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scenario." Melton and Pruett had performed together as members of
Whitewater Bluegrass Company, and band members had recorded on solo efforts by Melton, Nicholson, and Surrett. Inspiration for a band name came from the Great Balsam Range, which surrounds their home county. "We thought it was a little pretentious to have 'great' in there, so we just stripped that off of it and called us Balsam Range," Melton says. From their initial recording sessions came
127:(IMBA) Entertainer of the Year award recipients. Their other accolades include IBMA Vocal Group of the Year (2014, 2015), Song of the Year (2011, 2015), and Album of the Year (2013, 2017). Balsam Range consists of its original five members—Buddy Melton on fiddle and lead vocals; Darren Nicholson on mandolin and vocals; Tim Surrett on upright bass, resonator guitar, and vocals; Caleb Smith on guitar and vocals; and
318:, in the group's home county. The festival, created with the goal of inviting Balsam Range fans from all over the world to visit their home of western North Carolina, now generates upwards of $ 400,000 per year in revenue for Haywood County. The event has featured performances by Hopkins, the Atlanta Pops Orchestra,
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Balsam Range was formed in 2007. "In the beginning, we just got together, five guys from the same county that just wanted to play music together just for the fun of it," said Buddy Melton in a 2018 interview. "We were just living in the same town and happened to be great friends, so it was an ideal
224:. Hopkins heard Balsam Range on bluegrass radio in 2011 and was so impressed, he immediately bought all their music. After making an immediate personal and musical connection upon meeting, they decided to join forces and record an album. The result,
239:
garnered another accolade for the band. Its leadoff single, "Moon Over
Memphis", was named Song of the Year at the 2015 IBMA awards, where the group also took home the Vocal Group of the Year trophy. Balsam Range's next album,
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from 1988 until 1996, and again between 2002 and 2005. In 2014, he won the Mentor of the Year award at the IBMAs for his inspiration and work with young artists.
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National
Bluegrass Survey chart. The project garnered seven IBMA nominations for Balsam Range in 2013, and they walked away with the Album of the Year honor.
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National Bluegrass Survey in September of that year."Trains I Missed", the title song of their third album, earned Balsam Range their first
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Darren
Nicholson (mandolin, vocals) has released four solo albums, including his 2006 self-titled debut, 2014's
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775:"John Driskell Hopkins and Balsam Range Release "Daylight" on Jan 22 | Cybergrass Bluegrass Music News"
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In
December 2016, the band introduced the Balsam Range Art of Music Festival, a two-day event held at
302:, a compilation of gospel recordings from past projects. In 2021, they issued their latest record,
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Bluegrass Chart. The album remained on the chart for five consecutive weeks and appeared on
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Buddy Melton (fiddle, vocals) won Male
Vocalist of the Year at the 2014 and 2018
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Americana Music
Magazine – Bluegrass, Roots, Folk, Blues, and Old-Time
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Heatseekers Chart, Americana/Folk Chart, and Current Country Chart.
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Through their work with
Hopkins, the band became acquainted with the
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904:"2019 Balsam Range Art of Music festival surrounds Haywood in music"
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621:"Balsam Range Interview, Plus Listen to 'The Rambler' Song Premiere"
251:, which provided accompaniment for Balsam Range's next two albums:
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570:"Buddy Melton talks Balsam Range and the evolution of bluegrass"
700:"'Mountain Traditions' concert to benefit Shindig on the Green"
298:, and other publications. Also in 2019, Balsam Range released
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265:, released on January 4, 2019, debuted at number one on the
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His music was used for a dozen years in the outdoor drama
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878:"New album, new festival: Balsam Range is keeping busy"
596:"Newly formed Balsam Range features some of the finest"
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Since 2012, the band has frequently collaborated with
725:"Bluegrass Unlimited - Bluegrass Unlimited content"
185:in 2009, with the title song hitting number one on
410:in 2010, for his contributions to bluegrass music.
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380:who runs his own company, Smith Custom Guitars.
205:, which houses a paper mill, their next album,
119:and acoustic music group founded in 2007 in
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125:International Bluegrass Music Association
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646:Thompson, Richard (September 29, 2007).
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513:"The Girl Who Invented the Wheel" (2018)
369:) has been a member of the gospel group
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386:(banjo) has played on five albums with
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350:(featuring John Driskell Hopkins and
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799:Thompson, Richard (March 21, 2013).
