Biography of The Lonesome River Band

Featuring some of the major bluegrass talents of the '90s, the members of the Lonesome River Band have recorded solo albums and won many instrumentalist awards but each have made their best music as a unit. Vocalist Ronnie Bowman, banjo player Sammy Shelor, guitarist Kenny Smith and mandolin player Don Rigsby form the main lineup but they often receive help from players Aubrey Haymie and Randy Howard on fiddle, and Jerry Douglas on dobro guitar. The Lonesome River Band released two albums on Rebel Records during the early '90s, and signed to Sugar Hill in 1994 for Old Country Town. After the album's release and several months of touring, Bowman recorded Cold Virginia Night (for which he won 1995 Album of the Year at the IBMA Awards); Rigsby as well has recorded on his own, including A Tribute to Hank Williams and Music. Even Shelor -- honored as Banjo Player of the Year at the same IBMA Awards ceremony -- got into the act by releasing ACUTAB Transcriptions, Vol. 1. The group's second album for Sugar Hill, One Step Forward, appeared in 1996, followed in 1997 by Saturday Night...Sunday. ~ John Bush