Sister Sadie is an all-female American bluegrass,

country A country is a distinct part of the world, such as a state, nation, or other political entity. When referring to a specific polity, the term "country" may refer to a sovereign state, state with limited recognition, constituent country, ...

, and

folk Folk or Folks may refer to: Sociology *Nation *People * Folklore ** Folk art ** Folk dance ** Folk hero ** Folk horror ** Folk music *** Folk metal *** Folk punk *** Folk rock ** Folk religion * Folk taxonomy Arts, entertainment, and media * Fo ...

band that formed in

Nashville, Tennessee Nashville, often known as Music City, is the capital and List of municipalities in Tennessee, most populous city in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is the county seat, seat of Davidson County, Tennessee, Davidson County in Middle Tennessee, locat ...

in 2012. The band formed after the five original members Deanie Richardson, Tina Adair,

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 ...

, Gena Britt, and Beth Lawrence came together to play one show at the

Station Inn The Station Inn is a concert venue in Nashville, Tennessee that hosts bluegrass music acts. Frommers wrote that it is "widely regarded as one of the best bluegrass venues around". The small nightclub has a reputation for being a simple building ...

in Nashville. They continued to play together as a band, eventually touring and releasing music. Since 2020, they have gone through a few lineup changes and the current band consists of: Deanie Richardson, Gena Britt, Jaelee Roberts, Dani Flowers, Rainy Miatke, and Katie Blomarz-Kimball . They have released four full length albums as a group: ''Sister Sadie'' (2016), ''Sister Sadie II'' (2018), ''No Fear'' (2024), and ''All Will Be Will'' (2025), earning two

Grammy Award for 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 ...

nominations. The group won IBMA Vocal Group of the Year for three consecutive years in 2019, 2020, and 2021 and IBMA Entertainer of the Year in 2020, making them the first all-female group to win that award. Deanie Richardson has also won two Fiddle Player of the Year awards in 2020 and 2024, and Jaelee Roberts received the Female Vocalist of the Year award in 2024.

History

Background (2012-2015)

Sister Sadie played together for the first time in December 2012 at the

in Nashville for what was supposed to be one night only. Longtime friends Deanie Richardson, Tina Adair,

, Gena Britt, and Beth Lawrence were already established musicians and members of the bluegrass scene with their own musical projects. Richardson is a fiddler who has played with

Bob Seger Robert Clark Seger ( ; born May 6, 1945) is a retired American singer, songwriter, and musician. As a locally successful Detroit-area artist, he performed and recorded with the groups Bob Seger and the Last Heard and the Bob Seger System throu ...

, the Chieftans,

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 ...

, &

Patty Loveless Patty Loveless (born Patricia Lee Ramey, January 4, 1957) is an American country music singer. She began performing in her teenaged years before signing her first recording contract with MCA Records' Nashville division in 1985. While her first ...

. Vocalist and mandolin player Adair has fronted her family band The Adairs for over 20 years and signed her first record deal when she was 17. Britt is a banjo player who was a founding member of The Daughters of Bluegrass and has been a part of the bands New Vintage, Alecia Nugent, Petticoat Junction, Lou Reid & Carolina, and Alan Bibey & Grasstowne, as well as in her own band The Gena Britt Band. Bassist Lawrence played with the Stevens Sisters, Mark Newton, Alecia Nugent, and in Britt’s band. Singer and guitarist

is a five-time IBMA “Female Vocalist of the Year” winner as well as a member of the Kentucky Hall of Fame. Together, the five friends formed the “supergroup”. Richardson said, “We’ve known each other our whole lives, and it was just a magical thing from the first downbeat at rehearsal, before we even went up there.” After their first gig, the group received calls to play more shows and eventually decided to come together as a band, albeit a side project. The idea was to get together and play music whenever they had time and let things develop naturally. The name of the band “Sister Sadie” was inspired by the

Tony Rice David Anthony Rice (June 8, 1951 – December 25, 2020) was an American bluegrass guitarist and singer. He was an influential acoustic guitar player in bluegrass, progressive bluegrass, newgrass and acoustic jazz. He was inducted into the In ...

song “Little Sadie” as well as by the fact that the members felt like sisters.

''Sister Sadie'' (2016-2017)

On June 3, 2016 the band released their debut self-titled album ''Sister Sadie'' on

Pinecastle Records Pinecastle Records is a record label based in Piedmont, South Carolina specializing in supporting and developing bluegrass music artists. History Tom Riggs started the Pinecastle Records in 1989 as an outlet for bluegrass pioneer Bill Harrell who ...

