (1940–1991) and on the television ...

; each of the members was an established musician from the Nashville bluegrass community. They signed to Rounder Records and recorded their

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 ...

-produced debut, ''My Native Home'', in 1985. Incorporating elements of black

gospel Gospel originally meant the Christian message (" the gospel"), but in the 2nd century it came to be used also for the books in which the message was set out. In this sense a gospel can be defined as a loose-knit, episodic narrative of the words a ...

and spirituals, then a rarity in bluegrass, they became critical and popular successes both in America and abroad. The group toured in some 20 countries and were the first bluegrass band to ever play in China.

Nashville Bluegrass Band The Nashville Bluegrass Band is an American bluegrass music ensemble founded in 1984. The group's members first played together in 1984 as a backing band for Vernon Oxford and Minnie Pearl; each of the members was an established musician from t ...

Allmusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databa ...

The group continued to record for Rounder and Sugar Hill into the 1990s; two of the albums, 1993's ''Waitin' for the Hard Times to Go'' and 1995's ''Unleashed'', won Grammy Awards for Best Bluegrass Album. Grammy Awards Allmusic.com Other albums were nominated for Grammys in the same category in 1988, 1990, 1991, 1998, and 2004. After the departure of bassist Gene Libbea and mandolinist

Roland White Roland Joseph White (né LeBlanc; April 23, 1938 – April 1, 2022) was an American bluegrass music artist, performing principally on the mandolin. Biography White was born in Madawaska, Maine, on April 23, 1938, as Roland Joseph LeBlanc, and ...

in 1998, the group went on a brief hiatus, but after vocalist Pat Enright sang as one of the

Soggy Bottom Boys ''O Brother, Where Art Thou?'' is a 2000 comedy drama film written, produced, co-edited, and directed by Joel and Ethan Coen. It stars George Clooney, John Turturro, and Tim Blake Nelson, with Chris Thomas King, John Goodman, Holly Hunter, and ...

from ''

O Brother, Where Art Thou? ''O Brother, Where Art Thou?'' is a 2000 comedy drama film written, produced, co-edited, and directed by Joel and Ethan Coen. It stars George Clooney, John Turturro, and Tim Blake Nelson, with Chris Thomas King, John Goodman, Holly Hunter, and ...

'', the group's career had a revival. They played as the backing group for many performers on the ''

Down from the Mountain ''Down from the Mountain'' is a 2000 documentary and concert film featuring a live performance by country and traditional music artists who participated in the Grammy-winning soundtrack recording for the Joel and Ethan Coen film, ''O Brother, ...

'' tour and album, and toured again on their own in the 2000s.

Members

Current members *Alan O'Bryant - banjo, vocals *Pat Enright - guitar, vocals * Mike Compton - mandolin * Stuart Duncan - fiddle *Andy Todd - bass Past members *Mark Hembree - bass *Gene Libbea - bass *

- mandolin *Dennis Crouch - bass

Discography

References

External links

Official website
{{Authority control Musical groups from Nashville, Tennessee American bluegrass music groups Musical groups established in 1984