With family roots traced to Bill
Monroe's home place of Ohio County, Kentucky, Tommy Brown cut his
teeth, so to speak, on classic traditional bluegrass. A third generation
musician, Tommy began pickin' the five-string banjo at age six. His
musical abilities were recognized when he garnered both the Kentucky
State and the Tennessee State Banjo Championships. In addition to
banjo, Tommy is a masterful guitar and mandolin player. His powerful
pickin' style and soulful vocals embrace his passion for the mountain-style
bluegrass music he performs today. Tommy
also showcases his song-writing talents on the groups latest CD, Fallen
Leaves .
Since 2002 Tommy has had the
rare opportunity to present a fourth generation of musicians to
audiences around the country. Seventeen-year-old son, Jereme Brown,
handles lead guitar and baritone vocals. He
is also an accomplished banjo picker and wows audiences with his
hard-driving, spirited banjo. Jereme also showcases his
exceptional song-writing abilities on his instrumental CD entitled, Passing
on the Tradition . Jereme penned two songs for this project,
his self-titled Jereme's Breakdown and a tune called Garnett's
Ride , a tribute to his late Papaw. Sixteen-year-old daughter,
Rachel Brown, handles acoustic bass responsibilities. Even
at a young age and with an instrument twice her size, she skillfully
provides the solid, dependable rhythm. Many accolades have
come her way from some of the best musicians in the industry. Continuing
the family tradition, Tommy's wife, Laura Brown, provides tenor
vocals for the group. As a 20-year veteran clogger, she
occasionally sneaks in a jig dance or two!
Providing a unique dimension
to this group, eightteen-year-old Josh "Jug" Rinkel
provides back-up banjo work, lead and bass vocals. Josh
began his bluegrass career as a "roadie" for the County Line Grass
but quickly learned to pick the banjo. Performing now as
a regular band member, Josh has become a fan favorite! He
even joins Laura in a few jig dances. The group's
newest member is Fiddlin' Wayne Fyffe. Wayne provides exceptional
fiddle work even though he has only played fiddle for a few short
years. His
spirited fiddle tunes make you want to get up and dance. His exceptional
back-up work provides the perfect complement to the group's moving
ballads.
Tommy Brown and the
County Line Grass are pleasing audiences around the nation. They have
appeared on DIRECTV's RFD Cumberland
Highlander Show, 2002 IBMA Fan Fest, Jerusalem Ridge Bluegrass Celebration,
Silver Dollar City, Bill Monroe's Bean Blossom Bluegrass Festival and
the Sally Mountain Bluegrass Festival as well as countless festivals
and concert venues throughout the country.
This is one group that holds true to their beloved traditional, mountain-style
bluegrass. So grab a seat, sit back, relax and enjoy this entertaining,
family-oriented group!