568:Zimmerman, Lee (December 20, 2018).
341:International Bluegrass Music Awards
1000:"Musician Tip No. 61 – Marc Pruett"
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1061:Musical groups established in 2007
876:Hart, Kelsay (November 21, 2016).
801:"New Live Album from Balsam Range"
376:Caleb Smith (guitar, vocals) is a
198:award, Song of the Year, in 2011.
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902:Viau, Carol (December 16, 2019).
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394:and the 1997 Grammy award winner
648:"Balsam Range are Marching Home"
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316:Lake Junaluska, North Carolina
121:Haywood County, North Carolina
35:Haywood County, North Carolina
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954:"Darren Nicholson Music page"
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929:"Recipients & Inductees"
826:"Recipients & Inductees"
750:"Recipients & Inductees"
544:"Recipients & Inductees"
201:Named for their hometown of
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408:Western Carolina University
390:, including his 1974 debut
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674:"Strings Done Differently"
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704:www.smokymountainnews.com
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123:. They are 2014 and 2018
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30:
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427:Last Train to Kitty Hawk
354:, among others), 2018's
183:Last Train to Kitty Hawk
140:Founding and early years
672:admin (June 11, 2018).
525:"Grit and Grace" (2020)
173:Albums and achievements
16:American bluegrass band
483:Atlanta Pops Orchestra
249:Atlanta Pops Orchestra
203:Canton, North Carolina
177:Balsam Range followed
495:The Gospel Collection
449:John Driskell Hopkins
310:Art of Music Festival
300:The Gospel Collection
291:Rolling Stone Country
218:John Driskell Hopkins
851:"Still Riding High!"
522:"Richest Man" (2020)
519:"Get Me Gone" (2018)
455:Live at the Altamont
371:the Kingsmen Quartet
282:was featured in the
230:Live at the Altamont
968:"2014 IBMA Winners"
857:. February 14, 2019
729:Bluegrass Unlimited
516:"Hobo Blues" (2018)
473:It's Christmas Time
365:Tim Surrett (bass,
285:Wall Street Journal
253:It's Christmas Time
211:Bluegrass Unlimited
188:Bluegrass Unlimited
779:www.cybergrass.com
479:Mountain Overture
358:, and the 2023 EP
348:Things Left Undone
1004:Bluegrass Country
627:. January 3, 2019
491:(January 4, 2019)
330:, and many more.
257:Mountain Overture
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304:Moxie and Mettle
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855:Balsam Range
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167:Jerry Salley
155:Doyle Lawson
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113:Balsam Range
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72:Buddy Melton
58:2007–present
54:Years active
25:Balsam Range
18:
415:Discography
384:Marc Pruett
328:Chloe Agnew
129:Marc Pruett
102:balsamrange
85:Marc Pruett
81:Caleb Smith
78:Tim Surrett
1050:Categories
530:References
481:(with the
392:That's It!
324:Shenandoah
151:Joe Diffie
131:on banjo.
48:, acoustic
1018:August 5,
625:Billboard
445:Daylight
439:Papertown
296:Billboard
273:Billboard
268:Billboard
207:Papertown
163:Tony Rice
117:bluegrass
46:Bluegrass
972:The Boot
938:July 13,
913:July 11,
887:July 11,
861:July 11,
835:July 13,
810:July 11,
784:July 11,
759:July 13,
734:July 13,
485:) (2018)
451:) (2012)
360:Wanderer
226:Daylight
709:May 25,
698:Admin.
683:May 11,
657:May 11,
631:May 11,
605:May 11,
594:Admin.
579:May 11,
553:May 10,
508:Singles
378:luthier
135:History
97:Website
67:Members
503:(2021)
497:(2019)
489:Aeonic
475:(2017)
469:(2016)
463:(2014)
457:(2013)
447:(with
441:(2012)
435:(2010)
429:(2009)
423:(2007)
280:Aeonic
263:Aeonic
165:, and
42:Genres
31:Origin
367:dobro
276:'
192:'
181:with
1020:2016
1008:WAMU
940:2020
933:IBMA
915:2020
889:2020
882:WLOS
863:2020
837:2020
830:IBMA
812:2020
786:2020
761:2020
754:IBMA
736:2020
711:2020
685:2020
659:2020
633:2020
607:2020
581:2020
555:2020
548:IBMA
461:Five
237:Five
196:IBMA
104:.com
37:, US
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