Bluegrass Bios N

MIKE NADOLSON

From Lake Elsinore, California (LA area).
1980, 1981 won the Four Corners Regional Flatpicking Championship in Wickenburg, Arizona.
Has performed with several Southern California bands, including "Shadow Mountain" with Ron Block and Dennis Caplinger, "Damascus Road," a gospel group, "Circuit Riders" and "Silverado."
1998, recorded solo album.
Founder and owner of Tricopolis Records.

DAVID NAIDITCH

From Los Angeles, California.
Has played harmonica around the L.A. area since the 1960's (he taught harmonica at the famed Ash Grove).
2011, released "Bluegrass Harmonica" CD, the first ever bluegrass album featuring the "chromatic harmonica" (which differs from the diatonic harmonica used by such notables as Mike Stevens and Charlie McCoy).

DAVID NANCE

From Oak Ridge, North Carolina.
Early in his career, he played Dobro™ with his father in a band called The Southland Playboys.
1982, he and his father worked with Bobby Atkins.
1983, joined The McPherson Brothers band.
1985, formed Big Sandy Bluegrass with Lynwood Lunsford, Time Ashley and Adam Poindexter.
1987, joined Jimmy Martin's Sunny Mountain Boys.
Martin calls Nance "Little Sweets."

THE NASHVILLE BLUEGRASS BAND

From Nashville, Tennessee.
Formed by by Alan O'Bryant and Pat Enright in 1984.
O'Bryant (banjo), from Reidsville, North Carolina, began his musical career in 1974 with James Monroe. Also worked with the Front Porch String Band (an Alabama group) and did studio work in Nashville.
Enright (guitar) formerly performed with Tasty Licks (a New England Band) and Phantoms of the Opry (San Francisco).
Roland White (mandolin) formerly performed with The Kentucky Colonels, Lester Flatt's Nashville Grass and The Country Gazette.
Stuart Duncan (fiddle) is a Californian who is a seven-time winner of the IBMA award for Fiddle Player of the Year.
Roland White and Gene Libbea (bass) joined the group in 1988, replacing Mike Compton and Mark Hembree, who were seriously injured that year when the group's bus was involved in a traffic accident.
1986, became the first bluegrass group to perform in Red China.
O'Bryant's goal for the band: to become members of the Grand Ole Opry.
IBMA Awards: "Vocal Group of the Year" (1990, 1991, 1992 and 1993); "Entertainer of the Year" (1993); "Song of the year" (for "Blue Train" 1992).
1994, toured with Lyle Lovett.
1994, recorded with actress/singer Bernadette Peters.
1994, won Grammy Award for the album "Waitin' for the Hard Times to Go."
1995, performed at a private party for the rock band R.E.M.
1996, performed with Johnny Cash on the soundtrack to the movie "Dead Man Walking" starring Susan Sarandon and Sean Penn.
1996, performed at Wynona Judd's wedding reception.
2000, Pat Enright's yodeling was featured in the movie "O Brother, Where Art Thou," starring George Clooney.
2001, Roland White retired from the band and mandolinist Mike Compton returned.

THE NASHVILLE MANDOLIN ENSEMBLE

Founded by mandolinist Butch Baldassari.
A revival of the mandolin orchestra—a musical concept that was extinct for 75 years.
Includes various combinations of mandolins, mandola, mando-cello, guitar and string bass.
Performs the "three B's" of Music—Bach, Beatles and Bill Monroe.

NASH STREET

From Starkville, Mississippi.
Formed in 1996 as a kid band called "The Goat Ropers."
2001, changed name to Nash Street.
Members: Daniel Hare (bass), Hannah Melby (fiddle), Caroline Melby (mandolin), Clay Lezon (guitar), and Jason Graham (guitar).
2007, recorded first CD "Nash Street" dedicated to the victims of Hurricane Katrina.
2008, won the Colgate Country Showdown, hosted by Leann Rhimes at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville.

