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The Band
Michael Cleveland, vocals, fiddle
Blake Bowen, vocals, bass
Glenn Gibson, vocals, banjo
Ashby Frank, vocals, mandolin
Charlie Lawson, vocals, guitar
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Considered one of the premier bluegrass fiddlers of his generation, Mike picked up a fiddle at age four, and his talent was recognized early. In 1993 he was chosen to be part of the Bluegrass Youth All Stars at the IBMA's award show. Later that year Mike made his Grand Ole Opry debut as a guest of Alison Krauss. His list of guest apperances over the years is a who's who of bluegrass legends including Bill Monroe, Jim and Jesse, Ralph Stanley, Mac Wiseman, Doc Watson, Larry Sparks, Doyle Lawson, and J.D. Crowe. After high school Mike briefly toured with then-named Dale Ann Bradley and Coon Creek before joining Rhonda Vincent and The Rage in 2000. At the 2001 IBMA awards, Mike took his first Fiddle Player of the Year award, and shared the title of Entertainer of the Year with Rhonda Vincent and the Rage. In 2002 Mike rejoined The Dale Ann Bradley Band. That year he won the Fiddle Player of the Year award and again in 2004. Mike's first project as a Rounder recording artist, "Flame Keeper," was released in February 2002 and was chosen the IBMA's Instrumental Album of the Year. In 2004, Mike shared the Instrumental Album of the Year award with Tom Adams for "Tom Adams and Michael Cleveland Live at the Ragged Edge," an album of fiddle and banjo duets. In September 2006 Mike took home his fourth Fiddle Player of the Year Award from the IBMA, and his second solo album on Rounder Records, "Let 'Er Go, Boys!," won Instrumental Album of the Year. A year later, in 2007, Mike won his fifth fiddle player award and has won it every year since for a total of nine. Today Mike is a sought-after guest and has performed with Vince Gill, Marty Stuart, The Mark Newton Band, J.D. Crowe and the New South, Audie Blaylock and Redline, Melvin Goins and Windy Mountain and The Wildwood Valley Boys. He is also an active studio musician, and his credits include the 2005 GRAMMY-nominated "A Tribute to Jimmy Martin: The King of Bluegrass" and a 2003 GRAMMY winner, Jimmy Sturr's "Let's Polka 'Round." Mike lives in Charlestown, Indiana.
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Born into a musical family, Blake Bowen was introduced to bluegrass at a very early age by his father, bluegrass veteran Jimmy Bowen. Blake began playing bass at age seven and joined his father's band just a few years later, touring the bluegrass festival circuit extensively. When his father took a hiatus from the road, Blake continued to play, working with successful groups such as Grand Ole Opry member Jesse McReynolds, Michelle Nixon, and, most recently, as full-time bassist for Randy Waller & the Country Gentlemen. Citing influences such as Barry Bales, Tim Dishman and Trey Nugent, Blake is drawn to both contemporary and traditional bluegrass music, making him a well-versed player in his own right.
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An accomplished singer, songwriter, resophonic guitarist and banjo player, Glenn Gibson has been a sideman in bluegrass bands for more than two decades. A native of the Louisville, Kentucky, area, Glenn first honed his skills on the Dobro and banjo as a member of local groups during the early 1980s. Retiring from music for more than a decade while he lived in Louisiana and Texas, Glenn returned to Louisville in 1999 and resumed picking two years later. Glenn proudly debuted his first solo studio project, "When Times Are Hard," in November 2010. This album features his talents as singer, songwriter and resophonic guitarist, with special guests Michael Cleveland and former Flamekeeper Jesse Brock. Before joining Flamekeeper in August 2011, Glenn performed with a host of award-winning artists including Dale Ann Bradley, Karl Shiflett, Marty Raybon and Charlie Sizemore.
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Ashby Frank grew up in central North Carolina in the small town of Tyro. By the age of 16 he had already won multiple mandolin contests in the region, including the prestigious championships at Merlefest and Galax. Since the release of his first recording project in 2000, First Crossing, Ashby has toured North America and Europe extensively with artists such as Special Consensus, Marty Raybon, Ronnie Bowman, Alecia Nugent, Jeanette Williams, Melonie Cannon, The Crowe Brothers, and Mashville Brigade. Now making his home in Nashville, Ashby is also an accomplished #1 hit bluegrass songwriter, session musician, and vocalist..
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A native of Indiana, Charlie Lawson grew up listening to bluegrass and old country music. Oddly, though, it was his love for honky tonk piano that eventually led him to playing bluegrass when his piano teacher offered to teach him mandolin if he would join his band. Charlie picked up the mandolin quickly and soon added banjo, guitar and fiddle to his list of accomplishments. In 1994, he formed a band with the help of his mother and a good friend, Vic Rigsby. When Rigsby was no longer able to travel due to illness, Charlie renamed the band Charlie Lawson and Oak Hill, with the encouragement of his dear friend. Charlie and his band went on to win several accolades including the SPBGMA Midwest Band of the Year in 2000 and as front man, Charlie won SPBGMA Midwest Entertainer of the Year in 2001, 2002, and 2003. Following his mother’s cancer diagnosis in fall, 2003, Charlie quit the road to help his family and would not return until June 2010 when he received an invitation to work with Karl Shifflett and the Big Country Show. Charlie credits his love for traditional bluegrass to his musical mentors, Flatt & Scruggs, Jimmy Martin and Reno & Smiley, whom he studied and learned the art of singing lead and being an entertainer.
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