Blue Highway has been identified as one of the super groups in the bluegrass community. They have been together for ten years and today perform with the original members: Tim Stafford on guitar and vocals, Rob Ickes on Dobro, Shawn Lane on vocals, mandolin and fiddle, Wayne Taylor on vocals and bass, and Jason Burleson who returned to the band in September 2000 as the original banjo player and bass vocals.

Tim Stafford has played and recorded in the Alison Krauss & Union Station band. Rob Ickes has been the IBMA Dobro Player of the Year for several years and can also be found on the Three Pickers CD and DVD with Earl Scruggs, Doc Watson and Ricky Skaggs. Shawn Lane previously toured with Ricky Skaggs and Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver. He co-writes many songs. Wayne Taylor, a relatively late comer to life as a musician, also writes many of the key songs for the band and has overcome severe health problems to remain as a key sound of the band. Jason Burleson learned banjo in his native North Carolina, the home state of so many bluegrass banjo players who call Earl their hero. Tim, Shawn, and Rob all have solo projects available as well.

Not only did their distinctive sound fall into place very quickly, having recorded prior to really having much lined up in the way of shows and concerts, they have picked up numerous IBMA and SPGMA awards along the way. In 2003 they were nominated for a Grammy Award of their first gospel project and just recently won the Bluegrass Album of the Year category in the Dove Awards for their Wondrous Love collection.

Blue Highway was in Arlington, Virginia for an April concert at the Spectrum Theater sponsored by the Cultural Affairs Division of Arlington County. During this time, all members of the band spoke with emcee Bob Webster, our occasional Bluegrass Overnight host. The interview is very relaxed, fun, and covers some history of the band, their individual projects and plans for future releases, as well as some of the meaningful stories that have come their way as a result of fans being touched by some of their songs. Listen and learn how Rebel Records took a chance on this band at the outset and where that’s taken them.