FRANK NECESSARY

Born in Boone's Camp, Kentucky. Later, lived and worked in the Baltimore/Washington DC area.
Played banjo and was the leader or co-leader of several bands including the Stone Mountain Boys, Buzz Busby, the Spruce Mountain Boys.
He played banjo in the style of Don Reno.
1976, recorded Al Jones, Frank Necessary and the Spruce Mountain Boys on Rounder Records.
1987, recorded Frank Necessary, Al Jones and Buzz Busby on Old Homestead Records.
Died in December, 2011.

NESHOBA

From Memphis, Tennessee.
Name is a Chickasaw word that means "wolf."
Formed in 1993 by Donny and Doyle Catron.
1996, Donny worked several months with Doyle Lawson and Quicksilver.
2003, Donny Catron re-organized theTennessee Gentlemen (a band he was a former member of)
2003, Catron joined Jesse McReynolds and the Virginia Boys.

TARA NEVINS

From New England.
Old time fiddler and singer who has worked with such groups as the Highwoods String Band and the all-female Heartbeats (for 9 years).
1999, joined the country-rock band "Donna the Buffalo."
1999, released solo album "Mule to Ride."

THE NEW COON CREEK GIRLS (See also DALE ANN BRADLEY AND COON CREEK)

From Renfro Valley, Kentucky.
Formed in 1980 by Vicki Simmons.
One of the first all-female bluegrass bands. Remained so until 1997.
Original Coon Creek Girls were a popular female "hillbilly" band led by Lily Mae Ledford in the 30's and 40's performing primarily on the old Renfro Valley Barn Dance out of Cincinnati, Ohio. They were one of the first—if not the very first—country music acts to perform at the White House; they did so in 1938 for then-President Franklin D. Roosevelt. They disbanded in 1957.
Simmons met Lily Mae Ledford before she died and learned to play clawhammer-style banjo from her. Ledford gave Simmons permission to use the name "Coon Creek Girls" to carry on the tradition of the original group.
Have performed at the Grand Ole Opry, and have appeared on "CBS This Morning".
The band has undergone many personnel changes over the years, with Vicki Simmons the only original member left. "The big problem has been Nashville," says Simmons. Several of her most talented band members have been lured away by country superstars.
1997, the name of the band was changed to "Dale Ann Bradley and Coon Creek."

NEW GRANGE

From Nashville.
An "Americana Band" featuring Tim O'Brien, Mike Marshall, Alison Brown, Darol Anger, Todd Phillips and pianist Philip Aaberg.
1998, group was formed by Anger and Marshall to record a Christmas album. Decided to stay together, tour nationally and record again.
Three of them (Phillips, Anger and Marshall) were original members of the David Grisman Quintet.

NEW GRASS REVIVAL

From Louisville, Kentucky.
Formed in 1971 by 19-year-old Sam Bush.
Original members: Sam Bush (mandolin), Courtney Johnson (banjo), Curtis Burch (guitar and Dobro™), Ebo Walker (bass). Bush, Johnson and Walker had formerly performed together in the Bluegrass Alliance.
First gig: Elizabethton, Tennessee. There were 12 people in the audience.
First album: 1972 on Starday Records.
1970's, toured with John Hartford, Leon Russell, and Cheech and Chong.
1973, Butch Robins replaced Walker on bass.
1974, John Cowan (bass) joined the group.
Burch and Johnson left in May, 1981. For a short time, Sam and John performed together as the "Two-grass Revival".
1981, Pat Flynn (guitar) and Bela Fleck (banjo) joined the group.
Broke up in 1990.
1990-1994, Bush worked with Emmylou Harris and the Nash Ramblers. 1995, toured with Bela Fleck and the Flecktones. 1996, released solo album and formed a group called "Sam Bush for President."
Fleck has a successful jazz group, "The Flecktones."
Cowan formed a group called "The Sky Kings" and in 1998 "The John Cowan Band."
Flynn received a masters degree in counseling and is a studio musician/record producer in Nashville. Among his credits: Crucial Smith.
1996, original banjo player Courtney died.
1997, Bush and Cowan reunited to form "The Sam Bush Band" and a blues band called "Duckbutter."
Garth Brooks recorded two NGR songs: "Do What You Gotta Do" (written by Pat Flynn) and "Callin' Baton Rouge" (with NGR providing instrumental backing).
Bush, Cowan and Fleck continue to perform with their own bands. Flynn works as a successful producer and studio musician.

