Doyle Lawson

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Doyle Lawson (born April 20, 1944) is an American traditional bluegrass and gospel musician. He is best known as an accomplished mandolin player, vocalist, producer, and leader of the 6-man group Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver. Lawson was inducted into the International Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame in 2012.
==Early life==
Doyle Lawson was born in Fordtown, Sullivan County, Tennessee, the son of Leonard and Minnie Lawson. The Lawson family moved to Sneedville in 1954. Lawson grew up listening to the Grand Ole Opry on Saturday nights. This is where he heard mandolinist Bill Monroe, the "founding father" of bluegrass, and his band the Blue Grass Boys. 
Lawson became interested in playing the mandolin around the age of eleven so his father borrowed a mandolin from Willis Byrd, a family friend and fellow musician. Doyle taught himself how to play the mandolin by listening to the radio and records, and watching an occasional TV show. Later Lawson learned to play the guitar and banjo as well.
==Career==
===Early career===
In 1963, aged 18 or 19, Lawson went to Nashville to play the banjo with Jimmy Martin and the Sunny Mountain Boys. 
In 1966, he started playing with J.D. Crowe and the Kentucky Mountain Boys (later called the New South) in Lexington, Kentucky. He returned to play the mandolin and sing tenor with Martin in 1969 for six months, and then played again with Crowe until August 1971.
In September, 1971, Lawson started playing with The Country Gentlemen and remained part of the band for almost eight years. During that time, in 1977, he backed up U.S. Senator Robert Byrd on his Mountain Fiddler album. In March 1979 when Lawson left the Country Gentlemen with the intention of forming a band and creating his own sound.
===Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver===
Within a month Lawson had formed Doyle Lawson and Foxfire, with Jimmy Haley on guitar, Lou Reid on bass, and Terry Baucom on banjo. The band name was soon changed to Doyle Lawson and Quicksilver."No one since the late great Bill Monroe melds bluegrass with gospel music quite like the former Country Gentlemen member Doyle Lawson…" Memphis Commercial Appeal (what date?). In 1981, through Sugar Hill Records, Lawson with this lineup released the critically acclaimed Rock My Soul, an album that would become a landmark bluegrass gospel project. With a new bassist, Randy Graham, the band recorded a second gospel album, Heavenly Treasures, also on Sugar Hill.
Shortly thereafter, Graham, Baucom and Haley left to form their own band. Lawson hired guitarist Russell Moore, banjoist Scott Vestal and bassist Curtis Vestal, and continued to perform. After a time Ray Deaton took over on bass.
In 1989 the band won song of the year at the International Bluegrass Music Awards for "Little Mountain Church House". In 1997, "There's a Light Guiding Me" was a 39th Annual Grammy Award nominee for Best Southern Gospel, Country Gospel or Bluegrass Gospel Album. Through the years, Quicksilver toured regularly, performing at festivals concerts and other musical events. 
In 1998, Lawson and Quicksilver became the first bluegrass band to perform at the National Quartet Convention. Lawson and Quicksilver performed in Ontario, Canada at the Tottenham Bluegrass Festival in June 2001Strings, newsletter of the Pineridge Bluegrass Folklore Society, May/June 2001 and again in June 2015. Lawson and Quicksilver provided the background vocals to the song "Dazzling Blue" on Paul Simon's 2011 album "So Beautiful or So What". In 2015, "In Session" was nominated for Best Bluegrass Album at the 58th Annual Grammy Awards.
Lawson composed a number of the band's songs and tunes. His instrumental piece, "Rosine," is a tribute to Monroe's birthplace and features, among other things, strains from the singer's 1967 instrumental "Kentucky Mandolin".Profile , ibmaawards.org; accessed October 30, 2015. Lawson hosts the annual Doyle Lawson and Quicksilver Festival in Denton, North Carolina.
==Personal life==
Doyle has been married to Suzanne Lawson since 1978. He has one son, two daughters and a grandchild. Doyle rededicated his life to Christianity in May 1985 and is a practicing member of Cold Spring Presbyterian Church.
