Claire Lynch (born February 20, 1954) is an American

bluegrass music Bluegrass music is a genre of American roots music that developed in the 1940s in the Appalachian region of the United States. The genre derives its name from the band Bill Monroe and the Blue Grass Boys. Like mainstream country music, it la ...

ian, singer, songwriter, and producer. She is a three-time winner of 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 ...

's Female Vocalist of the Year honors. She is considered one of the two best female voices in bluegrass, a recognition she shares with

Dale Ann Bradley Dale Ann Bradley is an American bluegrass musician. She is a six-time (2007, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2012, and 2021) Female Bluegrass Vocalist of the Year, a distinction given by the International Bluegrass Music Association. She has released music bo ...

Early life

Lynch moved to

Huntsville, Alabama Huntsville is a city in Madison County, Limestone County, and Morgan County, Alabama, United States. It is the county seat of Madison County. Located in the Appalachian region of northern Alabama, Huntsville is the most populous city in th ...

from

Kingston, New York Kingston is a city in and the county seat of Ulster County, New York, United States. It is north of New York City and south of Albany. The city's metropolitan area is grouped with the New York metropolitan area around Manhattan by the United ...

, when she was 12 years old. She grew up in a musical family, with her mother playing the piano and her father singing. She had two sisters with whom she would sing, including doing trios at church. In high school, she spent time writing and recording songs.

Career

Lynch's musical career transitioned during college when she became interested in bluegrass music. She joined a band called Hickory Wind, which eventually changed its name to the Front Porch String Band. Lynch played with the group until 1981, when it retired from the road. She then pursued a dual career of music and raising a family. The Front Porch String Band reunited in 1991, releasing the album ''Lines and Traces''.

Discography

Awards and honors

Lynch has won numerous awards in her career, including being named the best female vocalist in 1997, 2010, and 2013 by the International Bluegrass Music Association. She also received a USA Walker Fellowship Award in 2012. Three of Lynch's albums have been nominated for a

Grammy The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pres ...

in the

Best Bluegrass Album The Grammy Award for Best Bluegrass Album is an award presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to recording artists for quality works (songs or albums) in the bluegrass mu ...

category: *''Moonlighter'' (1995) was nominated at the

38th Annual Grammy Awards The 38th Annual Grammy Awards were held on February 28, 1996, at Shrine Auditorium, Los Angeles. The awards recognized accomplishments by musicians from the previous year. Alanis Morissette was the main recipient, being awarded four trophies, inc ...

*''Silver and Gold'' (1997) was nominated at the

40th Annual Grammy Awards The 40th Annual Grammy Awards were held on February 25, 1998, at Radio City Music Hall, New York City. They recognized accomplishments by musicians from the previous year. Rock icon Bob Dylan, Alison Krauss & Union Station, and R. Kelly were th ...

*''North By South'' (2016) was nominated at the

59th Annual Grammy Awards The 59th Annual Grammy Awards ceremony was held on February 12, 2017. The CBS network broadcast the show live from the Staples Center in Los Angeles. The ceremony recognized the best recordings, compositions, and artists of the eligibility year, ...

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Lynch, Claire 1954 births Living people American bluegrass musicians American women singers Record producers from New York (state) Songwriters from New York (state) Compass Records artists Guitarists from New York (state) Musicians from Kingston, New York Rounder Records artists Singers from New York (state) 20th-century American guitarists Country musicians from New York (state) American women record producers 20th-century American women guitarists 21st-century American women