Doyle Lawson - Biography
By Marcus Kagler
Bluegrass and gospel troubadour Doyle Lawson may have become a master of the bluegrass genre by studying at the feet of the legendary Bill Monroe, but during the lean bluegrass years of the 80’s it was Lawson and his band Quicksilver who arguably kept the genre alive and vital. After rededicating his life Jesus Christ in 1985, Lawson began mixing African-American inspired gospel harmonies with a tight finger picking style that reinvigorated the lagging bluegrass sound and inspired a whole new generation of bluegrass musicians. Today, Lawson is considered one of the pre-eminent mandolin players in the world, an art which he honed over an extensive 40 year career.
Born in Ford Town, Tennessee on April 20, 1944, Lawson grew up to the sounds of Bill Monroe’s performances on the Grand Ole Opry radio show. At age 11, Lawson began teaching himself how to play the mandolin after he was lent one of the instruments via local player Willis Byrd. Self-taught mastery of the guitar and banjo soon followed and it wasn’t long before Lawson began to pursue a music career in earnest. The burgeoning musician relocated to Nashville, Tennessee in 1963 to join Jimmy Martin & the Sunny Mountain Boys as a banjo player. Three years later Lawson moved to Lexington, Kentucky to join JD Crowe & the Kentucky Mountain Boys, making his recording debut with the group in 1968 for the Bluegrass Holiday (Lemco) album featuring vocalist Red Allen. Lawson stayed with JD Crowe until 1971 when he joined The Country Gentlemen as a mandolin player. After 8 years and ten albums as a Country Gentlemen, Lawson decided it was time to start his own outfit and he formed Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver in 1979 with guitarist Jimmy Haley, bassist Lou Reid, and banjo player Terry Baucom. Although Lawson had released his first solo full length, Tennessee Dream (County) in 1977, most consider the first Quicksilver full length, Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver (1980 Sugar Hill) to be his true debut outing. The precise and complex gospel/bluegrass tracks of Heavenly Treasures (1981 Sugar Hill) featured a flair for gospel arrangements and pedal steel accompaniments that was a hit in the southern Christian community. By 1985, Lawson had converted to Christianity and stopped releasing secular music to focus on his wildly popular gospel/bluegrass albums. Although the Quicksilver line-up changed numerous times throughout subsequent years, Lawson always commanded only top of the line players and is still a notorious task master when it comes to rehearsals and live shows. The group continued to release more gospel tinged albums than bluegrass inspired ones, but by the late 90’s many of his secular bluegrass recordings from the early 80’s were remastered and re-released.
Lawson made a triumphant comeback to secular recordings with Hard Game Of Love (2002 Sugar Hill), a straight up bluegrass album featuring Larson’s signature harmonies, the album was an instant commercial and critical success, and marked the return of bluegrass’s prodigal son. Throughout the coming years Lawson mingled gospel releases and more secular fare with great success while still managing to curate the Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver Festival every year in Denton, North Carolina.