Tony Rice (born David Anthony Rice in Danville, Virginia, on June 8, 1951; … Read Full Bio ↴Tony Rice (born David Anthony Rice in Danville, Virginia, on June 8, 1951; died December 25, 2020 in Reidsville) was an American bluegrass guitarist, singer and songwriter (earlier in his career he was also an excellent bluegrass singer). He was an influential acoustic guitar player in the genres of bluegrass, progressive bluegrass, newgrass and flattop acoustic jazz. He was inducted into the International Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame in 2013.
As well as his solo recordings and as The Tony Rice Unit, he was a founding member of The David Grisman Quintet (setting the guitar standard for the bluegrass-jazz fusion music often called Dawg after the bearded facial appearance of David Grisman) and The Bluegrass Album Band. He has also recorded as Ricky Skaggs & Tony Rice, Norman Blake & Tony Rice, Tony Rice & David Grisman, Tony Rice & John Carlini, Jerry Garcia, David Grisman & Tony Rice, Peter Rowan & Tony Rice, and John Hartford, Tony Rice & Vassar Clements.
Rice spanned the range of acoustic music, from straight-ahead bluegrass to jazz-influenced new acoustic music, to songwriter-oriented folk. He is remembered as perhaps the greatest innovator in acoustic flatpicked guitar since Clarence White. Over the course of his career, he played alongside J.D. Crowe and the New South, David Grisman (during the formation of “Dawg Music”), led his own groups, collaborated with fellow picker Norman Blake and recorded with his brothers. He recorded with drums, piano, soprano sax, and with straight-ahead bluegrass instrumentation.
Rice was born in Danville, Virginia but grew up in California, where he was introduced to bluegrass by his father. He and his brothers learned a lot from hot L.A. pickers like the Kentucky Colonels, led by Roland and Clarence White. Crossing paths with fellow enthusiasts like Ry Cooder, Herb Pederson and Chris Hillman reinforced the strength of the music he had learned from his father.
In 1970, Rice moved back to Kentucky where he played with the Bluegrass Alliance, and shortly thereafter, J.D. Crowe’s New South. The New South was known as one of the best and most progressive bluegrass groups - even adding drums and electric instruments. But when Ricky Skaggs joined up in 1974, the band recorded J.D. Crowe & the New South, an acoustic album that became Rounder’s top-seller up to that time. With Rice on guitar and vocals, Crowe on banjo and vocals, Jerry Douglas on Dobro, Skaggs on fiddle and mandolin and Bobby Slone on bass, the band’s energy, as well as their instrumental and vocal drive have rarely been matched.
Around this time Rice met mandolinist David Grisman, who played with Red Allen during the ‘60s and was now working on some original material that blended jazz, bluegrass and classical styles. Rice left the New South and moved to California to join Grisman’s all instrumental group. As part of the David Grisman Quintet, Rice expanded his horizons beyond three chord bluegrass, studying chord theory, learning to read charts and expanding the range of his playing.
In 1979, he left the group to pursue his own music. He recorded Acoustics, a guitar-oriented record, and then Manzanita which collected some favorite folk and bluegrass vocals. In 1980, Rice, Crowe, Bobby Hicks, Doyle Lawson and Todd Phillips formed a highly successful coalition, attacking bluegrass standards under the name the Bluegrass Album Band. This group recorded six volumes of music.
Rice’s solo career hit its stride with Cold on the Shoulder, a collection of bluegrass vocals. With this album, Native American and Me & My Guitar, Rice arrived at a formula that incorporated his disparate influences, combining bluegrass, the songwriting of folk artists like Ian Tyson, Joni Mitchell, Phil Ochs and especially Gordon Lightfoot, with nimble, jazz-inflected guitar work. Simultaneously, he pursued his jazz and experimental “spacegrass” with the Tony Rice Unit on Mar West, Still Inside and Backwaters.
Two highly regarded albums with traditional guitar virtuoso Norman Blake gained a great deal of acclaim, as well as two Rice Brother albums that reunited him with his younger brother, Wyatt. Tony Rice remained one of bluegrass’ top instrumentalists and singers, bringing originality and vitality to everything he played.
