Adam Carter Steffey (born November 24, 1965) is an American

mandolin A mandolin (, ; literally "small mandola") is a Chordophone, stringed musical instrument in the lute family and is generally Plucked string instrument, plucked with a plectrum, pick. It most commonly has four Course (music), courses of doubled St ...

player, best known for playing in the bluegrass and old-time styles. He spent time as a member of bands such as

Alison Krauss & Union Station Alison Krauss & Union Station is an American Bluegrass music, bluegrass and Country music, country band associated with singer Alison Krauss. It was initially composed of Krauss, Jeff White (musician), Jeff White, Mike Harman and John Pennell. L ...

, Mountain Heart, Lonesome River Band, the Dan Tyminski Band, the Boxcars, and the Isaacs. He was most recently a member of the Highland Travelers, which announced on November 15, 2018, that they were disbanding, with Steffey pursuing an alternative profession other than music. However, his retirement from music was short-lived, as he joined the band Volume Five just a few months later. Steffey has also performed with such artists as

Kenny Chesney Kenneth Arnold Chesney (born March 26, 1968) is an American country singer. With 30 million albums sold worldwide, he released his debut, '' In My Wildest Dreams'', in 1994, and has since released 19 follow-ups. His albums spawned 27 singles tha ...

Clint Black Clint Patrick Black (born February 4, 1962) is an American country music singer, songwriter, musician, actor, and record producer. Signed to RCA Nashville in 1989, Black's debut album '' Killin' Time'' produced four straight number one singles ...

Vince Gill Vincent Grant Gill (born April 12, 1957) is an American singer, songwriter, and musician. He played in a number of local bluegrass music, bluegrass bands in the 1970s, and from 1978 to 1982, he achieved his first mainstream attention after ta ...

Dolly Parton Dolly Rebecca Parton (born January 19, 1946) is an American singer, songwriter, musician, actress, and philanthropist, known primarily as a country music, country musician. After achieving success as a songwriter for others, Parton's debut album ...

, the Dixie Chicks,

James Taylor James Vernon Taylor (born March 12, 1948) is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. A six-time Grammy Award winner, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2000. Taylor achieved his breakthrough in 1970 with the single "Fi ...

Rhonda Vincent Rhonda Lea Vincent (born July 13, 1962) is an American Bluegrass music, bluegrass singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist. Vincent's music career began when she was a child in her family's band The Sally Mountain Show, and it has spanne ...

, Ronnie Bowman, Jim Mills, and others.

Biography

Steffey grew up in

Norfolk, Virginia Norfolk ( ) is an independent city (United States), independent city in the U.S. state of Virginia. It had a population of 238,005 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, making it the List of cities in Virginia, third-most populous city ...

, but moved to Kingsport, Tennessee, when his father retired in 1975. He attended the Carter Family Fold each weekend when he was young, and became interested in the music he heard there. He started playing the mandolin when he was 15, taking lessons first from Audey Ratliff and later on from Jack Tottle. Steffey completed his Bachelor of Science at ETSU in 2014. He served as an adjunct faculty member teaching mandolin at East Tennessee State University.

Personal life

Steffey married musician Tina Trianosky in May 2008, and they have twin sons, born in 2011.

Awards

Steffey is a five-time

Grammy Award The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious ...

winner and has won the bluegrass mandolin player of the year from the

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 ...

eleven times, more than any other player.

Selected discography

* (2001) Grateful (Mountain Home Records) * (2009) One More for the Road (Sugar Hill) * (2013) New Primitive (Organic) * (2016) Here to Stay (Mountain Home) Also performed on: * (2013) It's Just a Road (The Boxcars) * (2013) Life on a Rock (Kenny Chesney) * (2013) The Bluegrass Album (Alan Jackson) * (2012) All In (The Boxcars) * (2008) Good Thing Going (Rhonda Vincent) * (2008) Secrets ( Sierra Hull) * (2007) DoorWay (Ron Block) * (2006) Wide Open (Mountain Heart) * (2005) First Time Around (Aaron McDaris) * (2005) Hide Head Blues (Jim Mills) * (2005) Some Hearts (

Carrie Underwood Carrie Marie Underwood (born March 10, 1983) is an American singer and songwriter. She rose to prominence after winning the fourth season of ''American Idol'' in 2005, returning as a judge beginning with the twenty-third season. Underwood's f ...

) * (2002) Home (Dixie Chicks) * (2002) My Dixie Home (Jim Mills) * (2001) Stand Still (The Isaacs) * (2000) Carry Me Across the Mountain (Dan Tyminski) * (1997) Nothin' But the Taillights (Clint Black) * (1997) So Long So Wrong (Alison Krauss & Union Station) * (1996) High Lonesome Sound (Vince Gill) * (1996) Treasures (Dolly Parton) * (1994) I Know Who Holds Tomorrow (Alison Krauss) * (1993) World Turning ( Tony Trischka) * (1992) Every Time You Say Goodbye (Alison Krauss & Union Station) * (1991) Arkansas Traveler (

Michelle Shocked Michelle Shocked (born Karen Michelle Johnston; February 24, 1962) is an American singer-songwriter. Her music has entered the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, been nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Folk Album, and received an award ...

) * (1989) Dusty Miller (Dusty Miller)

Footnotes

American bluegrass musicians Grammy Award winners Living people 1965 births East Tennessee State University alumni American bluegrass mandolinists Country musicians from Tennessee Lonesome River Band members Alison Krauss & Union Station members {{US-musician-stub