Kentucky Thunder, or Ricky Skaggs and Kentucky Thunder, is the band that plays with American country and bluegrass singer

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 ...

. Many members of the band have won numerous awards.

Bandleader A bandleader is the leader of a music group such as a dance band, rock or pop band or jazz quartet. The term is most commonly used with a group that plays popular music as a small combo or a big band, such as one which plays jazz, blues, rhyth ...

Ricky Skaggs plays

mandolin A mandolin (, ; literally "small mandola") is a Chordophone, stringed musical instrument in the lute family and is generally Plucked string instrument, plucked with a plectrum, pick. It most commonly has four Course (music), courses of doubled St ...

and is the

lead vocalist The lead vocalist in popular music is typically the member of a group or band whose voice is the most prominent melody in a performance where multiple voices may be heard. The lead singer sets their voice against the accompaniment parts of t ...

. The group has won the Instrumental Group of the Year award 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 ...

multiple times, as well as seven

Grammy Award The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious ...

Line-up

The current line-up is; *Russell Carson - Banjo *Justus Ross - Lead Guitar *Dennis Parker - Rhythm Guitar, Baritone Vocals, Mandolin, Fiddle *Mike Rogers - Guitar and Tenor Vocals *Billy Contreras - Fiddle *Gavin Kelso - Upright Bass –

Discography

Guest artists on

The Chieftains The Chieftains were a traditional Irish folk band formed in Dublin in 1962, by Paddy Moloney, Seán Potts and Michael Tubridy. Their sound, which is almost entirely instrumental and largely built around uilleann pipes, has become synonymous w ...

' '' Down the Old Plank Road: The Nashville Sessions'' (2002)

Awards

Grammy awards

Source: * 1998 Best Bluegrass Album: Ricky Skaggs and Kentucky Thunder for ''Bluegrass Rules!'' * 1999 Best Bluegrass Album: Ricky Skaggs and Kentucky Thunder for ''Ancient Tones'' * 2000 Best Southern, Country, or Bluegrass Gospel Album: Ricky Skaggs and Kentucky Thunder for ''Soldier Of The Cross'' * 2003 Best Country Performance By A Duo or Group With Vocal: Ricky Skaggs and Kentucky Thunder for ''A Simple Life'' * 2004 Best Bluegrass Album: Ricky Skaggs and Kentucky Thunder for ''Brand New Strings'' * 2006 Best Bluegrass Album: Ricky Skaggs and Kentucky Thunder for ''Instrumentals'' * 2008 Best Bluegrass Album: Ricky Skaggs and Kentucky Thunder for ''Honoring the Fathers of Bluegrass: Tribute to 1946 & 1947''

IBMA (International Bluegrass Music Association) Awards

* 1998 Instrumental Group Of The Year: Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder * 1998 Album Of The Year: Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder for ''Bluegrass Rules!'' * 1999 Instrumental Group Of The Year: Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder * 2000 Instrumental Group Of The Year: Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder * 2002 Instrumental Group Of The Year: Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder * 2003 Instrumental Group Of The Year: Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder * 2004 Instrumental Group Of The Year: Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder * 2005 Instrumental Group Of The Year: Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder * 2006 Instrumental Group Of The Year: Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder

References

External links

Andy Leftwich Interview
at NAMM Oral History Collection (2020) * * Musical groups established in 1997 American bluegrass music groups Grammy Award winners Musical groups from Kentucky {{US-band-stub