. It reached #4 on the

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...

Bluegrass Album charts. The twelve-song album consists of a combination of covers and originals, with four of the five members taking turns singing lead on the tracks. It received positive reviews. The single “Unholy Water” was written by Richardson and Bill Tennyson and is sung by Bradley from the perspective of a jug of moonshine.

''Sister Sadie II'' (2018-2022)

In June 2018 Sister Sadie released the first single from their new album called “Losing You Blues”, which debuted at #14 on the Bluegrass Today Airplay charts. The song was penned years earlier by Adair and her bandmate at the time, Doug Bartlett. A month later, on August 24, 2018 the group released their second full length album on

, ''Sister Sadie II.'' This time the album reached #2 on the Billboard Bluegrass Album charts. Like their first album, ''Sister Sadie II'' is made up of originals and reworked covers. The songs vary in style from country to bluegrass and feature Sister Sadie’s trademark three-part harmonies. One of the cover songs on the album is a traditional folk song called “900 Miles”, which has been recorded by various artists. Sister Sadie’s version is inspired by

Odetta Odetta Holmes (December 31, 1930 – December 2, 2008), known as Odetta, was an American singer, often referred to as "The Voice of the Civil Rights Movement". Her musical repertoire consisted largely of American folk music, blues, jazz, and s ...

's take on the song. It was arranged by Richardson and features her fiddle playing and three-part vocals from Adair, Britt, and Bradley. The music video for “900 Miles” features footage of the band performing in an all-black room interspersed with footage of a train barreling down the tracks. It was directed by Jon Roncolato and shot on a sound stage at Belmont University in Nashville. In 2019, Sister Sadie was nominated for a

Grammy 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 a ...

for Best Bluegrass Album for ''Sister Sadie II'' and they won IBMA Vocal Group of the Year. That spring, they made their debut at the

Grand Ole Opry The ''Grand Ole Opry'' is a regular live country music, country-music Radio broadcasting, radio broadcast originating from Nashville, Tennessee, Nashville, Tennessee, on WSM (AM), WSM, held between two and five nights per week, depending on the ...

and received a standing ovation when they performed “900 Miles.” In March 2019, Lawrence departed the band and Hasee Ciaccio became on-call bassist. On October 1 the following year, Sister Sadie became the first all-female band to win IBMA Entertainer of the Year. Richardson told

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“In bluegrass music, there’s not the big light show and the jumping around. We’re singing about, you know, lying and cheating and murder and love and babies. So I feel like the Entertainer Award is about how you, as a band, are reaching out to that audience. And for us, we’re five women up there who work hard and who live the songs we sing and play from the depths of our guts. And I think that comes across.” They also won IBMA Vocal Group of the Year and Richardson took the award for Fiddle Player of the Year, becoming the second woman in 30 years to win it. That same year, Bradley won the SPBGMA award for Female Vocalist of the Year. On December 5, 2020 they played the

again.

Changes for the band (2021-2022)

After eight years in Sister Sadie, founding member Bradley left the group in 2020 to pursue her solo career. At that point Jaelee Roberts (guitar & vocals) joined the group. Roberts had grown up watching the women of Sister Sadie. Richardson played in the band New Tradition with Roberts' dad and Britt played in the band Petticoat Junction with her mom. According to Roberts, she was “flabbergasted” when she was asked to audition for Sister Sadie because “These are all my heroes playing together in a band. And I had grown up around them. It was such a surreal feeling to get to audition”. Ciaccio had been touring with the band for two years prior, but in 2021 they asked her to become a full-fledged member. That spring Sister Sadie was featured in the Country Music Hall of Fame & Museum’s “American Currents: State of the Music” exhibit which ran from March 12, 2021 to February 6, 2022. Sister Sadie’s display contained instruments from each of the band members, posters, set lists, and other mementos. In October 2021, another founding member, Adair, decided to step away from the band to focus on solo work. She was replaced by vocalist & mandolin player Mary Meyer, who joined in January 2022. In 2022, Britt won the SPBGMA award for Banjo Player of the Year. The band also made the decision to move from

and sign with Mountain Home Music Company. On October 4, they released their first single off their upcoming album called “Diane”. “Diane” was originally written and released by country pop singer

Cam Cam or CAM may refer to: Science and technology * Cam (mechanism), a mechanical linkage which translates motion * Camshaft, a shaft with a cam * Camera or webcam, a device that records images or video In computing * Computer-aided manufacturin ...

in 2017. Richardson heard Cam perform the song at the Grand Ole Opry while she was playing in the house band and she liked it so much that she decided to bring it to Sister Sadie. The song is a rebuttal to

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 ...

