DOYLE LAWSON BIOGRAPHY, MINISTRY, NET WORTH, & LESSONS FROM HIS LIFE
DOYLE LAWSON BIOGRAPHY, MINISTRY, NET WORTH, & LESSONS FROM HIS LIFE
DOYLE LAWSON BIOGRAPHY
Doyle Lawson is an American traditional bluegrass and Southern gospel music minister. He is popularly known as a mandolin player, vocalist, and the head of a group called Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver. In 2012, he was received into the International Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame.
EARLY LIFE AND BACKGROUND
He was born on the 20th of April, 1944 to Leonard and Minnie Lawson in Fordtown, Sullivan County, Tennessee. the family moved in 1954 to Sneedville. He listened to Grand Ole Opry on Saturday nights while growing up.
Doyle Lawson showed interest in playing the mandolin at the age of seven when he heard mandolinist Bill Monroe – the founding father of bluegrass and the Blue Grass Boys. His father borrowed a mandolin from a family friend Willis Byrd.
As a kid with never give up spirit, Lawson taught himself how to play the mandolin just by listening to radio and records, and also watching TV programs occasionally. With time, he learned how to play guitar and banjo.
MUSIC MINISTRY
He went to play the banjo in 1963 with Jimmy Martin and the Sunny Mountain Boys. He later started playing with J.D. Crowe and the Kentucky Mountain Boys in Lexington, Kentucky in 1966. By the year 1969, he returned to play mandolin and also sing tenor with Martin for six months and later with Crowe till August 1971.
Lawson started playing with The Country Gentlemen in 1971 and was part of the group for good eight years.
DOYLE LAWSON & QUICKSILVER
He formed the group previously known as Doyle Lawson and Foxfire within a month with Jimmy Haley on guitar, Lou Reid on bass, and Terry Baucom on banjo. It was later changed to Doyle Lawson and Quicksilver. Via Sugar Hill Records, he released the album “Rock My Soul” in 1981 and it became a landmark bluegrass gospel project.
The band won song of the year at the International Bluegrass Music Awards for Little Mountain Church House in 1989. At the 39th Annual Grammy Award in 1997, the song “There’s a Light Guiding Me” was nominated for Best Southern Gospel, Country Gospel, or Bluegrass Gospel Album. The group has toured several festival concerts and other musical events.
The band became the first bluegrass band to perform at the National Quartet Convention in 1998. They performed in Ontario, Canada in June 2001 and also in June 2015.
Lawson composed most of the songs and tunes for the band.
BAND MEMBERS
Original
- Doyle Lawson-mandolin, vocal
- Jimmy Haley-guitar, vocal (1979-1985)
- Lou Reid-bass, vocal (1979-1982)
- Terry Baucom-banjo, vocal (1979-1985, 2003-2007)
Final
- Doyle Lawson-mandolin, vocal
- Eli Johnston-banjo, vocal (2013-2018, 2020-2021)
- Stephen Burwell-fiddle (2014-2020, 2021)
- Jerry Cole-bass, guitar, vocal (2018-2021)
- Matt Flake-fiddle, bass, vocal (2020-2021)
- Ben James-guitar, vocal (2020-2021)
Other past members
- Randy Graham-bass, vocal (1982-1985)
- Russell Moore-guitar, vocal (1985-1991)
- Scott Vestal-banjo, vocal (1985-1988)
- Curtis Vestal-bass, vocal (1985-1986)
- Ray Deaton-bass, vocal (1986-1991)
- Jim Mills-banjo, vocal (1988-1992)
- Mike Hartgrove-fiddle (1989-1991, 2005-2007)
- John Bowman-guitar, vocal (1991-1992)
- Shelton Feazell-bass, vocal (1991-1993)
- Shawn Lane-fiddle, guitar, vocal (1992-1994)
- Jimmy Stewart-dobro, fiddle (1992-1994)
- Brad Campbell-banjo, vocal (1992-1994)
- John Berry-bass, vocal (1993-1994)
- Barry Abernathy-banjo, vocal (1994-1998)
- Dale Perry-bass, banjo, vocal (1994-2003, 2009-2011)
- Steve Gulley-guitar, vocal (1994-1996)
- Owen Saunders-fiddle (1994-1997)
- Barry Scott-guitar, bass, vocal (1996-2005)
- Jim VanCleve-fiddle (1997-1998)
- Doug Bartlett-fiddle, vocal (1998-2001)
- Jamie Dailey-bass, guitar, vocal (1998-2007)
- Hunter Berry-fiddle (2001-2002)
- Jesse Stockman-fiddle (2002-2005)
- Jess Barry-fiddle (2002-2003)
- Darren Beachley-bass, guitar, vocal (2005-2009)
- Alan Johnson-fiddle, vocal (2007-2008)
- Joey Cox-banjo (2007-2009)
- Carl White-bass, drums, vocal (2007-2009, 2011-2012)
- Josh Swift-dobro, vocal (2007-2020)
- Brandon Godman-fiddle (2008-2009)
- Jason Barie-fiddle (2009-2014)
- Corey Hensley-guitar, bass, vocal (2009-2013)
- Jason Leek-bass, vocal (2009-2010)
- Mike Rogers-guitar, vocal (2010-2013)
- Jessie Baker-banjo (2011-2012)
- Joe Dean-banjo, vocal (2012-2020)
- Dustin Pyrtle-guitar, vocal (2013-2018)
- Jake Vanover-guitar, vocal (2018-2020)
SONGS BY HIM
- I Won’t Have To Worry Anymore
- Eternity Has Two
- God Sent An Angel
- On The Sea Of Life
- Girl From West Virginia
- I Saw Him Walk Out Of The Sky
- Beyond The Sunset For Me
- The Little Mountain Church House
- Lead Me To That Fountain
MARITAL AND RELATIONSHIP STATUS
Lawson got married to Suzanne Lawson in 1978. The couple is blessed with a son and two daughters. He rededicated his life to Christ in May 1985.
AWARDS AND RECOGNITIONS
He received the 2006 National Heritage Fellowship award by the National Endowment for the Arts. It is the United States government’s highest honor in the folk and traditional arts.
NET WORTH
He is estimated to be around $1 million – $10 million as of this post.
LESSONS FROM HIS LIFE
One of the greatest lessons every believer should learn from his life is to have God do things His way. Whatever He has called you to do, He will make a room for you there. God bless you. Shalom!
