Biography
Emerging without warning from Crossville, Tennessee, Carrie Hassler & Hard Rain exploded onto the bluegrass landscape in 2006 once their self-titled debut appeared on Rural Rhythm and immediately climbed to number 11 on the Billboard Top Bluegrass Album Charts, where it continued charting for the next two years. The release gathered enough airplay to hold a nine-month stay on the Bluegrass Unlimited National Bluegrass Survey Top 15 Album Chart, while its opening single, “Seven Miles from Wichita,” ascended to number one on Sirius Radio’s Bluegrass Top 40 and remained on the Bluegrass Unlimited Top 30 Chart for ten months before crossing into country radio. The gospel-tinged cut “Least That I Can Do” then logged a full year on Bluegrass Now Magazine’s Gospel Truths Chart—an impressive run for a project first assembled simply as gifts for relatives and friends.
At the time, Hassler balanced life as a stay-at-home mother to her husband and young son; although she loved to sing and perform, landing a record contract ranked far down her list of priorities. Born in Chattanooga and raised in the modest community of Pikeville, Tennessee, she grew up surrounded by music: her mother taught piano, every relative sang or played instruments, and her father ran sound for a local gospel act, immersing her early on in multiple strains of gospel repertoire. A reserved child, she surprised relatives at age nine when her powerful, clear voice emerged in the church choir. Singing remained her sole ambition, yet schooling and, later, family responsibilities overshadowed any thoughts of a stage career.
Before long she joined several bands to cover country hits, building a quiet regional following at weddings, fairs, and private gatherings. During junior high she studied voice briefly with gospel singer John Blassingame at Chattanooga State College, but after his death she never resumed formal lessons and instead trusted her natural musical instincts. In 2004 she appeared in a revue honoring Patsy Cline; a bluegrass band shared the bill, and when she joined them for one number both the musicians and Hassler recognized the striking force of her delivery. Although Pikeville hosted three bluegrass festivals annually and she had long enjoyed the music alongside gospel, she had never pictured herself fronting such a group. The enthusiastic response prompted her to begin performing locally with an informal circle of mostly veteran pickers. Encouraged by friends and family, she warmed to the notion of recording an album and soon met fiddler Jim VanCleve of Mountain Heart, who agreed to produce a CD for her and the still-unnamed ensemble.
Tracking unfolded piecemeal, some songs cut with her regular associates and others with players VanCleve recruited. Five of those newcomers—Kevin McKinnon on mandolin, Keith McKinnon on guitar, Travis Anderson on bass, Josh Miller on banjo, and Dennis Harper on Dobro—quickly became her steady touring band. The title of one of the strongest tracks, “Hard Rain,” supplied the group’s name. Shortly after the album wrapped, fiddler Jamie Harper replaced Dennis Harper, who departed to join Doyle Lawson’s band.
Rural Rhythm had already expressed interest before sessions concluded, and the unexpected commercial breakthrough stunned everyone involved. Carrie Hassler & Hard Rain hit the road for more than 150 shows, with Hassler’s husband and son traveling alongside her as she embraced this new chapter. Her expressive alto, which stood comparison with any contemporary country singer, combined with the band’s fiery playing to place CHHR among the premier live bluegrass acts.
In 2008 the group returned with Carrie Hassler & Hard Rain 2, again produced by VanCleve; the set debuted at number five on Billboard’s Top 50 Bluegrass Chart. Critics likened Hassler’s voice to those of Sheri Easter, Etta James, Patsy Cline, Dale Ann Bradley, and Alison Krauss, yet she cultivated her own brand of down-home soul. Every song had been road-tested, and many originated with banjo virtuoso Josh Miller, whose writing deftly merges traditional bluegrass and modern country sensibilities without any intention of obvious crossover moves. By early 2009 CHHR were already composing fresh material and mapping out a third album.
At the time, Hassler balanced life as a stay-at-home mother to her husband and young son; although she loved to sing and perform, landing a record contract ranked far down her list of priorities. Born in Chattanooga and raised in the modest community of Pikeville, Tennessee, she grew up surrounded by music: her mother taught piano, every relative sang or played instruments, and her father ran sound for a local gospel act, immersing her early on in multiple strains of gospel repertoire. A reserved child, she surprised relatives at age nine when her powerful, clear voice emerged in the church choir. Singing remained her sole ambition, yet schooling and, later, family responsibilities overshadowed any thoughts of a stage career.
Before long she joined several bands to cover country hits, building a quiet regional following at weddings, fairs, and private gatherings. During junior high she studied voice briefly with gospel singer John Blassingame at Chattanooga State College, but after his death she never resumed formal lessons and instead trusted her natural musical instincts. In 2004 she appeared in a revue honoring Patsy Cline; a bluegrass band shared the bill, and when she joined them for one number both the musicians and Hassler recognized the striking force of her delivery. Although Pikeville hosted three bluegrass festivals annually and she had long enjoyed the music alongside gospel, she had never pictured herself fronting such a group. The enthusiastic response prompted her to begin performing locally with an informal circle of mostly veteran pickers. Encouraged by friends and family, she warmed to the notion of recording an album and soon met fiddler Jim VanCleve of Mountain Heart, who agreed to produce a CD for her and the still-unnamed ensemble.
Tracking unfolded piecemeal, some songs cut with her regular associates and others with players VanCleve recruited. Five of those newcomers—Kevin McKinnon on mandolin, Keith McKinnon on guitar, Travis Anderson on bass, Josh Miller on banjo, and Dennis Harper on Dobro—quickly became her steady touring band. The title of one of the strongest tracks, “Hard Rain,” supplied the group’s name. Shortly after the album wrapped, fiddler Jamie Harper replaced Dennis Harper, who departed to join Doyle Lawson’s band.
Rural Rhythm had already expressed interest before sessions concluded, and the unexpected commercial breakthrough stunned everyone involved. Carrie Hassler & Hard Rain hit the road for more than 150 shows, with Hassler’s husband and son traveling alongside her as she embraced this new chapter. Her expressive alto, which stood comparison with any contemporary country singer, combined with the band’s fiery playing to place CHHR among the premier live bluegrass acts.
In 2008 the group returned with Carrie Hassler & Hard Rain 2, again produced by VanCleve; the set debuted at number five on Billboard’s Top 50 Bluegrass Chart. Critics likened Hassler’s voice to those of Sheri Easter, Etta James, Patsy Cline, Dale Ann Bradley, and Alison Krauss, yet she cultivated her own brand of down-home soul. Every song had been road-tested, and many originated with banjo virtuoso Josh Miller, whose writing deftly merges traditional bluegrass and modern country sensibilities without any intention of obvious crossover moves. By early 2009 CHHR were already composing fresh material and mapping out a third album.
Albums
