U-V
ERIC UGLUM
- From Apple
Valley, California (born in Fort Campbell, Kentucky).
- 1986, a founding
member of Weary Hearts, with Ron Block, Butch Baldassari and Mike Bub. Eric
played guitar.
- 1988, formed
New Wine, with Ron and Sandra Block and Rob Ickes.
- 1992, formed
Copperline, with Janet Beazley, Bud Bierhaus and Marshall Andrews.
- 1997, joined
Lost Highway, playing mandolin.
- Owns a recording
studio, New Wine Studios.
- 2003, released
first solo album.
- 2006, formed
a trio with his stepsons Christian and Austin Ward. Released a CD called "The
New Road to Jerusalem."
- 2007, he (along
with stepsons Christian and Austin Ward) joined Chris Stuart and BackCountry.
DONNA ULISSE
- From Hampton,
Virginia
- Name is pronounced
"You-liss-ee."
- Began singing
at age 3 in her family band.
- Married Rick
Stanley, a cousin of Ralph and Carter. Ralph and the Clinch Mountain Boys
performed at her wedding reception.
- 1980, moved
to Nashville.
- 1991, signed
by Atlantic Records. Released country album "Trouble at the Door."
- Appeared on
CMT "Hot Country Nights," "Nashville Now," "Hee Haw."
- 2007, released
bluegrass album "When I Look Back" featuring her original songs.
Produced by Keith Sewell.
UNCLE
EARL (See also K. C. GROVES)
- Formed in 1999.
- A traditional
roots band featuring K.C. Groves, Abigail Washburn, Rayna Gellert and Kristen
Andreasson.
- They sometimes
refer to themselves as the g'Earls.
- K.C. Groves
has recorded several solo projects of folk, old-time and bluegrass music.
She lives in Colorado.
- Banjo player
Abigail Washburn also performs and records as a solo artist, specializing
a blend of American and Chinese folk music. She lives in Nashville.
- Kristen Andreasson
is also a member of the Maryland-based Footworks, a percussive dance group.
She lives in Woodstock, NY.
- Rayna Gellert
(from North Carolina) is a former member of the Freight Hoppers.
- 2007, released
CD "Waterloo, Tennessee" produced by John Paul Jones (of Led Zeppelin
fame).
UNION KUN-TREE
- From Arkansas.
- Began as the
Chitlin Switch Road Runners in the mid-1950's (performing on a radio station
in El Dorado, Arkansas). They also appeared on the Louisiana Hayride.
- 1980, changed
name to Bluegrass Kun-Tree, recorded several albums under that name.
- 2005, re-emerged
as Union Kun-Tree.
- Original lead
singer Joe Wilson died in 1984. His son Joe Wilson, Jr. took his place in
the band, playing banjo.
- Celebrated 50
years as a band in 2005.
UNION SPRINGS
- From Cincinnatti,
Ohio.
- Formed in 1992.
- Two members
of this band, Dwight McCall and Randy Pollard, worked previously with Vernon
McIntyre’s Appalachian Grass.
- Group disbanded
in 1995. McCall left to join the Country Gentlemen.
UNION STATION
(See ALISON KRAUSS)
UNLIMITED
TRADITION
- From Wheelersburg,
Ohio.
- Formed in 1993.
- 1996, won the
SPBGMA “International Bluegrass Band Championship.”
- Founder and
guitarist Ray Craft formerly worked with Dave Evans, Emma Smith, and Redwing.
- Banjo player
John Lewis previously worked with the Lost and Found, Gary Brewer. At age
14 had a group called True Grass with Don Rigsby. He is an attorney.
- Original banjo
player: Jack Hicks (a former member of Bill Monroe’s Blue Grass Boys).
- Mandolin player
Shayne Bartley previously worked with Dave Evans, the Lost and Found and the
Charlie Sizemore Band.
- Guitarist Scottie
Sparks previously worked with Dave Evans, Redwing, and his own band. He also
performed on the Grammy-nominated album “The Stanley Tradition.”
- 1997, recorded
first album for Doobie Shea Records.