NEW JERUSALEM BLUEGRASS BAND

From Lancaster, Ohio.
A bluegrass gospel family band featuring mom and dad Diana and Rusty Boggs and daughters Calina and Candy Boggs.
They all sing and switch off playing a variety of acoustic instruments.
2011, released fifth CD "Where Ya Goin?"

THE NEW QUICKSILVER

A short-lived group of the mid-1980's featuring Terry Baucom (banjo), Jimmy Haley (guitar), Randy Graham (bass) and Alan Bibey (mandolin).
Baucom, Graham and Haley were members of Doyle Lawson's band Quicksilver until 1985. The three of them left to form their own band, taking the name "Quicksilver" with them. Lawson, however, claimed ownership of the band name, so Baucom and company added the word "New" to their name.
Disbanded after two years.
1991, Baucom and Haley joined two other former members of Doyle Lawson's band to form "IIIrd Tyme Out."
1997, they reunited to form BlueRidge, a new group.
2002, Randy Graham joined David Parmley and Continental Divide.

NEW RIVER LINE

From Flatgap, Kentucky.
Formed in 2002 by Dave Carroll (guitar) and Ron King (mandolin).
Carroll has written songs for the Lonesome River Band ("The Game is Over"), Blue Moon Rising ("This Old Martin Box") and many others.
2011, released CD "I'm Moving On," dedicated to the memory of band member Jerry Chaney (Dobro) who was killed in an auto accident as the album was being completed.

NEW ROAD

From east Tennessee.
A gospel group that performed primarily in churches throughout the southeast. They write most of their own material.
Formed in 1995 by Stuart Wyrick (banjo), Randall Massengill (guitar), Mike Ramsey (mandolin), Vic Graves (Dobro™) and Scott Payne (bass).
Disbanded in 2009.

THE NEW TRADITION

From Nashville, Tennessee.
Formed in 1988 and won "best band" at the SPBGMA awards show. This led to a record contract with the gospel music giant, Brentwood Music, the label's first bluegrass act.
Danny Roberts (mandolin) is married to the former Andrea Campbell of Petticoat Junction.
1994 lineup: Danny Roberts (mandolin), Ray Cardwell (bass), Ken White (guitar) and Richie Dotson (banjo).
1998 lineup: Roberts, Aaron McDaris (banjo), Daryl Mosley (bass) and Jamie Clifton (guitar).
1999 lineup: Roberts, McDaris, Clifton and Brandon Rickman (bass).
2000, broke up for good.
2004, Roberts joined "The Grascals."
2002, Mosely joined the Osborne Brothers; 2004, formed duo with Tim Graves.

NEW VINTAGE

From Cary, North Carolina.
Formed in 1989 by Russell Johnson (mandolin) and Earl Lewellyn (guitar).
1993, won first place at the Pizza Hut International Bluegrass Showdown" national finals in Owensboro, Kentucky.
1993, won "best band" at the SPBGMA Award Show in Nashville.
Band members have included Gina Britt (banjo) and Julie Elkins (banjo).
2000 lineup: Johnson, Llewellyn, Jody King (banjo), James Doncsecz (bass) and Kim Gardner (Dobro™).
Johnson (mandolin, lead vocals) writes much of the band's original material. He has also recorded as a solo artist and performs with a band called The Grass Cats.
Before forming New Vintage, Johnson performed professionally as a magician.
After disbanding, the group was re-formed in 2007 by Johnson (who is also in the Grass Cats).

