Rhonda Vincent

Bluegrass luminary Rhonda Vincent possesses a commanding voice along with exceptional skills on multiple instruments, foremost among them the mandolin, while also excelling on fiddle, guitar, and banjo. Her recordings uphold longstanding bluegrass conventions yet incorporate the melodic and lyrical sensibilities of modern country, supported by her ensemble the Rage, whose instrumental prowess and vocal harmonies match her own instrumental and singing talents. Early highlights include the accomplished 1991 release Timeless and True Love, the 1996 effort Trouble Free from her short-lived foray into mainstream country, the assured and agile 2003 bluegrass return One Step Ahead, and the 2021 collection Music Is What I See, which blends classic and recent bluegrass material.

Vincent launched her professional path at five, drumming alongside her family’s Sally Mountain Show. By eight she had taken up the mandolin and added the fiddle at ten, joining weekend festival performances with the group. In her mid-twenties she appeared on TNN’s nationally televised You Can Be a Star, after which she pursued an independent career, first singing with Grand Ole Opry member Jim Ed Brown and securing a contract with Rebel Records. Those collaborations and Rebel sides drew the notice of Giant Nashville president James Stroud, who signed her for two contemporary country albums. Following her Giant tenure she joined Rounder Records and revisited the traditional sounds of her upbringing on Back Home Again.

A December 1999 car accident disrupted plans for Nashville auditions, prompting her to assemble a band online that performed under the unusual name the Rage. Rhonda Vincent & the Rage built a following through regular appearances at bluegrass festivals with their hard-driving, high-energy contemporary style. The 2001 album The Storm Still Rages earned seven International Bluegrass Music Association nominations, among them Female Vocalist of the Year, while fiddler Michael Cleveland and banjoist Tom Adams received nods in their instrumental categories. Three consecutive IBMA Female Vocalist of the Year wins preceded the 2003 release of One Step Ahead, another tour, and widespread critical acclaim.

Captured before a hometown St. Louis audience, Ragin’ Live appeared in 2005, followed by All American Bluegrass Girl in 2006, Good Thing Going in 2008, and Destination Life in 2009. After departing longtime label Rounder Records, Vincent issued Taken in 2010 and the 2011 duets project Your Money and My Good Looks with Gene Watson. The 2012 gospel album and DVD Sunday Mornin’ Singin’: Live! was recorded at the century-old Greentop United Methodist Church in Greentop, Missouri, where Vincent first sang as a child. Early in 2014 she returned with Only Me, a double-disc set that highlighted both her bluegrass and country foundations.

In 2015 she delivered her second holiday collection, Christmas Time, containing four new originals and a version of “The Twelve Days of Christmas” featuring Dolly Parton, Willie Nelson, the Oak Ridge Boys, and additional guests. Vincent released the concert album and video All the Rage in 2017, drawn from fourteen performances captured during a 2015 Rhonda Vincent & the Rage show at Tennessee’s Bethel Performing Arts Center. She partnered with country artist Daryle Singletary on the 2017 duets album American Grandstand, interpreting country standards alongside compatible new songs. Returning solo, she offered 2021’s Grammy-nominated Music Is What I See, presenting her interpretations of bluegrass numbers from earlier and recent eras.