Grammy-winning fiddler Jim VanCleve, co-founder of Appalachian Road Show, was inducted into the National Fiddler Hall of Fame on October 4 during a concert at the Appalachian Theatre of the High Country in Boone, North Carolina. Newgrass musician Sam Bush was also inducted at the event, and fellow Hall of Fame member Stuart Duncan made a surprise appearance to present VanCleve’s award, according to the announcement.
VanCleve, who began performing as a teenager with Lou Reid & Carolina before joining Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver, went on to help found Mountain Heart in 1998 and Appalachian Road Show in 2018. He has recorded or performed with artists including Doc Watson, Tony Rice, Alison Krauss, Willie Nelson and Dolly Parton, and his composition “Nature of the Beast” received a Grammy nomination, per his bio.
The induction comes as Appalachian Road Show’s album “Della Jane’s Heart,” released on Billy Blue Records, is nominated for Album of the Year at the IBMA Bluegrass Music Awards, with the band also up for Instrumental Group of the Year. Winners will be announced October 22 in Chattanooga, Tennessee.
Based on a press release provided to Music Industry Weekly by 2911 Media Alert, 2911.us.