Bluegrass
Dan Crary first played an acoustic music festival in the 1960’s when the steel-string guitar was often in the background. However, Dan’s lead guitar playing caught the attention of a generation of fans and musicians and influenced their acceptance of the guitar as a lead instrument in folk and...
Dana Bourgeois formed Bourgeois Guitars in 1993, having already worked as a luthier on several projects including those with Paul Reed Smith and Eric Schoenberg. His passion for guitar building began in college when he read Classic Guitar Construction by Irving Stone. His first repair shop was...
Susan Carson opened her first music store, Taylor Guitar Shop, at just 18 years old in Johnson, Tennessee. Taylor Guitar Shop became the local hangout spot for bluegrass pickers and those looking to jam every Saturday. Susan sold the store when she married her husband, Bill Carson, and he took a...
Marty Stuart grew up in the small town of Philadelphia, Mississippi surrounded by country music, which he taught himself to play on a family guitar when he was 12 years old. Marty soon learned the mandolin and began writing songs for local dances and school events. During his NAMM interview he...
Lowell Levinger, known as Banana, was a founding member of the Youngbloods back in the late 1960s. The band had a series of hit records including the 60s anthem “Get Together.” Banana played lead guitar, piano, finger cymbals, pedal steel guitar, and sang with the band from 1965 until 1972. He...
JD Crowe recalled seeing Earl Scruggs perform in Lexington with Lester Flatt when he was a kid. The sound was so unique and different that all young JD could think about was getting a banjo! He did and, well, the rest is history. Jimmy Martin hired DJ when he was just 16 and they recorded and...
Vince Gill attended his first NAMM Show when he was nineteen years old and living in Los Angeles, California, back in 1977. Over the years, Vince has supported many music retailers and suppliers and has developed long lasting and meaningful relationships, which is why he is always excited to...
John Walker’s career in music all began with guitar lessons at six years old. This lesson studio’s focus was on ensemble performance, which allowed John to start playing gigs at 11 years old. He furthered this passion by owning his own music club at age 26 and eventually ending up in Nashville...
George Shuffler was the country and bluegrass guitar player who is credited for a three figure cross-picking playing style (down two strings, up one) that he created out of necessity. While playing for a small country band on the radio in the 1940s, George needed to add fills to several slow paced...
Ralph Stanley was best known for his featured songs in the movie "Oh Brother, Where Art Thou," although his career began in the 1930s. He sang in church with his family and later hit the road with a small group to bring their unique style of country music to the world. He appeared on radio and...