's “Jolene”. Roberts takes the lead on Sister Sadie’s version while Britt and Meyer provide the backing vocals. That same month, Meyer departed the band and Dani Flowers joined on guitar and vocals.

No Fear (2023-present)

In 2023, Ciaccio departed and the group was joined by bassist Maddie Dalton. For Dalton, working on the latest Sister Sadie album was her first experience playing the bass in a professional setting. Flowers was a longtime friend of the band and said that joining “a band full of women that I already love was a great way to get back into playing music” after taking time off from music to focus on family. Dalton won the 2023 IBMA Momentum Award for Instrumentalist of the Year and Roberts was recognized as the SPBGMA Female Vocalist of the Year. On March 8, 2023 the band released the bluegrass break up song “Well”, before releasing another single called “Willow” on August 24. “Willow” was co-written by

Ashley McBryde Ashley Dyan McBryde (born July 29, 1983) is an American country music singer–songwriter. She grew up in Arkansas and she was drawn to various types of music from a young age. She also developed a passion for writing songs and later moved to Nash ...

and features guest performers Tristan Scroggins on mandolin, Seth Taylor on guitar, and

Tony Creasman Tony Creasman is a professional session drummer and percussionist. Creasman has played on various albums and songs for many different artists. He resides in North Carolina and does most of his session work at Crossroads Studios in Arden, North ...

on drums. McBryde said that Sister Sadie was the “best thing to ever happen to” the song. In October, the band released a music video for “Willow." At the beginning of the next year, they released another single called “Cannonball”. “Cannonball” is a mid-tempo bluegrass song that was written a decade earlier by Flowers and Paul Sikes. This song debuted at #1 on the Bluegrass Today Airplay Chart. On January 26, 2024, Sister Sadie’s third album ''No Fear'' came out on Mountain Home Music Company. The album is a mix of bluegrass, traditional

, and

with some

pop Pop or POP may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * Pop music, a musical genre Artists * POP, a Japanese idol group now known as Gang Parade * Pop! (British group), a UK pop group * Pop! featuring Angie Hart, an Australian band Album ...

and

rock Rock most often refers to: * Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids * Rock music, a genre of popular music Rock or Rocks may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wale ...

thrown in. It also contains electric guitar, piano, drums, and a

B-3 organ The Hammond organ is an electric organ invented by Laurens Hammond and John M. Hanert, first manufactured in 1935. Multiple models have been produced, most of which use sliding drawbars to vary sounds. Until 1975, sound was created from rotat ...

while still showcasing the three-part harmonies Sister Sadie has come to be known for. The Bluegrass Situation described the album as combining “the high lonesome sound of bluegrass with a blend of country and pop sensibilities a la

The Chicks The Chicks (formerly the Dixie Chicks) are an American country music band from Dallas, Texas. The band consists of Natalie Maines (lead vocals, guitar, bass guitar) and sisters Martie Maguire (vocals, fiddle, mandolin, guitar) and Emily Strayer ...

Little Big Town Little Big Town is an American country music vocal group from Homewood, Alabama. Founded in 1998, the group has had the same four members since its founding: Karen Fairchild, Kimberly Schlapman (née Roads), Phillip Sweet, and Jimi Westbrook. Fa ...

, or

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." Referring to the new album, Richardson said that they didn’t go into the project with one genre in mind and that “there’s a space for bluegrass meets Americana meets country meets pop—that’s what I’m manifesting”. The project includes a cover of " Diane", a 2017 song by country artist

. New member Rainy Miatke joined the group on vocals and mandolin in December 2024. Dalton left the group in March 2025 to focus on her own career.

Musical style and legacy

Sister Sadie is generally considered a bluegrass band but their music doesn’t necessarily stick to one genre. Richardson says that their “dream” is for “someone to not try to label or pigeonhole” their music. She said that they don’t go into the studio with a specific genre in mind, they just try to write good songs. Flowers said that they do what “serves the song” versus trying to put the songs into a box that they may not fit into. Each member of Sister Sadie is a songwriter and they all contribute to writing, arranging, playing, and singing the songs on their albums. According to Richardson, every time a new member joins the band “It changes the vibe. It changes the feel. It changes the vocals. It changes everything”. Britt says they never planned on being an all-female band, “we kind of just got together as friends and as something fun, but when we did it clicked, and we thought ‘this is pretty cool.’ The band evolved from that. I want us all to be respected for our musicality, musicianship, and vocals, regardless of whether we’re male or female." Richardson, who is a gay woman, says she has never had an issue and that she doesn’t feel like “being women has really hindered us…We’ve got a great career. For me and us, I don’t feel like it’s ever been an issue. I know it has been for lots of people, but we just try to stay positive and give it hell and see what happens."

