The James King Band

Band Members and Biographies

James King- Guitar/ Lead Vocals

 James King Proudly endorses

Mike Long Guitars     http://trco1.com/mlg/

James King was born Sept. 9, 1958, in Martinsville, Va., and grew up in Carroll County -- one of the most fertile breeding grounds for bluegrass and old-time musicians. James' father, Jim, and his uncle, Joe Edd, were both musicians of note. As James entered his teens, he began to take the music seriously too, particularly the music of his fellow Virginians, the Stanley Brothers. One of James' closest mentors was Ted Lundy, whose raw and heartfelt brand of bluegrass exerted a particularly strong influence on his music. Following a stint in the Marine Corps, King relocated to Wilmington, Del., where he started a band with Lundy's sons, T.J. and Bobby. The Lundys introduced King to legendary bluegrass deejay Ray Davis, who paired King with Ralph Stanley for two mid-'80s releases, Stanley Brothers Classics and Reunion (also with George Shuffler), on his Wango label. In 1988, King released his first record under his own name, James King Sings Cold, Cold World. In the 1990s, Dudley Connell of the Johnson Mountain Boys brought King to the attention of Rounder's Ken Irwin. Irwin brought together Connell and a band of bluegrass all-stars to back up King on 1994's These Old Pictures and 1995's Lonesome and Then Some. King began to tour steadily, gradually assembling the James King Band. The group was named emerging artists of the year by the International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA) in 1997. 1998's Bed by the Window was the recording debut of the James King Band, and its gripping, bittersweet title track -- about a man in a nursing home with a vivid imagination -- was nominated for IBMA's 1999 song of the year award. King is also a member of the bluegrass supergroup Longview, along with Connell, Don Rigsby, Joe Mullins, Glen Duncan and Marshall Wilborn. Their self-titled 1997 debut was named recorded event of the year by the IBMA. The second Longview album, High Lonesome, arrived in 1999, followed by Lessons in Stone in 2002. King released 30 Years of Farming in 2002. The album featured the James King Band as the supporting instrumentalists, with a potent blend of classic bluegrass, hard core country and contemporary song craft. Including the country classics "Saginaw, Michigan" and "Carroll Country Accident," King released The Bluegrass Storyteller in 2005. In April 2009, James married Julie Lillard of Cascade, Virginia, and now resides in Danville, Virginia.

Ron Spears- Mandolin/ Tenor Vocals

Ron has spent the last 37 years chasing his bluegrass dream. He has released three national recordings on Copper Creek Records as well as two independent projects. He was a member of Special Consensus and can be heard singing and playing mandolin on two albums. Both recordings feature great original songs written by Ron Spears. Ron is working on a new project that will feature songs of The Classic County Gentlemen thrown in with some new Spears tunes and other old chestnuts. the project features Eddie Adcock, Tom Gray, Pete Kuykendal, Lou Reid, Carl Jackson, Dave Parmley, Josh Williams and many more great bluegrass artists. A small bit of it can be heard on his MySpace sight. Ron is a multi-instrumentist and has performed with Special Consensus, Rhonda Vincent and The Rage, Doyle Lawson and Quicksilver, David Parmley and Continental Divide and of course his own band Within Tradition. Ron has songs recorded by Daily and Vincent, IIIrd Tyme Out, Lou Reid and Carolina, Doyle Lawson and Quicksilver, Bluegrass Cardinals, Josh Williams and several other top bluegrass acts.

Tony Mabe- Banjo/ Vocals

Tony was born and raised in Walnut Cove, North Carolina. His love for music began at the early age of 4 years old when he started playing Southern Gospel style piano. Now at the age of 23, his instrumental abilities include banjo, upright bass, guitar, mandolin, autoharp, and piano. He says that his biggest influences are Earl Scruggs, Don Reno, Jimmy Mills, Allan Shelton, and Mother Maybelle Carter. Tony has played for former Bluegrass Boy and legend Bobby Atkins and the Countrymen (when he was only 14 years old) and also with Blue Circle Recording Artist, The Jeanette Williams Band. I'm sure once you hear him, you'll agree that Tony is one of the very best traditional style banjo players in bluegrass today! And his singin' ain't too shabby either! Heather and Tony have been married for one year and reside in Meadows, North Carolina outside of Walnut Cove.

Here is a picture of James, Tony and Ron from Wayside Park, in Stuart, Virginia, July 9, 2010.