==Band members==
Original
*Doyle Lawson – mandolin, vocal
*Jimmy Haley – guitar, vocal 
*Lou Reid – bass, fiddle, vocal 
*Terry Baucom – banjo, fiddle, vocal
Current
*Doyle Lawson – mandolin, vocal
*Josh Swift – dobro, vocal
*Joe Dean – banjo
*Dustin Pyrtle – guitar, vocal
*Eli Johnston – bass, vocal
*Stephen Burwell – fiddle
Other past members
*Randy Graham-bass, vocal (1982-1985)
*Russell Moore-guitar, vocal (1985-1991)
*Scott Vestal-banjo, vocal (1985-1988)
*Curtis Vestal-bass, vocal (1985-1986)
*Ray Deaton-bass, vocal (1986-1991)
*Jim Mills-banjo, vocal (1988-1992)
*Mike Hartgrove-fiddle (1989-1991, 2005-2007)
*John Bowman-guitar, vocal (1991-1993)
*Shelton Feazell-bass, vocal (1991-1993)
*Shawn Lane-fiddle, guitar, vocal (1992-1994)
*Brad Campbell-banjo, vocal (1993-1994)
*Jimmy Stewart-dobro, fiddle (1993-1994)
*Johnny Berry-bass, vocal (1993-1994)
*Barry Abernathy-banjo, vocal (1994-1998)
*Dale Perry-bass, banjo, vocal (1994-2003, 2010-2011)
*Steve Gulley-guitar, vocal (1994-1996)
*Owen Saunders-fiddle (1994-1997)
*Barry Scott-guitar, bass, vocal (1996-2005)
*Jim VanCleve-fiddle (1997-1998)
*Doug Bartlett-fiddle, vocal (1998-2000)
*Jamie Dailey-bass, guitar, vocal (1998-2007)
*Hunter Berry-fiddle (2001-2002)
*Jesse Stockman-fiddle (2002-2005)
*Jess Barry-fiddle (2003-2004)
*Darren Beachley-bass, guitar, vocal (2006-2009)
*Alan Johnson-fiddle, vocal (2007-2008)
*Joey Cox-banjo (2007-2009)
*Carl White-bass, drums, vocal (2007-2009, 2011-2012)
*Brandon Godman-fiddle (2008-2009)
*Jason Barie-fiddle (2009-2014)
*Corey Hensley-guitar, bass, vocal (2009-2013)
*Jason Leek-bass, vocal (2010)
*Mike Rogers-guitar, vocal (2010-2013)
*Jessie Baker-banjo (2011-2012)
==Discography==
===Studio albums===
Year	Album 	US Bluegrass	Label
1977	Tennessee Dream 	 	County
1979	Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver 	 	Sugar Hill
1981	Heavenly Treasures 	 	Sugar Hill
1981	Quicksilver Rides Again 	 	Sugar Hill
1981	Rock My Soul 	 	Sugar Hill
1985	Once and for Always 	 	Sugar Hill
1986	Beyond the Shadows 	 	Sugar Hill
1987	The News Is Out 	 	Sugar Hill
1988	Heaven's Joy Awaits 	 	Sugar Hill
1988	Hymn Time in the Country 	 	Sugar Hill
1988	I'll Wander Back Someday 	 	Sugar Hill
1989	I Heard the Angels Singing 	 	Sugar Hill
1990	My Heart Is Yours 	 	Sugar Hill
1991	Merry Christmas from Our House to Your House 	 	Sugar Hill
1992	Pressing on Regardless 	 	Brentwood
1992	Treasures Money Can't Buy 	 	Brentwood
1995	Doyle Lawson with Bobby Hicks & Jerry Douglas 	 	Koch
1995	Never Walk Away 	 	Sugar Hill
1996	There's a Light Guiding Me 	 	Sugar Hill
1997	Kept & Protected 	 	Sugar Hill
1998	Gospel Radio Gems 	 	Sugar Hill
1999	Original Band 	 	Sugar Hill
1999	Winding Through Life 	 	Sugar Hill
2000	Just Over in Heaven 	 	Sugar Hill
2001	Gospel Parade 	 	Sugar Hill
2002	The Hard Game of Love 	 	Sugar Hill
1994	Hallelujah in My Heart 	 	Music Mill
1994	Thank God 	 	Crossroads
2005	You Gotta Dig a Little Deeper 	4 	Rounder
