Jerry Douglas
Quite possibly the greatest, and one of the most sought-after, dobro players in contemporary acoustic music, Jerry Douglas is best-known for his bluegrass picking, but he's interested in and capable of performing nearly any genre. The Columbus, Ohio, native began playing dobro at the age of 8, and joined his father's bluegrass band. He was discovered at a bluegrass festival by the Country Gentlemen, who took him on the road and introduced him to the recording studio. Afterward, it was all uphill for Douglas, who went on to play J.D. Crowe & The New South, David Grisman, Ricky Skaggs, and Doyle Lawson, as well as recording his first solo album, Fluxology.
Through the 80's, Douglas worked with a wide range of artists, including Emmylou Harris, Béla Fleck, and The Whites and continued his solo career, then widened his circle still further in the 90's as he did session work with Alison Krauss, Del McCoury, Garth Brooks, Trisha Yearwood, Clint Black, Suzy Bogguss, and Dolly Parton. In 1992 he returned to solo work with the release of Slide Rule. A steady stream of recordings followed until 2005's The Best-Kept Secret, which includes the Grammy-nominated single "Who's Your Uncle" recorded with Béla Fleck and Sam Bush.
Previous Grammy Wins:
- Best Country Instrumental Performance - "New South" - 1993
- Best Bluegrass Album - The Great Dobro Sessions (Producer) - 1994
- Best Bluegrass Album - Alison Krauss & Union Station - New Favorite - 2001
- Best Country Instrumental Performance - Albert Lee, Earl Scruggs, Gary Scruggs, Glen Duncan, Jerry Douglas, Leon Russell, Marty Stuart, Paul Shaffer, Randy Scruggs, Steve Martin & Vince Gill - "Foggy Mountain Breakdown" - 2001
- Best Country Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocal - Alison Krauss & Union Station - "The Lucky One" - 2001
- Album Of The Year - Alison Krauss & Union Station (Barry Bales, Ron Block, Jerry Douglas, Alison Krauss, Dan Tyminski), Chris Sharp, Chris Thomas King, Emmylou Harris, Gillian Welch, Harley Allen, John Hartford, Mike Compton, Norman Blake, Pat Enright, Peasall Sisters (Hannah Peasall, Leah Peasall, Sarah Peasall), Ralph Stanley, Sam Bush, Stuart Duncan, The Cox Family (Evelyn Cox, Sidney Cox, Suzanne Cox, Willard Cox), The Fairfield Four (Nathan Best, Isaac Freeman, Robert Hamlett, James Hill, Joseph Rice, Wilson Waters, Jr.), The Whites (Buck White, Cheryl White, Sharon White) & Tim Blake Nelson - O Brother, Where Art Thou - 2001
- Best Bluegrass Album - Alison Krauss + Union Station - Live - 2003
- Best Country Instrumental Performance - Alison Krauss + Union Station - "Cluck Old Hen" - 2003
- Best Country Instrumental Performance - Earl Scruggs, Jerry Douglas, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band (Bob Carpenter, Jimmie Fadden, Jeff Hanna, Jimmy Ibbotson, John McEuen), Randy Scruggs & Vassar Clements - "Earl's Breakdown" - 2004
Current Grammy Nominations:
- Best Country Instrumental Performance (with Sam Bush and Béla Fleck) - "Who's Your Uncle"
(Bio courtesy of Kathy Coleman)