The Chapmans

The Chapman family stands apart from typical bluegrass ensembles such as the Renos and the McCourys, possessing no prior lineage of experienced musicians or inherited talent passed down through generations. As the first in their line to pursue music professionally, the group never operated in isolation. Long before developing friendships with performers or assembling their own unit, father Bill, mother Patti, and sons Jason, Jeremy, and John Chapman admired the Denver-based bluegrass acts Hot Rize and Front Range. Steady attendance at area bluegrass performances allowed the family to cultivate close ties even without a professional heritage. When they decided to launch their career, Front Range member Bob Amos offered support, including hosting the recording of their debut project at his home studio.

Those sessions proved so rewarding that Bill Chapman built a studio at the family residence, giving the three sons practical experience in the field. Earlier in life the family patriarch had played piano and organ before switching to banjo. John Chapman, who became the group’s focal point through guitar work and lead vocals, began on fiddle in his youth. Patti Chapman started on bass once son Jeremy developed an interest in mandolin. When she later stepped away from performing, Jason took over the bass despite having only recently picked up the instrument. As a teenager in Colorado, John Chapman captured a junior division fiddling title in his home state.

At the start of the 1990s the family played local fairs and smaller venues while issuing several independent recordings. In 1998 they relocated to Missouri and won the International Bluegrass Band Championship presented by the Society for the Preservation of Bluegrass Music in America (SPBGMA). That same year brought the release of their debut album, Love’s Gonna Live Here, along with a recording contract from Pinecastle Records. The label issued Notes From Home the following year; the project earned enthusiastic reviews and an Album of the Year nomination from SPBGMA. The organization also nominated the Chapmans for Vocal Group of the Year, and in 2002 John Chapman received the Guitar Player of the Year honor.

Throughout 2000 the band performed at major festivals, including the International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA) Fan Fest in Louisville, Kentucky, Indiana’s Bean Blossom, Kentucky’s Poppy Mountain, and multiple shows at Tennessee’s Dollywood. Pinecastle released Follow Me in 2001, the same period in which the Chapmans toured southern festivals and earned an IBMA Emerging Artist of the Year nomination.