Kentucky Thunder
Encyclopedia
Kentucky Thunder, or Ricky Skaggs and Kentucky Thunder, is the band
that plays with Ricky Skaggs
. Many members of the band have won numerous awards. Bandleader
Ricky Skaggs plays mandolin
and is the lead vocalist
. The group has won the Instrumental Group of the Year award from the International Bluegrass Music Association
multiple times, as well as six Grammy Award
s.
Band (music)
In music, a musical ensemble or band is a group of musicians that works together to perform music. The following articles concern types of musical bands:* All-female band* Big band* Boy band* Christian band* Church band* Concert band* Cover band...
that plays with Ricky Skaggs
Ricky Skaggs
Rickie Lee "Ricky" Skaggs is a country and bluegrass singer, musician, producer, and composer. He primarily plays mandolin; however, he also plays fiddle, guitar, and banjo.-Early career:...
. Many members of the band have won numerous awards. Bandleader
Bandleader
A bandleader is the leader of a band of musicians. The term is most commonly, though not exclusively, used with a group that plays popular music as a small combo or a big band, such as one which plays jazz, blues, rhythm and blues or rock and roll music....
Ricky Skaggs plays mandolin
Mandolin
A mandolin is a musical instrument in the lute family . It descends from the mandore, a soprano member of the lute family. The mandolin soundboard comes in many shapes—but generally round or teardrop-shaped, sometimes with scrolls or other projections. A mandolin may have f-holes, or a single...
and is the lead vocalist
Lead vocalist
The lead vocalist is the member of a band who sings the main vocal portions of a song. They may also play one or more instruments. Lead vocalists are sometimes referred to as the frontman or frontwoman, and as such, are usually considered to be the "leader" of the groups they perform in, often the...
. The group has won the Instrumental Group of the Year award from the International Bluegrass Music Association
International Bluegrass Music Association
The International Bluegrass Music Association, or IBMA, is a trade association to promote bluegrass music.Formed in 1985, IBMA established its first headquarters in Owensboro, Kentucky. In 1988 they announced plans to create the International Bluegrass Music Museum as a joint venture with...
multiple times, as well as six Grammy Award
Grammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
s.
Line-up
The current line-up is;- Andy Leftwich - FiddleViolinThe violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
- Cody Kilby - Lead GuitarLead guitarLead guitar is a guitar part which plays melody lines, instrumental fill passages, guitar solos, and occasionally, some riffs within a song structure...
- Paul BrewsterPaul BrewsterPaul Brewster is a former Gaelic footballer from County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland. He played with the Fermanagh intercounty team for a number of years and was regarded as one of the top Midfielders of his time...
- Rhythm GuitarRhythm guitarRhythm guitar is a technique and rôle that performs a combination of two functions: to provide all or part of the rhythmic pulse in conjunction with singers or other instruments; and to provide all or part of the harmony, ie. the chords, where a chord is a group of notes played together...
and Harmony Vocals - Justin Moses - BanjoBanjoIn the 1830s Sweeney became the first white man to play the banjo on stage. His version of the instrument replaced the gourd with a drum-like sound box and included four full-length strings alongside a short fifth-string. There is no proof, however, that Sweeney invented either innovation. This new...
- Mark Fain - BassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
- Ed Faris - Rhythm GuitarRhythm guitarRhythm guitar is a technique and rôle that performs a combination of two functions: to provide all or part of the rhythmic pulse in conjunction with singers or other instruments; and to provide all or part of the harmony, ie. the chords, where a chord is a group of notes played together...
, Baritone Vocals, Utility Musician
Discography
| Title | Album details | Peak chart positions | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Grass | US Country | US Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
||
| Bluegrass Rules |
|
— | 45 | — |
| Ancient Tones Ancient Tones Ancient Tones is an album by Ricky Skaggs and Kentucky Thunder, released through Skaggs Family Records on January 26, 1999. In 2000, the album won the group the Grammy Award for Best Bluegrass Album.- Track listing :... |
|
— | 46 | — |
| Soldier of the Cross |
|
— | 65 | — |
| History of the Future |
|
10 | 35 | — |
| Live at the Charleston Music Hall |
|
2 | 32 | — |
| Brand New Strings Brand New Strings Brand New Strings is an album by Ricky Skaggs and Kentucky Thunder, released through Skaggs Family Records on September 28, 2004. In 2005, the album won the group the Grammy Award for Best Bluegrass Album.- Track listing :... |
|
1 | 60 | — |
| Instrumentals Instrumentals (Ricky Skaggs and Kentucky Thunder album) Instrumentals is an album by Ricky Skaggs and Kentucky Thunder, released through Skaggs Family Records on August 1, 2006. In 2007, the album won the group the Grammy Award for Best Bluegrass Album.-Track listing:# "Going to Richmond" – 3:41... |
|
1 | 73 | — |
| Honoring the Fathers of Bluegrass: Tribute to 1946 and 1947 Honoring the Fathers of Bluegrass: Tribute to 1946 and 1947 Honoring the Fathers of Bluegrass: Tribute to 1946 and 1947 is an album by Ricky Skaggs and Kentucky Thunder, released through Skaggs Family Records on March 25, 2008. In 2009, the album won the group the Grammy Award for Best Bluegrass Album... |
|
1 | 29 | 191 |
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart | ||||
Grammy awards
- 1998 Best Bluegrass Album: Ricky Skaggs and Kentucky Thunder for Bluegrass Rules!
- 1999 Best Bluegrass Album: Ricky Skaggs and Kentucky Thunder for Ancient Tones
- 2000 Best Southern, Country, or Bluegrass Gospel Album: Ricky Skaggs and Kentucky Thunder for Soldier Of The Cross
- 2003 Best Country Performance By A Duo or Group With Vocal: Ricky Skaggs and Kentucky Thunder for A Simple Life
- 2004 Best Bluegrass Album: Ricky Skaggs and Kentucky Thunder for Brand New Strings
- 2006 Best Bluegrass Album: Ricky Skaggs and Kentucky Thunder for Instrumentals
- 2009 Best Bluegrass Album: Ricky Skaggs and Kentucky Thunder for Honoring the Fathers of Bluegrass: Tribute to 1946 & 1947
IBMA (International Bluegrass Music Association) Awards
- 1998 Instrumental Group Of The Year: Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder
- 1998 Album Of The Year: Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder for Bluegrass Rules!
- 1999 Instrumental Group Of The Year: Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder
- 2000 Instrumental Group Of The Year: Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder
- 2002 Instrumental Group Of The Year: Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder
- 2003 Instrumental Group Of The Year: Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder
- 2004 Instrumental Group Of The Year: Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder
- 2005 Instrumental Group Of The Year: Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder
- 2006 Instrumental Group Of The Year: Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder