Audie Blaylock (August 18, 1962 – January 10, 2024) was an American singer, guitarist, mandolinist and composer in the bluegrass tradition.

Biography

Early years

Blaylock was born in El Paso, Texas, but was raised in

Lansing, Michigan Lansing () is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of Michigan. The most populous city in Ingham County, Michigan, Ingham County, parts of the city extend into Eaton County, Michigan, Eaton County and nort ...

. Growing up in a family where both parents played music, he learned guitar at age 8. He grew up playing guitar and mandolin in local bands.

Support for Other Artists

In 1982, at age 19, Blaylock joined

Jimmy Martin James Henry Martin (August 10, 1927 – May 14, 2005) was an American bluegrass singer and musician, known as the "King of Bluegrass". Early years Martin was born in Sneedville, Tennessee, United States, and was raised in the hard farming l ...

and the Sunny Mountain Boys, and spent nine years with them playing mandolin. In 1990, Blaylock worked with

Red Allen Henry James "Red" Allen Jr. (January 7, 1908 – April 17, 1967) was an American jazz trumpeter and vocalist whose playing has been described by Joachim-Ernst Berendt and others as the first to fully incorporate the innovations of Louis Armst ...

until his death in 1993. Starting in 1993, Blaylock played both mandolin and guitar with the

Lynn Morris Lynn Morris (April 21, 1954 – December 14, 2016) was a Christian fiction author. She was the daughter of Gilbert Morris and co-wrote with him on most of her books. Books by Lynn Morris Cheney Duvall, M.D. Series This series was co-writte ...

Band. From 1997 to 2000, Blaylock played with

Harley Allen Harley Lee Allen (January 23, 1956March 30, 2011) was an American bluegrass and country singer and songwriter. Early life Allen was born in Dayton, Ohio, the son of bluegrass performer Red Allen. Discography Studio albums Singles Musi ...

(Red Allen's son). Allen was an accomplished country music songwriter (for

Garth Brooks Troyal Garth Brooks (born February 7, 1962) is an American Country music, country singer and songwriter. His integration of pop and rock elements into the country genre has earned him his immense popularity, particularly in the United States, ...

John Michael Montgomery John Michael Montgomery (born January 20, 1965) is an American country music singer. Active from 1992 to 2025, he has had more than 30 singles on the ''Billboard (magazine), Billboard'' country charts. This total includes seven number-one singles ...

, and others), and recorded for

Mercury Records Mercury Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group. It had significant success as an independent operation in the 1940s and 1950s. Smash Records and Fontana Records were sub labels of Mercury. Mercury Records released ...

. From 1999 to 2003, Blaylock worked with

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 ...

and the Rage, playing guitar and singing harmonies. From 2006 to 2007, Blaylock and fiddler

Michael Cleveland Charles Michael Cleveland (born September 18, 1980) is an American bluegrass fiddle player. Early life Cleveland was born in Henryville, Indiana. He was born completely blind and a childhood ear infection caused him to lose 80% of his hearing ...

formed "Michael Cleveland and Flamekeeper featuring Audie Blaylock."

Trains Are the Only Way to Fly

In 2001, Bllaylock recorded his self-released solo album ''Trains Are the Only Way to Fly'', featuring Tom Adams (banjo),

Jesse Brock Jesse Davis Brock (born July 18, 1972, in Decatur, Illinois) is an American Bluegrass music, bluegrass artist who plays the mandolin and sings both lead vocals, lead and supporting vocals. He records and tours with the East Tennessee based Authe ...

(mandolin), and

Ron Stewart Ronald George Stewart (July 11, 1932 – March 17, 2012) was a Canadian professional ice hockey player in the National Hockey League (NHL) from 1952 to 1973, as well as a coach. He spent the first half of his career with the Toronto Maple Leafs, ...

(fiddle).

Audie Blaylock and Redline

Blaylock started Redline in 2004, took time out to work with Michael Cleveland, and reactivated Redline in 2007. The current band consists of Evan Ward on banjo, Reed Jones on the bass, and Mason Wright on fiddle. Patrick McAvinue played fiddle in the band prior to joining Dailey and Vincent. Russ Carson played banjo in the band prior to joining Ricky Skaggs and Kentucky Thunder. Matt Wallace played bass at first, but was later replaced by Reed Jones. Blaylock and Redline released the ''Audie Blaylock & Redline'' album in 2009 on the Rural Rhythm label. In 2010, they released ''Cryin' Heart Blues'' which was compared favourably to the music of Jimmy Martin. In 2011, Blaylock released the ''I'm Going Back to Old Kentucky: A Bill Monroe Celebration'' album (Rural Rhythm). Special guests included

Ronnie McCoury Ronald Delano McCoury, known as Ronnie McCoury, (born March 16, 1967) is an American mandolin player, singer, and songwriter. He is the son of bluegrass musician Del McCoury, and is best known for his work with the Del McCoury Band and the Trave ...

, Glen Duncan, Jason Carter,

Bobby Osborne Bobby Van Osborne (December 7, 1931 – June 27, 2023) was an American bluegrass musician. He was the co-founder (with his brother Sonny) of the Osborne Brothers, a member of the Grand Ole Opry, and the International Bluegrass Music Hall of Fa ...

Lou Reid Louis Reid Pyrtle (born September 13, 1954) is an American bluegrass singer and musician, bandleader of The Seldom Scene. Biography Early life Reid grew up on a tobacco farm in Moore Springs, North Carolina. His father also worked as a constr ...

