Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver Biography
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 Doyle Wayne Lawson, 20 April 1944, Fordtown, near Kingsport, Tennessee, USA. Lawson’s father sang in a gospel quartet and he was attracted to both gospel and bluegrass music as a child. By the time he reached his teens, he could play mandolin, banjo and guitar but captivated by Bill Monroe’s playing, he specialized in the former. He began his professional career in 1963, playing banjo with Jimmy Martin’s Sunny Mountain Boys. In 1966, he began an association with J.D. Crowe, first playing guitar but soon becoming the mandolinist with Crowe’s Kentucky Mountain Boys and, in the late 60s, he played on two albums with Crowe and also recorded with Red Allen for Rebel. He joined the Country Gentlemen in 1971, and remained a member until 1979. During this time, he toured to Japan and Europe, recorded 10 albums with the group and also recorded a solo mandolin instrumental album.
In 1979, Lawson left the Country Gentlemen and formed his own group, Quicksilver, which initially comprised Lawson, Terry Baucom (banjo), Jimmy Haley (guitar) and Lou Reid (bass). Over the years, there have been several changes of personnel. They recorded their debut, Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver, for Sugar Hill Records and followed it, throughout the 80s, with a series of albums, some gospel, some bluegrass, but eventually the albums were a mixture of both genres. Guest musicians on recordings have included Sam Bush, Mike Auldridge and Jerry Douglas. The group was noted for their harmonies and a cappella singing and onHeaven’s Joy Awaits, they included no musical accompaniment. During the 80s, Lawson also recorded a series of five albums for Rounder Records with J.D. Crowe, Tony Rice and Bobby Hicks as the Bluegrass Album Band. In 1990, Lawson moved his recording work to Brentwood Music, but had returned to the Sugar Hill label by the middle of the decade. He remains a very active and respected figure in bluegrass and gospel music.
Source: The Encyclopedia of Popular Music by Colin Larkin. Licensed from Muze.
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Doyle Wayne Lawson, 20 April 1944, Fordtown, near Kingsport, Tennessee, USA. Lawson’s father sang in a gospel quartet and he was attracted to both gospel and bluegrass music as a child. By the time he reached his teens, he could play mandolin, banjo and guitar but captivated by Bill Monroe’s playing, he specialized in the former. He began his professional career in 1963, playing banjo with Jimmy Martin’s Sunny Mountain Boys. In 1966, he began an association with J.D. Crowe, first playing guitar but soon becoming the mandolinist with Crowe’s Kentucky Mountain Boys and, in the late 60s, he played on two albums with Crowe and also recorded with Red Allen for Rebel. He joined the Country Gentlemen in 1971, and remained a member until 1979. During this time, he toured to Japan and Europe, recorded 10 albums with the group and also recorded a solo mandolin instrumental album.