Band Members

Current members

* Deanie Richardson – fiddle (2012-current) * Gena Britt – banjo, vocals (2012-current) * Jaelee Roberts – guitar, vocals (2020-current) * Dani Flowers – guitar, vocals (2022-current) * Rainey Miatke – mandolin, vocals (2024-current) * Katie Blomarz-Kimball - Bass (2025-current)

Former members

– guitar & vocals (2012-2020) * Tina Adair – mandolin, vocals (2012-2021) * Beth Lawrence – bass (2012-2019) * Hasee Ciaccio – bass (2019-2023) * Mary Meyer – mandolin, vocals (2021-2022) * Maddie Dalton – bass, vocals (2023-2025)

Discography

Awards and nominations

Grammy Awards

The

Grammy Awards 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 a ...

are presented annually by the

National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences, Inc. (NARAS), doing business as The Recording Academy, is an American Learned society, learned academy of musicians, producers, recording engineers, and other musical professionals. It is widely kno ...

of the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

for outstanding achievements in the music industry. The awards were established in 1958. Sister Sadie have two nominations. !Ref , - ,

2019 This was the year in which the first known human case of COVID-19 was documented, preceding COVID-19 pandemic, the pandemic which was declared by the World Health Organization the following year. Up to that point, 2019 had been described as ...

, ''Sister Sadie II'' , rowspan=2, Best Bluegrass Album , , , - ,

2025 So far, the year has seen the continuation of major armed conflicts, including the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Sudanese civil war (2023–present), Sudanese civil war, and the Gaza war. Internal crises in Bangladesh post-resignation v ...

, ''No Fear'' , ,

IBMA Awards

The

International Bluegrass Music Awards The International Bluegrass Music Awards is an award show for bluegrass music presented by the International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA). Awards are voted based on professional membership in the IBMA. Award winners 2021 award winners The ...

are presented annually by 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 ...

of the

for achievements in the bluegrass field. The awards were established in 1990. Sister Sadie have seven wins. !Ref , - , 2017 , rowspan=2, Sister Sadie , rowspan=2, Emerging Artist of the Year , , , - , 2018 , , , - , rowspan=2, 2019 , ''Sister Sadie II'' , Album of the Year , , rowspan=2, , - , rowspan=2, Sister Sadie , Vocal Group of the Year , , - , rowspan=5, 2020 , Entertainer of the Year , , rowspan=5, , - , Dale Ann Bradley , Female Vocalist of the Year , , - , Deanie Richardson , Fiddle Player of the Year , , - , Gena Britt , Banjo Player of the Year , , - , rowspan=2, Sister Sadie , rowspan=2, Vocal Group of the Year , , - , rowspan=3, 2021 , , rowspan=3, , - , Deanie Richardson , Fiddle Player of the Year , , - , rowspan=2, Gena Britt , rowspan=2, Banjo Player of the Year , , - , rowspan=5, 2022 , , rowspan=5, , - , Jaelee Roberts , Female Vocalist of the Year , , - , Deanie Richardson , Fiddle Player of the Year , , - , rowspan=2, Sister Sadie , Vocal Group of the Year , , - , Entertainer of the Year , , - , rowspan=4, 2023 , "Diane" , Song of the Year , , rowspan=4, , - , Jaelee Roberts , Female Vocalist of the Year , , - , Deanie Richardson , Fiddle Player of the Year , , - , rowspan=3, Sister Sadie , rowspan=2, Vocal Group of the Year , , - , rowspan=8, 2024 , , rowspan=8, , - , Entertainer of the Year , , - , Jaelee Roberts , Female Vocalist of the Year , , - , Deanie Robertson , Fiddle Player of the Year , , - , Gena Britt , Banjo Player of the Year , , - , ''No Fear'' , Album of the Year , , - , rowspan=2, "Willow" , Song of the Year , , - , Music Video of the Year ,

References

External links

Band website

Sister Sadie
discography at

Discogs Discogs ( ; short for " discographies") is a database of information about audio recordings, including commercial releases, promotional releases, and bootleg or off-label releases. Database contents are user-generated, and described in ''T ...

{{Authority control American bluegrass music groups Musical groups from Nashville, Tennessee