Del McCoury Delano Floyd McCoury (born February 1, 1939) is an American bluegrass musician. As leader of the Del McCoury Band, he plays guitar and sings lead vocals along with his two sons, Ronnie McCoury and Rob McCoury, who play mandolin and banjo resp ...

, and

Carl Jackson Carl Eugene Jackson (born September 18, 1953) is an American country and bluegrass musician. Jackson's first Grammy was awarded in 1992 for his duet album with John Starling titled ''Spring Training''. In 2003, Jackson produced the Grammy Award ...

. Blaylock released the album ''Hard Country'' in 2012, produced by Scott Vestal. Blaylock chose the album name to emphasize how closely bluegrass and country music are related. In 2016, Blaylock and Redline released ''The Road That Winds'' album for

Patuxent Music Patuxent Music is an independent record label in Rockville, Maryland. History Bluegrass musician Tom Mindte started recording music by other artists in 1984 with a reel to reel recorder in his father's air conditioning shop. In 1990 Tom opened ...

. Banjoist Evan Ward returned to the band, joining Blaylock, McAvinue, and Jones. The album was recorded at Scott Vestal's Digital Underground Studio.

Other projects

In 2004, Blaylock was a primary coordinator for and contributor to the ''A Tribute to Jimmy Martin: The King of Bluegrass'' project, which also featured Kenny Ingram,

J. D. Crowe James Dee Crowe (August 27, 1937December 24, 2021) was an American banjo player and Bluegrass music, bluegrass band leader. He first became known during his four-year stint with Jimmy Martin in the 1950s. Crowe led the bluegrass group New South ...

, Paul Williams, Michael Cleveland, Jason Moore, and

Sonya Isaacs Sonya Melissa Isaacs (born July 22, 1974) is an American country, bluegrass gospel and Christian music singer. Isaacs grew up near Morrow, Ohio, and graduated from Little Miami High School in 1992. Her maternal grandparents are Polish Jewis ...

. Luthier Teddy Workman of TW Guitars in West Virginia designed and constructed the Red Line edition guitar in 2010, with rosewood back and sides and a thin red line running up the fret board into the peghead.

Death

Blaylock died on January 10, 2024. He was 61.

Discography

Solo albums

* 2001: ''Trains Are the Only Way to Fly'' (self-released)

With
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 ...

* 2001: ''The Storm Still Rages'' ( Rounder) * 2003: ''One Step Ahead'' (Rounder)

With
Michael Cleveland Charles Michael Cleveland (born September 18, 1980) is an American bluegrass fiddle player. Early life Cleveland was born in Henryville, Indiana. He was born completely blind and a childhood ear infection caused him to lose 80% of his hearing ...

* 2002: ''Flame Keeper'' (Rounder) * 2006: ''Let 'er Go, Boys!'' (Rounder)

With Audie Blaylock and Redline

* 2009: ''Audie Blaylock and Redline'' ( Rural Rhythm) * 2010: ''Cryin Heart Blues'' (Rural Rhythm) * 2011: ''I'm Going Back to Old Kentucky: A Bill Monroe Celebration'' (Rural Rhythm) * 2012: ''Hard Country'' (Rural Rhythm) * 2016: ''The Road That Winds'' (

) *2019: ''Originalist'' (615 Hideaway Records)

As primary contributor

* 2004: various artists - ''Tribute To Jimmy Martin: The King Of Bluegrass'' (

Koch Records MNRK Music Group (pronounced "monarch"), formerly known as Koch Records and Entertainment One (eOne) Music/Records, is an American independent record label and music management company based in New York City. It was formed in 1987 as a music div ...

) * 2010: various artists - ''All-Star Jam: Live at Graves Mountain'' (Rural Rhythm) * 2011: various artists - ''Appalachian Gospel Revival'' (Rural Rhythm) - track 6, "Who'll Sing For Me" * 2011: various artists - ''Rural Rhythm Records Salutes Bill Monroe 100th Year Celebration: Live At Bean Blossom CD'' (Rural Rhythm) - track 6, "Six Feet Under the Ground"

Also appears on

* 1989: Chris Warner - ''Chris Warner & Friends'' ( Webco) * 1991:

Bill Emerson Norvell William Emerson (January 1, 1938 – June 22, 1996) was an American politician. He served as a member of the United States House of Representatives from Missouri from 1981 until his death from lung cancer in Bethesda, Maryland in 19 ...

- ''Reunion'' ( Pinecastle) * 2006: Patrick McAvinue - ''Grave Run'' (Patuxent) * 2009: Jessie Baker - ''Yessir!'' (Patuxent) * 2009:

Michael Martin Murphey Michael Martin Murphey (born March 14, 1945) is an American singer-songwriter. He was one of the founding artists of progressive country. A multiple Grammy nominee, Murphey has six gold albums, including ''Cowboy Songs (Michael Martin Murphey alb ...

- '' Buckaroo Blue Grass II'' (Rural Rhythm) * 2009: Frank Wakefield- "Ownself Blues" (Patuxent) * 2010:

- ''Memories: Celebrating Bobby's 60th Anniversary as a Professional Entertainer'' (Rural Rhythm) * 2013: Darren Nicholson - ''Things Left Undone'' (self-released)

References

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Blaylock, Audie 1962 births 2024 deaths 20th-century American guitarists American bluegrass guitarists American bluegrass mandolinists Bluegrass musicians from Texas Country musicians from Texas Musicians from Fort Worth, Texas