Official Website: Tony Rice
As well as his solo recordings and as The Tony Rice Unit, he was a founding member of The David Grisman Quintet (setting the guitar standard for the bluegrass-jazz fusion music often called Dawg after the bearded facial appearance of David Grisman) and The Bluegrass Album Band. He has also recorded as Ricky Skaggs & Tony Rice, Norman Blake & Tony Rice, Tony Rice & David Grisman, Tony Rice & John Carlini, Jerry Garcia, David Grisman & Tony Rice, Peter Rowan & Tony Rice, and John Hartford, Tony Rice & Vassar Clements.
Rice spanned the range of acoustic music, from straight-ahead bluegrass to jazz-influenced new acoustic music, to songwriter-oriented folk. He is remembered as perhaps the greatest innovator in acoustic flatpicked guitar since Clarence White. Over the course of his career, he played alongside J.D. Crowe and the New South, David Grisman (during the formation of “Dawg Music”), led his own groups, collaborated with fellow picker Norman Blake and recorded with his brothers. He recorded with drums, piano, soprano sax, and with straight-ahead bluegrass instrumentation.
Rice was born in Danville, Virginia but grew up in California, where he was introduced to bluegrass by his father. He and his brothers learned a lot from hot L.A. pickers like the Kentucky Colonels, led by Roland and Clarence White. Crossing paths with fellow enthusiasts like Ry Cooder, Herb Pederson and Chris Hillman reinforced the strength of the music he had learned from his father.
In 1970, Rice moved back to Kentucky where he played with the Bluegrass Alliance, and shortly thereafter, J.D. Crowe’s New South. The New South was known as one of the best and most progressive bluegrass groups - even adding drums and electric instruments. But when Ricky Skaggs joined up in 1974, the band recorded J.D. Crowe & the New South, an acoustic album that became Rounder’s top-seller up to that time. With Rice on guitar and vocals, Crowe on banjo and vocals, Jerry Douglas on Dobro, Skaggs on fiddle and mandolin and Bobby Slone on bass, the band’s energy, as well as their instrumental and vocal drive have rarely been matched.
Around this time Rice met mandolinist David Grisman, who played with Red Allen during the ‘60s and was now working on some original material that blended jazz, bluegrass and classical styles. Rice left the New South and moved to California to join Grisman’s all instrumental group. As part of the David Grisman Quintet, Rice expanded his horizons beyond three chord bluegrass, studying chord theory, learning to read charts and expanding the range of his playing.
In 1979, he left the group to pursue his own music. He recorded Acoustics, a guitar-oriented record, and then Manzanita which collected some favorite folk and bluegrass vocals. In 1980, Rice, Crowe, Bobby Hicks, Doyle Lawson and Todd Phillips formed a highly successful coalition, attacking bluegrass standards under the name the Bluegrass Album Band. This group recorded six volumes of music.
Rice’s solo career hit its stride with Cold on the Shoulder, a collection of bluegrass vocals. With this album, Native American and Me & My Guitar, Rice arrived at a formula that incorporated his disparate influences, combining bluegrass, the songwriting of folk artists like Ian Tyson, Joni Mitchell, Phil Ochs and especially Gordon Lightfoot, with nimble, jazz-inflected guitar work. Simultaneously, he pursued his jazz and experimental “spacegrass” with the Tony Rice Unit on Mar West, Still Inside and Backwaters.
Two highly regarded albums with traditional guitar virtuoso Norman Blake gained a great deal of acclaim, as well as two Rice Brother albums that reunited him with his younger brother, Wyatt. Tony Rice remained one of bluegrass’ top instrumentalists and singers, bringing originality and vitality to everything he played.
