Mike Auldridge
Encyclopedia
Mike Auldridge is widely acknowledged as a premier resophonic guitar (the instrument formerly referred to as a Dobro
) player. He played with The Seldom Scene
for many years, creating a fusion of bluegrass
with jazz
, folk
and rock
.
Auldridge started playing guitar at the age of 13. His main influence through his early years was Josh Graves
who also sold him his first Dobro. A 1967 graduate of The University of Maryland
, Auldridge worked as a graphic artist for a commercial art firm in Bethesda
, Maryland
and then for the now defunct Washington Star-News
. He did not start playing music full-time until the Washington Star-News folded in 1976.
Today Auldridge plays with Darren Beachley and The Legends of the Potomac bluegrass band Past bands include Emerson and Waldron, Cliff Waldron and the New Shades of Grass, The Seldom Scene (of which he was a founding member), Chesapeake, The Good Deale Bluegrass Band, and John Starling and Carolina Star (which featured three original members of The Seldom Scene). Mike has also been a member of the touring bands of Lyle Lovett and Emmylou Harris.
Auldridge has worked with Paul Beard (Beard Guitars) to produce the Beard Mike Auldridge Models of square-neck resophonic guitars, including an 8-string version.
Dobro
Dobro is a registered trademark, now owned by Gibson Guitar Corporation and used for a particular design of resonator guitar.The name has a long and involved history, interwoven with that of the resonator guitar...
) player. He played with The Seldom Scene
The Seldom Scene
The Seldom Scene is an American bluegrass band formed in 1971 in Bethesda, Maryland.-Early history:The band formed out of the weekly jam sessions in the basement of banjo player Ben Eldridge. These sessions included John Starling on guitar and lead vocals, Mike Auldridge on Dobro and baritone...
for many years, creating a fusion of bluegrass
Bluegrass music
Bluegrass music is a form of American roots music, and a sub-genre of country music. It has mixed roots in Scottish, English, Welsh and Irish traditional music...
with jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
, folk
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
and rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
.
Auldridge started playing guitar at the age of 13. His main influence through his early years was Josh Graves
Josh Graves
Josh Graves , born Burkett Howard Graves, was an American bluegrass musician. Also known by the nicknames "Buck," and "Uncle Josh," he is credited with introducing the dobro into bluegrass music shortly after joining Lester Flatt, Earl Scruggs and the Foggy Mountain Boys in 1955...
who also sold him his first Dobro. A 1967 graduate of The University of Maryland
University of Maryland, College Park
The University of Maryland, College Park is a top-ranked public research university located in the city of College Park in Prince George's County, Maryland, just outside Washington, D.C...
, Auldridge worked as a graphic artist for a commercial art firm in Bethesda
Bethesda, Maryland
Bethesda is a census designated place in southern Montgomery County, Maryland, United States, just northwest of Washington, D.C. It takes its name from a local church, the Bethesda Meeting House , which in turn took its name from Jerusalem's Pool of Bethesda...
, Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
and then for the now defunct Washington Star-News
Washington Star
The Washington Star, previously known as the Washington Star-News and the Washington Evening Star, was a daily afternoon newspaper published in Washington, D.C. between 1852 and 1981. For most of that time, it was the city's newspaper of record, and the longtime home to columnist Mary McGrory and...
. He did not start playing music full-time until the Washington Star-News folded in 1976.
Today Auldridge plays with Darren Beachley and The Legends of the Potomac bluegrass band Past bands include Emerson and Waldron, Cliff Waldron and the New Shades of Grass, The Seldom Scene (of which he was a founding member), Chesapeake, The Good Deale Bluegrass Band, and John Starling and Carolina Star (which featured three original members of The Seldom Scene). Mike has also been a member of the touring bands of Lyle Lovett and Emmylou Harris.
Auldridge has worked with Paul Beard (Beard Guitars) to produce the Beard Mike Auldridge Models of square-neck resophonic guitars, including an 8-string version.