NEWFOUND ROAD

From Southwestern Ohio (Tim Shelton, band leader).
Original members: Carl Williams, Jr. (banjo), Tim Shelton (guitar), Tim Caudill (bass) and Rob Baker (mandolin).
The group formed in 2001 as a gospel group, but evolved into a progressive bluegrass band.
2004, released first album for Rounder Records.
2010 lineup: Tim Shelton (guitar, lead vocals), Jamey Booher (bass), Joe Booher (mandolin), Josh Miller (banjo).
2011, released "Live at the Down Home" (Rounder).

NEWTOWN (See KATIE PENN)

MARK NEWTON

Originally from Padukah, Kentucky and lived in Fredericksburg, Virginia for many years. Moved to Nashville in 2004.
At age 14, played in his father's band, called Frog Newton and the Tadpoles.
Mid-70's, put together his first band, "Cabin Hill."
1976, joined the Heights of Grass.
1978, joined the Knoxville Grass.
1981, re-joined the Heights of Grass.
1983, formed the Virginia Squires with four of the five members of the Heights of Grass.
1988, quit the music business.
1990, formed the Mark Newton Entertainment Agency and began promoting the Graves Mountain Bluegrass Festival in Virginia.
1992, formed "Bill Emerson and Mark Newton Band" with banjo great Bill Emerson.
1995, joined the Tony Rice Unit.
1998, recorded his first solo album "Living a Dream" with Bill Emerson, Ralph Stanley, Tony Rice, Dudley Connell, others.
1999, formed the Mark Newton band and recorded an album "Follow Me Back to the Fold" featuring duets with Rhonda Vincent, Lynn Morris, Claire Lynch, Dale Ann Bradley, other women singers.
2001, won IBMA award for Recorded Event of the Year (for his album "Follow Me Back to the Fold.")
2011, formed "Mark Newton's Stillhouse Band" with Andrew Blythe (banjo) and Leah Needham (guitar, resonator guitar).
2013, teamed up with fiddler/vocalist Steve Thomas to record CD titled "Reborn."

NICKEL CREEK

From Vista, California (near San Diego).
Formed in 1990 at the San Diego Bluegrass Festival.
Began as a "kid band" featuring Sean and Sara Watkins, Chris and Scott Thile. (Scott is Chris' father).
Name was chosen from a tune on one of Byron Berline's fiddle albums. Nickel Creek is actually a ranch in Texas where Byron wrote the tune. When the ranch owner found out about the Nickel Creek band, he invited them to perform there—their first out-of-state gig.
First DJ to play Nickel Creek on the radio: Wayne Rice, KSON, San Diego!
1995, group was split geographically when the Thile's moved to Murray, Kentucky where Scott took a job at Murray State University. 1997, got first national TV exposure on the Statler Brothers Show (TNN).
Sean and Sara Watkins also perform as a brother-sister duo.
1999, recorded album produced by Alison Krauss.
2000, had a hit video on CMT. Signed by the William Morris Agency.
2000, won IBMA award for Emerging Artist of the Year.
2001, received two Grammy nominations: Country Instrumental Performance and Bluegrass Album.
2001, worked several shows with Dolly Parton.
2001, won IBMA award for Instrumental Group of the Year. Chris also won award for Mandolin Player of the Year.
2001, were featured in a double-page photo spread and article in TIME magazine as one of the top 100 "Innovators of the Year."
2001, was nominated for Vocal Group of the Year and the Horizon Award at the CMA Awards. Performed on the show.
2003, won Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Folk Album for "This Side."
2004, "This Side" was certified Gold.
2004, did a "Mutual Admiration Society" tour with Glenn Phillips (Toad the Wet Sprocket), Pete Thomas (Elvis Costello) and John Paul Jones (Led Zeppelin).
2007, their "farewell tour" (before disbanding for the indefinite future) takes place (April-May)
2007, Chris Thile formed a bluegrass band, first called the "Tensions Mountain Boys," then the "Punch Brothers."
2008, Sara Watkins recorded a solo album with a release date in 2009.

ROSS NICKERSON

From Baltimore, Maryland. Also has a home in Tucson, Arizona.
Best known as a banjo teacher and writer of banjo instruction books. Own a studio in Baltimore called "The Banjo School."
Twice won the Telluride Banjo Contest.
2001, a member of the Maryland Banjo Academy.
Has a band called Ross Nickerson and the Fast Brothers.
2009, recorded and released an album called "Let's Kick Some Ass" with Blue Highway (excluding Jason Burleson). A year later, re-released it with a new title "Let's Kick It."

NIGHTFLYER

From Southwest Ohio.
Formed in 2010 by Richard Propps (guitar), Rick Hayes (mandolin), Tony Kakaris (bass), Tim Jackson (Dobro™) and Ronnie Stewart (banjo). Stewart is not the same Ronnie Stewart who performs with the Boxcars.
Hayes is a well-known bluegrass luthier (makes his own guitars and mandolins) and promoter (opened a bluegrass venue in Covington, Kentucky). He previously performed with Blue and Lonesome and the The Gibson Brothers.
2012, released first CD "Nightflyer".

THE NITTY GRITTY DIRT BAND

From Los Angeles, California.
Also called "The Dirt Band."
Formed in mid-1960's by John McEuen, Jimmy Fadden, Jeff Hanna, Jimmy Ibbotson. McEuen left the band in 1988.
Started out as a jug band, incorporating country-rock and bluegrass.
1972, scored first big hit: Jerry Jeff Walker's "Mr. Bojangles." Also appeared in the movie "Paint Your Wagon."
1972, recorded a platinum-selling, grammy-award winning three-record album titled "Will the Circle be Unbroken" with guest artists including Earl Scruggs, Roy Acuff, Mother Maybelle Carter and Jimmy Martin.
During the 1980's, the NGDB had 17 consecutive #1 songs on the country charts including "Dance Little Jean" and "Long Hard Road."
1989, "Will the Circle Be Unbroken" II was released, also winning a grammy.
2001, John McEuen returned as a member of the band.
2003, "Will the Circle Be Unbroken" III won IBMA Award for Recorded Event of the Year.

MICHELLE NIXON AND DRIVE

From Goochland, Virginia.
Nixon learned to sing in church. Began singing with country bands at age 14.
1989, she and husband Nick formed a country band called Slate River.
2002, formed Michelle Nixon and Drive with mandolin player Vernon Hughes (formerly with the Heights of Grass, Appalachian Drive) and bass player Jim Green (formerly with Bluegrass Etc., Fastest Grass Alive).
She owns a hair salon.
2005, released CD with guest artist Bill Anderson singing with her.
2011, after taking several years off for her family, she returned to performing with a new CD "A Place I Belong."

NO ONE YOU KNOW

From Jackson County, West Virginia
Band members: Don Anderson (bass), Ramie Bennett (banjo), Lance Gainer (guitar), Bruce Jones (Dobro™), Rachel Burge (mandolin).
Formed in 2009.
2010, won SPBGMA band contest.
Bennett is two time Maryland State Banjo Champion, and one time West Virginia State Banjo Champion.
2010, released first CD "Calm Before the Storm" on Mountain Fever Records.
2012, disbanded.

THE NOB HILL BOYS

From Madison, Wisconsin.
Formed in 1998.
There is a place called Nob Hill in Madison, but none of the band actually live there.
Banjo player Jon Peik has a degree in theology.
Guitarist Dan O'Brien studied at Oxford, England.
Mandolinist John Fabke has a bluegrass radio show in Madison.

THE NOBLES

From Park Hill, Oklahoma (near Tulsa).
A family band featuring Mom and Dad (Terry and Sheri) and three children, Shea, 19, Aubrey, 18, and Trevor, 15 (1998).
1991, performed with Bill Monroe and were his guests at the Grand Ole Opry.
Perform regularly at Silver Dollar City.
1998, recorded an album with guests Dolly Parton, Carl Jackson and DarrinVincent.
They have a family excavation business called "Progress Excavation."

