Doyle Lawson biography
Date of birth : 1944-04-20
Date of death : -
Birthplace : Fordtown, Tennessee, U.S.
Nationality : American
Category : Arts and Entertainment
Last modified : 2011-02-22
Credited as : Gospel music singer, bluegrass, Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver
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Doyle Lawson was born April 20, 1944, in Fordtown, Tenn., near the city of Kingsport. His father sang in a gospel quartet, and he was attracted to both gospel and bluegrass music as a child. By the time he reached his teens, he could play mandolin, banjo and guitar, but captivated by Bill Monroe's playing, he specialized in the former. He began his professional career in 1963, playing banjo with Jimmy Martin's Sunny Mountain Boys. In 1966, he began an association with J.D. Crowe, first playing guitar but soon moving to mandolin. He joined the Country Gentlemen in 1971 and remained a member until 1979. During this time, he toured in Japan and Europe, recorded 10 albums with the group and also recorded a solo mandolin instrumental album.
In 1979, Lawson left the Country Gentlemen and formed his own group, Quicksilver, which initially comprised Lawson, Terry Baucom (banjo), Jimmy Haley (guitar) and Lou Reid (bass). Over the years, there have been several changes of personnel, and some have called Quicksilver "the farm team of bluegrass." Alumni have gone on to play for IIIrd Tyme Out, Mountain Heart, Continental Divide and Ricky Skaggs' band Kentucky Thunder.
After its self-titled debut, the band released the landmark bluegrass gospel album Rock My Soul in 1981 and performed both gospel and secular material throughout the coming two decades. The band won song of the year honors in 1990 -- the first year of the International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA) awards -- for "Little Mountain Church," a feat repeated in 2003 for "Blue Train (of the Heartbreak Line)." They have also won three IBMA awards for gospel recorded performance and three for vocal group.
Lawson parted with longtime label Sugar Hill Records after the release of 2002's Grammy-nominated album, The Hard Game of Love. In 2003, the band released the gospel album Thank God. The lineup, as of early 2004, features returning member Baucom, as well as Barry Scott, Jamie Dailey and J.W. Stockman. The ensemble released You Gotta Dig a Little Deeper on Rounder Records in 2005.
Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver - One Way Train :
