The Grascals

The Grascals

The Grascals is a six piece bluegrass band hailing from Nashville, Tennessee. Founded in 2004, the band has since gained a level of notability by playing on the Grand Ole Opry and in bluegrass festivals around the country.

In 2005 the band won the International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA) Emerging Artist of the Year Award, as well as the Song of the Year award for "Me and John and Paul". In 2006, they won the IBMA Entertainer of the Year.

The Grascals have released two albums, both on Rounder Records. The first self-titled debut featured guest vocals from Dolly Parton on Elvis' "Viva Las Vegas". Their 2006 album, Long List of Heartaches, features artists such as Steve Wariner, George Jones, The Jordanaires, and Dierks Bentley.

Members

Terry Eldredge - guitar/vocals
Jamie Johnson - guitar/vocals
Jimmy Mattingly - fiddle
Danny Roberts - mandolin
Terry Smith - upright bass/vocals
Aaron McDaris - banjo

Terry Eldrege

Terry Eldredge first began to play bass with Opry stars such as Lonzo and Oscar. In 1988, Terry joined the Osborne Brothers, and soon switched to guitar.
At about the same time, he and other young Nashville band members created the Sidemen, playing the Station Inn regularly on Tuesday nights. Terry took up the bass once again when he joined Larry Cordle and Lonesome Standard Time in the late 90s. This earned him a nomination in 2003 for Bass Player of the Year.
Terry as well performed as a member of the Blue-niques with Dolly Parton. Terry recorded two solo albums for Pinecastle Records, as well as albums with the Osborne Brothers, Cordle, Parton, and the Sidemen. [1]

Jamie Johnson

Jamie Johnson helped found the group, the Wildwood Valley Boys in the early 90s. In the mid-90s, he joined another band, called the Boys From Indinia, where he sang tenor. He decided to rejoin the Wildwood Valey Boys. He made his recording debut in 2000 with the Wildwood Valley Boys' I'm a Believer
He began to find success in songwriting, when he co-wrote the title cut of Bobby Osborne's of Where I Come From in 2002. Of course, he also began to find success as a singer. In 2001, he joined Terry Eldrege in the Sidemen, and made his Opry debut with Gail Davis. Terry and Jamie soon found that they had a vocal blend which matched perfectly for bluegrass. [2]

Jimmy Mattingly

Jimmy Mattingly, was raised in Leitchfeild, Kentucky, where he lived next to Danny Roberts. In 1981, he won the U.S. Grand Masters for his fiddle playing. In the same year, he joined a progressive bluegrass band, Spectrum. The band eventually dissovled in the mid-80s. After stints with Steve Wariner and the Forrester Sisters, he joined with Dolly Parton's band in 1989, and stayed until 1993.
He then joined the Osborne Brothers, where he met Terry Eldriege and Terry Smith. Jimmy Mattingly then began to become to fiddle player for Garth Brooks from 1995 to when Brooks retired. He is also seen playing in a Dr. Pepper comercial which Garth Brooks was advertising. In 2002, Jimmy came with Terry and Dolly again in the Blue-niques. [3]

Danny Roberts

Danny Roberts first started to play guitar to back up Jimmy Mattingly when they were growing up. He began to win contests for his guitar playing, and eventually, mandolin. In 1982, he co-founded the New Tradition, bluegrass/gospel group that toured the counrty for close to 20 years. The band recorded 10 CDs, made "Seed of Love", the first bluegrass video to feature the banjo, and even reached number one on the TNN channel. The band broke up in 2000, but Danny still had a hand with musicians, playing with Marty Riybon, Larry Cordle, and Melonie Cannon. He also joined Ronny Reno's band, the Reno Tradition. He then joined the Grascals, where he was reunited with Jimmy Mattingly.[4]

Terry Smith

Terry Smith grew up in North Carolina. He moved to Nashville in his early teens, where he began in a family band with his mother (Hazel Smith) and brother, Billy Smith. Terry has even played with such legends as Jimmy Martin, Wilma Lee Cooper, and the Osborne Brothers.
Terry and his brother, Billy, recorded an album for CBS, which a number one video on CMT. This was followed by the 1992's "Grass Section disc", and a Bill Monroe Tribute in 1996. In 1999, the brother's released "Voices of the Mountains". After touring with Grand Ole Opry member Mike Snyder, Terry joined the Grascals.[5]

Aaron McDaris

Aaron McDaris joined the New Tradition in 1997, then went to with the Larry Stephendon Band. In 2005, he released a solo album called "First Time Around", which prompted the Nashville Scene to call Aaron one of the most "under-rated" banjo players on the circuit. Aaron then joined Mashville Mrigade in 2006, which is very similar to the Sidemen. Later in the year, he replaced Dave Talbot in the Grascals. [6]

History

In their short time of performing, they have been able to develop a history about them. Something that many bluegrass bands take quite a while to accomplish.

