James King
James King, known as the “Bluegrass Storyteller,” grew up in Carroll County, VA, an area rich in bluegrass and old time. His first bluegrass inspiration arose in some gospel tunes sung by the Stanley Brothers. King was quite taken with Carter’s voice and soon learned that he could match Carter’s vocals. During his early musical years, he played in a band with T.J. and Bobby Lundy, sons of his mentor Ted Lundy. In the ‘80s he recorded with Ralph Stanley, and in the ‘90s Dudley Connell of the Johnson Mountain Boys helped connect King to Rounder Records. The resulting all-star bluegrass line-up, the James King Band, was named IBMA’s 1997 Emerging Artist of the Year. Since then, James King has enjoyed many years of touring and recording success. His latest record Three Chords and the Truth—country tunes turned bluegrass—was nominated for a 2014 Grammy for best bluegrass album.