- 2000, disbanded.
- 2008, Bartley
and Craft re-formed the group with Bobby Hicks playing fiddle on selected
dates.
JOE VAL
(AND THE NEW ENGLAND BLUEGRASS BOYS)
- From Boston,
Massachusetts.
- An influential
mandolin player and tenor singer in the New England area.
- 1950's, performed
with the Radio Rangers and the Lilly Brothers.
- 1960's, worked
with Bill Keith, Jim Rooney, Breakfast Special, and the Charles River Valley
Boys (a group that recorded an album for Elektra called “Beatle Country”—arrangements
of songs by the Beatles.)
- 1969, formed
his New England Bluegrass Boys and recorded several albums for Rounder.
- Died in 1985.
JIM
VAN CLEVE (See also MOUNTAIN HEART)
- Born/raised
in Sarasota, Florida. Grew up in Haywood County, North Carolina. Resides in
Nashville.
- Began playing
fiddle at age 8.
- As a teenager,
played with Ric-o-chet, Lou Reid & Carolina, Rambler's Choice, Doyle Lawson
and Quicksilver.
- 1998, joined
Mountain Heart.
- An A-list Nashville
session musician. Played on Carrie Underwood's hit single "Don't Forget
to Remember Me."
- 2006, recorded
solo project "No Apologies." First cut, "Nature of the Beast"
nominated for Grammy Award ("Best Country Instrumental Performance").
SALLY
VAN METER
- From the San
Francisco Bay area. Lives in Colorado.
- One of the
top Dobro™ players in bluegrass.
- Original member
of The Good Old Persons.
- 1993, formed
her own band.
- 1994, formed
the Sally Van Meter/Tammy Fassaert Band (with vocalist Tammy Fassaert).
- One of her
recordings was used in the soundtrack of the hit TV series, Northern Exposure.
- Has produced
albums by the Yonder Mountain String Band and Open Road.
APRIL
VERCH
- From Pembroke,
Ontario, Canada.
- Began step-dancing
at age three; fiddling at age six.
- As a high school
student, recorded two albums.
- Attended Boston's
Berklee School of Music.
- Won the Canadian
Grand Masters Fiddle Championship and Canadian Open Fiddle Championship.
- Worked with
Canadian country music star Tommy Hunter.
- 2001, released
first Rounder album "Verchuosity."
- 2003, released
"From Where I Stand" CD.
- 2006, released
"Take Me Back" CD, produced by Dirk Powell.
VERN
AND RAY
- From Stockton,
California. Originally from Arkansas.
- A duo featuring
Vern Williams (mandolin) and Ray Park (guitar). Ray also played fiddle.
- Met in Stockton
in 1959, formed a band called the Carroll County Country Boys. Recorded several
singles on the Starday label.
- Herb Pederson
(also of the Dillards, the Desert Rose Band, the Laurel Canyon Ramblers) played
banjo with Vern and Ray.
- Disbanded in
1974. Vern formed The Vern Williams Band with his son Delbert on guitar, Keith
Little on banjo.
- Ray Park worked
with numerous west coast bluegrass and country bands. Recorded a solo fiddle
album called “Fiddletown” in 1982. Died on May 15, 2002.
SCOTT
VESTAL
- From Duncan,
Oklahoma. Lives in Nashville, Tennessee.
- Started playing
banjo at age 13.
- At age 18,
landed his first pro job with Larry Sparks and the Lonesome Ramblers (one
year).
- Age 19, moved
to Texas and formed a band with brother Curtis and Russell Moore called Southern
Connection.
- 1985, joined
Doyle Lawson and Quicksilver.
- 1990, formed
a group called Livewire.
- 1994, with
David Parmley, formed Continental Divide.
- 1996, won IBMA
award for Banjo Player of the Year (co-winner with Sammy Shelor).
- 1998-2003,
worked with the John Cowan Band.
- Producer of
series of annual instrumental albums (The “Bluegrass” series),
which won the IBMA award for Recorded Event of the Year in 1996.