2006	He Lives in Me 	4 	Crossroads
2007	More Behind the Picture Than the Wall 	2 	Rounder
2008	Help Is On the Way 	4 	Horizon
2009	Lonely Street 	 	Rounder
2010	Light On My Feet, Ready to Fly 	11 	Horizon
2011	Drive Time 	15 	Crossroads
2012	Sing Me a Song About Jesus 	9 	Crossroads
2013	Roads Well Traveled 	14 	Mountain Home
2014	Open Carefully, Message Inside"Open Carefully. Message Inside. from Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver". Cybergrass Bluegrass Music News Network, 07/09/2014	10 	Mountain Home
2015	In Session"Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver In Session". Pop Matters, Jonathan Frahm 20 February 2015. 	8 	Mountain Home
2016	Burden Bearer 	4 	Mountain Home
===Compilation albums===
Year	Album 	US Bluegrass	Label
1990	The Gospel Collection 1 	 	Sugar Hill
1999	A School of Bluegrass 	9 	Crossroads
1999	Once and for Always/The News Is Out	 	Sugar Hill
2007	Best of the Sugar Hill Years 	 	Sugar Hill
==Awards==
===International Bluegrass Music Association===
* 1990 Song of the Year: Doyle Lawson and Quicksilver for "Little Mountain Church"
* 1996 Gospel Recorded Performance of the Year: Doyle Lawson and Quicksilver for "There's a Light Guiding Me"
* 2000 Gospel Recorded Performance of the Year: Doyle Lawson and Quicksilver for "Winding Through Life"
* 2001 Vocal Group of the Year: Doyle Lawson and Quicksilver
* 2002 Vocal Group of the Year: Doyle Lawson and Quicksilver
* 2003 Vocal Group of the Year: Doyle Lawson and Quicksilver
* 2003 Song of the Year: Doyle Lawson and Quicksilver for "Blue Train"
* 2003 Gospel Recorded Performance of the Year: Doyle Lawson and Quicksilver for "Hand Made Cross"
* 2004 Vocal Group of the Year: Doyle Lawson and Quicksilver
* 2005 Vocal Group of the Year: Doyle Lawson and Quicksilver
* 2005 Gospel Recorded Performance of the Year: Doyle Lawson and Quicksilver for "Praise His Name"
* 2006 Vocal Group of the Year: Doyle Lawson and Quicksilver
* 2006 Album of the Year: Celebration of Life: Musicians Against Childhood Cancer, featuring various bluegrass bands and musicians
* 2006 Gospel Recorded Performance of the Year: Doyle Lawson and Quicksilver for "He Lives in Me"
* 2007 Vocal Group of the Year: Doyle Lawson and Quicksilver
* 2007 Gospel Recorded Performance of the Year: Doyle Lawson and Quicksilver for "He Lives in Me"
* 2011 Recorded Event of the Year: Doyle Lawson, J. D. Crowe, Paul Williams for "Prayer Bells of Heaven"
* 2011 Gospel Recorded Performance of the Year: Doyle Lawson, J. D. Crowe, Paul Williams for "Prayer Bells of Heaven"
* 2012 Hall of Fame: Doyle Lawson Profile, ibma.org; accessed August 16, 2016.
==References==
==External links==
* 
Category:1944 births
Category:Living people
Category:People from Sullivan County, Tennessee
Category:People from Hancock County, Tennessee
Category:American bluegrass mandolinists
Category:Singers from Tennessee
Category:American male singers
Category:The Country Gentlemen members