Biography
The Lonesome River Band has weathered repeated roster shifts while rising to prominence as one of bluegrass’s most esteemed acts. Though steeped in the classic approach of Flatt & Scruggs and Bill Monroe, the group forges its own benchmarks through meticulously balanced vocal harmonies, instrumental command, and purposeful song architecture. Named SPBGMA Vocal Group of 1997, the ensemble continues to merge these elements into a signature sound.
Banjoist-turned-lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Tim Austin assembled the original lineup, which also featured Steve Thomas on mandolin and fiddle, Rick Williams on banjo, and Jerry McMillan on bass. After building a regional following across Virginia, the band issued its debut, I Guess Heartaches Are in Style This Year, on the local Shar-Lynn imprint in 1985; Rebel then released the self-titled national debut the following year.
From the early 1990s onward, the arrival of lead vocalist and bassist Ronnie Bowman and banjo specialist Sammy Shelor propelled steady evolution. North Carolina native Bowman sang gospel in a family group from age three through his late teens and moves fluidly between traditional bluegrass numbers and contemporary singer-songwriter material. Shelor, who received his first five-string banjo at age five from his grandfathers, absorbed initial technique from old-time clawhammer player Carp Ayers yet also absorbed the styles of Earl Scruggs, J.D. Crowe, Ben Eldridge, Allen Shelton, Pete Wernick, and Béla Fleck; after performing with local bands, he co-founded the Virginia Squires in 1983 and remained until 1989, when he joined the Lonesome River Band.
The refreshed lineup reached a commercial peak with Carrying the Tradition, which debuted atop the Bluegrass Unlimited sales chart and held the position for five months until Old Country Town displaced it and remained number one for six months.
In the wake of that success, founding member Tim Austin departed to concentrate on his Doobie Shea studio, though he continued contributing to subsequent recordings. Kenny Smith, formerly of Claire Lynch’s Front Porch String Band, took the guitar chair, while Don Rigsby—veteran of J.D. Crowe & the New South, the Bluegrass Cardinals, and sessions with Vern Gosdin—joined on tenor vocals and mandolin. The reconstituted group’s first album, One Step Forward, appeared in 1996.
Each current member has also released notable solo work. Bowman, named IBMA Vocalist of the Year in 1995, scored the strongest results with Cold Virginia Night, which earned the IBMA Best Album of the Year award in 1997 and was followed by The Man I’m Tryin to Be in 1998. Shelor, IBMA Banjo Player of the Year in 1995 and 1998, released Leading Roll in 1997 with guest spots from Tony Rice, Sam Bush, Jerry Douglas, and Alan O’Bryant of the Nashville Bluegrass Band. Rigsby’s debut A Vision reflected his spiritual convictions and included a duet with Ralph Stanley, while Smith’s 1997 album Studebaker showcased his songwriting with instrumental and vocal support from his bandmates.
The Lonesome River Band appeared on several tracks of John Fogerty’s 1997 release Blue Moon Swamp. Finding the Way arrived the next year, Talkin’ to Myself followed in mid-2000, Window of Time appeared in 2002, and Head on into Heartache came out in 2005. In 2006 the group added Knoxville, Tennessee Dobro player Matt Leadbetter, son of Phil Leadbetter, who performed on that year’s Road with No End.
Rural Rhythm signed the band in 2008 for No Turning Back. Four additional Rural Rhythm projects followed over the next four years, including the three-part anthology Chronology, before the group returned to Mountain Home in 2014 with Turn on a Dime. Coming Back Home to You appeared in 2015, Bridging the Tradition in 2016, and Mayhayley’s House in 2017.
Banjoist-turned-lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Tim Austin assembled the original lineup, which also featured Steve Thomas on mandolin and fiddle, Rick Williams on banjo, and Jerry McMillan on bass. After building a regional following across Virginia, the band issued its debut, I Guess Heartaches Are in Style This Year, on the local Shar-Lynn imprint in 1985; Rebel then released the self-titled national debut the following year.
From the early 1990s onward, the arrival of lead vocalist and bassist Ronnie Bowman and banjo specialist Sammy Shelor propelled steady evolution. North Carolina native Bowman sang gospel in a family group from age three through his late teens and moves fluidly between traditional bluegrass numbers and contemporary singer-songwriter material. Shelor, who received his first five-string banjo at age five from his grandfathers, absorbed initial technique from old-time clawhammer player Carp Ayers yet also absorbed the styles of Earl Scruggs, J.D. Crowe, Ben Eldridge, Allen Shelton, Pete Wernick, and Béla Fleck; after performing with local bands, he co-founded the Virginia Squires in 1983 and remained until 1989, when he joined the Lonesome River Band.
The refreshed lineup reached a commercial peak with Carrying the Tradition, which debuted atop the Bluegrass Unlimited sales chart and held the position for five months until Old Country Town displaced it and remained number one for six months.
In the wake of that success, founding member Tim Austin departed to concentrate on his Doobie Shea studio, though he continued contributing to subsequent recordings. Kenny Smith, formerly of Claire Lynch’s Front Porch String Band, took the guitar chair, while Don Rigsby—veteran of J.D. Crowe & the New South, the Bluegrass Cardinals, and sessions with Vern Gosdin—joined on tenor vocals and mandolin. The reconstituted group’s first album, One Step Forward, appeared in 1996.
Each current member has also released notable solo work. Bowman, named IBMA Vocalist of the Year in 1995, scored the strongest results with Cold Virginia Night, which earned the IBMA Best Album of the Year award in 1997 and was followed by The Man I’m Tryin to Be in 1998. Shelor, IBMA Banjo Player of the Year in 1995 and 1998, released Leading Roll in 1997 with guest spots from Tony Rice, Sam Bush, Jerry Douglas, and Alan O’Bryant of the Nashville Bluegrass Band. Rigsby’s debut A Vision reflected his spiritual convictions and included a duet with Ralph Stanley, while Smith’s 1997 album Studebaker showcased his songwriting with instrumental and vocal support from his bandmates.
The Lonesome River Band appeared on several tracks of John Fogerty’s 1997 release Blue Moon Swamp. Finding the Way arrived the next year, Talkin’ to Myself followed in mid-2000, Window of Time appeared in 2002, and Head on into Heartache came out in 2005. In 2006 the group added Knoxville, Tennessee Dobro player Matt Leadbetter, son of Phil Leadbetter, who performed on that year’s Road with No End.
Rural Rhythm signed the band in 2008 for No Turning Back. Four additional Rural Rhythm projects followed over the next four years, including the three-part anthology Chronology, before the group returned to Mountain Home in 2014 with Turn on a Dime. Coming Back Home to You appeared in 2015, Bridging the Tradition in 2016, and Mayhayley’s House in 2017.
Albums