Beginnings

The Grascals began from early to mid 2004, performing at the Station Inn, and a number of bluegrass festivals. They began, thinking, that this would be just an ordinary bluegrass band.

The Dolly Parton era

In summer 2004, it became clear, that Dolly Parton began to show interest in wanting to play with the Grascals. The Grascals soon became Dolly's opening act, as well as her band. Performing at Dollywood and eventually, the Grand Ole Opry, then band quickly became one of the up in coming bluegrass bands of the year.
By the end of the year, the band and Dolly began to play a cover version of Elvis's song, Viva Las Vegas. However, by the end of 2004, Dolly announced to the Grascals, that at the beginning of the 2005 year, she would have to let them go.

The first album

The Grascals began recording their first album in early 2005, which would simply be a self-titled album. On this album, it featured such songs as "Me and John and Paul", "Where Corn Don't Grow", and the popular cover song, "Viva Las Vegas", which featured Dolly Parton. During the course of the 2005 year, the Grascals appeared numerous times on television spots on the Opry, usually with Dolly Parton. The first album made it on to the Billboard charts, as well as many country and bluegrass charts. Also on the album covers, Dolly is quoted saying, "One of the greatest albums I've ever heard." One other big moment while the album was coming out, is the company Vietti began to put the Grascals picture on some of the Vietti chili cans.

IBMA 2005 and the music video

The IBMA Awards took place in October 2005. During this awards, the Grascals won two awards. The first, Song of the Year, was won for the song, "Me and John and Paul", written by Harley Allen. The second award, Emerging Aritst of the Year, was thought to either have been won by the Grascals, or rival bluegrass band Cherryholmes. The Grascals did win this award, while Cherryholmes went on to win Entertainer of the Year. The Grascals were also nominated for Best Album of the Year, but did not win. In summer of 2005, Rounder began to talk with the Grascals about making a music video for the song "Me and John and Paul". The video was released in early 2006 and was on circulation on the GAC channel. Late in the 2005 year as well, Dolly Parton asked the Grascals to open dates for her by the end of the year.

Long List of Heartaches

At the SPGMA Awards in February of 2006, the Grascals won four of seven awards. Also, the Grascals were nominated for a Grammy, but did not win. In early 2006, recording began for the Grascals second album, Long List of Heartaches. The album came out a couple months before the 2006 IBMA Awards, but, because of the time of coming out, was not able to qualify, however, they did qualify for the 2007 Grammy.

IBMA 2006

For the 2006 IBMA Awards, the Grascals were nominated for two awards. Best Vocal Group of the Year and Entertainer of the Year. The Grascals lost Vocal group to Doyle Lawson. However, right after their performance, the Grascals were awarded Entertainer of the Year by Vince Gill. Immediately following them getting the award, Sirius Satelite Radio got an interview, which went on the bluegrass station. Soon after the IBMA Awrds, the Grascals got to go to Japan for a bluegrass festival.

A line-up change

Through-out the 2006 year, and even into the 2007 year, Dolly Parton had been using Dave Talbott and Jimmy Mattingly, not only to open shows, but to play in her band. In late 2006, Talbott was told by the Grascals, that he had to choose between them or Dolly. Dave left the Grascals by the end of the year. Mattingly however chose to remain.
Almost right after Dave left, the Grascals began to search for a new banjo player. Before the 2007 year even began, the Grascals recruited Aaron McDaris, as the new banjo player.

2007

Aaron McDaris learned much of the Grascals material quickly as the band began to play across the country. Once again, they were nominated for a Grammy, but, Ricky Skaggs won the award instead.
At the 2007 SPGMA Awards, the Grascals managed to win two awards; Instrumental Group of the Year, and Bluegrass Artist of the Year.

The third album

No final decisions have been made as of yet, but, the band is hoping to go into the recording studio once again and record, and untitled at this point, album. Recording would begin between late 2007 and early 2008 if there will be an album.

The Little Grascals

The Little Grascals have two meaning. The first and most common meaning is the actual children of the members of the Grascals.
The second meaning is a hypethetical band in the future, which would have to be, not only of the next generation, but, would have to be the children of the Grascals, or at least have a couple children of the Grascals in it.

Triva

• The name actually comes from the Little Rascals, although, they did try to have an Andy Griffith Show reference, but could not find one.
• Aaron McDaris is the only new member since the group was made.
• Some people consider the Grascals to be a supergroup of the bluegrass world, mainly because the members were already established musicians throughout the bluegrass world.

Discography

• The Grascals (2005, Rounder)
• Long List of Heartaches (2006, Rounder)

External links

• The Grascals, official website
• The Grascals at MySpace