NORTHERN LIGHTS

From Boston, Massachusetts.
Formed in 1975.
Founding members: Taylor Armerding (mandolin and lead vocals) and Bill Henry (guitar and vocals). Taylor's son Jake (fiddle and vocals) joined the group in 1995.
Alison Brown was a member of the band in the early-1980's while she attended Harvard University. Later replaced by current banjo player Mike Kropp.
Armerding is also a reporter and assistant editor for North Shore Sunday, a weekly magazine based in Danvers, Mass. His father was a minister and the former president of Wheaton College.
1999, performed with "Click and Clack," the PBS "Car Talk" hosts.
2000, released a live album with guest Vassar Clements on fiddle.
2002, Bill Henry recorded a solo project "Red Sky."
2003, Taylor Armerding left the band after 28 years to pursue his own musical interests. Performs occasionally with The Bluegrass Gospel Project, Southern Rail and the Jonathan Edwards trio. He was replaced by Ben Demerath, formerly with Sugarbeat. Also joining the band: Dave Dick (banjo) and John Daniel (bass.)

NORTHERN PACIFIC

From Woodinville, Washington.
Band members: Rich Jones (guitar); Joseph Wilmhoff (bass); Nick Hornbuckle (banjo), John Tubbs (mandolin).
Jones previously worked with Kenny Baker and Josh Graves.
Hornbuckle previously worked with Kathy Kallick.
Tubbs won the Western Canadian Mandolin Championship (1996).

NOTHIN' FANCY

From Buena Vista, Virginia (Shenandoah Valley).
Formed in 1994.
Several members of this group were in a band that won the East Coast Bluegrass Band championship and at that time called themselves "The East Coast Bluegrass Band."
Members: Mike Andes (mandolin), Gary Farris (guitar), Mitchell Davis (banjo), Chris Sexton (fiddle) and Tony Shorter (bass). Andes writes most of the band's material and sings lead.
2001, hosted their 1st annual bluegrass festival in Buena Vista.
2002, released first album for Pinecastle Records.
2008, 2009, 2010, won SPBGMA's "Entertaining Band of the Year" award.

NU-BLU

From Jonesborough, Tennessee.
Formed in 2003 by a husband-wife duo Carolyn and Daniel Routh (bass and guitar). They were joined by Levi Austin and Kendall Gates (banjo and mandolin).
2009, signed by Pinecastle Records just a few months before the label went out of business.
2010, Pinecastle Records was purchased and their album "Nights" was released.
2010, they were the first bluegrass band to launch a smart phone application.
2011, released second album "The Blu-Disc."

ALECIA NUGENT

From Hickory Grove, Louisiana.
Began her career at age 13 performing with her family band "Southland Bluegrass" (they had been performing together since 1973. Alecia joined in 1988).
2001, released a solo album produced by Carl Jackson under the name Alecia McRight.
2002, signed with Rounder Records.
2003, 2004, 2005 was final nominee for Emerging Artist of the Year (IBMA Awards). She performed on the show in 2004.

JIM NUNALLY AND DIX BRUCE

From the San Francisco Bay area.
Both are guitarists, perform and record as a duo.
Nunally played guitar on CBS-TV special "Snoopy's Reunion"; also played on 1994 feature film "The Beverly Hillbillies" with Bela Fleck, Mike Marshall, Sam Bush."
Nunally is a record producer and engineer at a SF recording studio (won Grammy award for his work on "True Life Blues: The Songs of Bill Monroe.")
Bruce was editor of the magazine "Mandolin World."
Bruce formerly played with Back Up and Push (1978), also the San Francisco Royal Society of Jazz Orchestra, Frank Wakefield.
Bruce writes guitar instructional books for Mel Bay Publications.
2001, Nunally joined John Reischman and the Jaybirds.

SCOTT NYGAARD

From the San Francisco Bay area. Originally from Athens, Ohio.
A highly regarded flat-pick guitarist with several solo albums to his credit.
1988-1991, worked with Laurie Lewis and Grant Street.
1991-1997, a member of Tim O'Brien and the O'Boys.
Has since worked with Jerry Douglas, Chris Thile, Tony Furtado, David Grisman, Darol Anger and Eric Thompson's "Kleptograss."