Official Website: Tony Rice
Jerusalem Ridge
Tony Rice Lyrics
We have lyrics for these tracks by Tony Rice:
Ain't Nobody Gonna Miss Me When I'm Gone Once I had a little sweetheart I love dearly We planned…
Banks Of The Ohio I asked my love to take a walk Just to…
Bitter Green Upon the bitter green she walked the hills above the…
Blackberry Blossom Can you tell me what happened to the blossom Blackberry blos…
Brown Mountain Light In the days of the old covered wagons, where they camped…
Bugle Call Rag You're bound to fall for the bugle call; You're gonna brag…
Carolina Star Back in the hills oh slow rollin' hills Where North…
Changes Sit by my side, come as close as the air Share…
Church Street Blues Lord I been hangin' out of town in that low…
Doing My Time On (I) this old rock (IV) pile with a ball…
Don't Give Your Heart to a Rambler Don't fall in love with me darling I'm a rambler Although…
Early Morning Rain In the early morning rain with a dollar in my…
Freeborn Man Well, I was born in the Southland Twenty-some odd years ago …
Galveston Flood It was the year of 1900 that was 80 years…
Girl From The North Country If you're traveling till the north country fair Where the wi…
Good Woman I was a rover on land and on sea…
Greenlight On The Southern Standing on the sidetrack at the south end of town On…
Hard Love Well, I remember growing up like it was only yesterday Mom…
He Rode All the Way to Texas He rode all the way to Texas on an old…
How Mountain Girls Can Love Riding the night in the high cold winds On the…
I I've waited for you and I've always been true But this…
I Think It Broken windows and empty hallways A pale dead moon in the…
I've Waited As Long As I Can I've waited for you and I've always been true But this…
John Wilkes Booth John Wilkes Booth was a southern man, Born of an actor…
Knockin Come take this badge off of me I can't wear it…
Long Black Veil Ten years ago, on a cold dark night Someone was killed,…
Me And My Guitar I'm gonna lay down my old guitar Gonna…
Mr. Engineer I'm gonna catch me a freight train Lord I'm leaving this…
Never Meant to Be In the darkness of the night, All I hear is a…
Nine Pound Hammer Well, the nine pound hammer is a little too heavy It's…
On And On Traveling down this long lonesome highway I'm so lonesome I …
On Green Dolphin Street It seems like a dream, yet I know it happened A…
One More Night There's more pretty girls than one More pretty girls than on…
Pony I've seen it all, boys I've been all over Been everywhere …
Shadows Let me reach out love and touch you, let me…
Shady Grove Peaches in the summertime Apples in the fall If I can't have…
Streets of London Have you seen the old man In the closed-down market Kicking …
Summertime Summertime and the livin' is easy Fish are jumpin' and the…
Swing Low Sweet Chariot I looked over Jordan and what did I see? Comin' for…
The Walls of Time The wind is blowing 'cross the mountains And out on the…
This Morning At Nine Oh it's raining, raining, raining here this morning As I…
Tipper te la tiene sentenciada Te dieron ganas de destrozarme el c…
Urge For Going Well, I woke up today and found The frost perched on…
Walls The wind is blowing 'cross the mountains And out on the…
Why You Been Gone So Long Every time it rains Lord I run to my window All…
Wreck Of The Edmund Fitzgerald The legend lives on from the Chippewa on down Of the…
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@williambutler8624
I know this is older video, but this is one of the most beautiful tunes I have ever heard, this is true talent, all are amazing musicians, this is real music 🎶 hope Tony is at peace in Heaven, he will always be with us with his true gift of music, thanks to everyone who made this video and recording possible, it brings alot of joy to everyone who loves music 🎶.
@liamogrady2277
RIP Tony Rice God must have needed another picker in his all star lineup , one of my favorite bluegrass tunes
@patsyforbus
Beautiful grew up in alabama my parents were bluegrass musicians my daddy was fiddler sang tenor my brother guitar my mother piano organ harmonica always music in our old farmhouse my heritage will always love bluegrass
@mitchmatthews6713
RIP Tony, your influence will never be doubted.
@vedicapproach8105
RIP to the legendary Tony Rice. See you over yonder ridge~
@johnnyvannoy8931
The finest playing there is and possibly may ever be .
@jerrywells9222
Best mandolin breaks I’ve ever heard on this song. Every instrument played with near perfect taste.
@courtney6303
Favorite song of all time
@dixierose5492
Tony Rice is the best. What an incredible musician.
@joroberts743
can't get enough of this song.