- First to popularize
the “stealth” banjo: a five-string banjo with a hidden fifth-string
tuning peg.
- 2003, joined
Rock County. Also performs with Longview and country singer Shawn Camp.
- 2004, joined
Larry Cordle and Lonesome Standard Time.
- 2006, joined
the Sam Bush Band.
THE
VILLAGE SINGERS
- From Fredericktown,
Missouri.
- Originally
called “The Gospel Tones.” Formed in 1972 by Harold and Kathy
Goad.
- 1985, changed
name to the Village Singers.
- Heavily influenced
by the style of the Chuck Wagon Gang.
- Harold (banjo
and guitar) formerly performed regularly at Silver Dollar City in Branson.
Wife Kathy plays mandolin. Their son Warren plays guitar and sings bass.
- Bass player
Shirley Vaughn, formerly with a group called Parker Mountain Bluegrass is
from Springdale, Arkansas.
RHONDA
VINCENT (See also THE SALLY MOUNTAIN SHOW)
- From Kirksville,
Missouri.
- Grew up performing
with her family band, The Sally Mountain Show.
- 1967, began
singing professionally at age five, on her family's weekly television show.
- Began playing
mandolin at age five. She can play all the bluegrass instruments.
- Won Missouri
state fiddle championship in 1977.
- Recorded eleven
albums with the Sally Mountain Show and six solo albums before the age of
30.
- 1985, began
performing with Grand Ole Opry Star Jim Ed Brown on the Grand Ole Opry.
- 1992, signed
wth Giant Records for two country projects.
- 1998, co-hosted
the IBMA awards show with Ricky Skaggs.
- 1998, formed
Rhonda Vincent and the Rage. The original Rage was spelled “Raje”
for the initials of the band members: Rhonda, Alan (Jones), Joey (Wieneman)
and Earl (actually Irl Hees). It was later changed to Rage because it was
often mis-pronounced.
- 1999, returned
to bluegrass with the release of her album “Back Home Again.”
- Rhonda and
her husband Herb own a restaurant in Kirksville, MO called “Bogie’s.”
- Nickname: “Mandolin
Mama”
- Is often called
upon to sing harmony with other artists on their recordings: Dolly Parton,
Faith Hill, Alan Jackson, Keith Urban, many others.
- 2000, 2001,
2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, won IBMA award for Female Vocalist of the Year.
- 2001, won IBMA
award for Entertainer of the Year.
- 2002, was inducted
into the George D. Hay Country Music Hall of Fame in Mammoth Spring, Arkansas.
THE
VIRGINIA RAMBLERS
- From Albermarle
County, Virginia.
- Formed in 2004.
- Members: Charles
Frazier (guitar, lead vocals), Donnie Shifflet (bass) and Jeff Vogelgesang
(mandolin), Zack Deming (banjo)
- Frazier, Shifflet
and Vogelgesang performed together for 13 years with banjo player Alvin Breeden
as The Virginia Cutups.
- Zack Deming
is a former member of King Wilkie.
- 2005, appeared
on Garrison Keillor's "A Prairie Home Companion."
THE VIRGINIA
SQUIRES
- From Virginia.
- Formed in 1983
by Rickie Simpkins (fiddle and mandolin), Ronnie Simpkins (bass), Mark Newton
(guitar and lead vocals), and Sammy Shelor (banjo.)
- 1984, voted
“Bluegrass Band of the Year” by the Country Music Association
of Virginia..
- They had previously
worked with another Virginia bluegrass band, The Heights of Grass. Lead singer
Mark Newton also previously worked with The Knoxville Grass.
- Broke up in
1989. Occasonally performs “reunions” when the members of the
band are together at festivals.
- Mark Newton
has his own band and promotes the annual Graves Mountain Bluegrass Festival
in Virginia.
THE
VW BOYS
- From Blountville,
Tennessee.
- Formed by Tim
White and Dave Vaught in 1997.
- A bluegrass
band that features magic and comedy “to provide a complete entertainment
experience.”
- Larry McPeak
(of the McPeak Brothers) is also a member of this trio.