Doyle Lawson, founder and leader of the bluegrass band Quicksilver, has been in the bluegrass music field for over 41 years. He began as the banjo player for Jimmy Martin and the Sunny Mountain Boys. A few years later he became the guitar player for J.D. Crowe & the Kentucky Mountain Boys. In 1971 he joined the Country Gentlemenfor an eight year stint that established Doyle as a renowned tenor singer, mandolin player, producer and arranger.

Bluegrass music changed forever in 1979 when Doyle formed the band Quicksilver at a time when the influences of “newgrass” and “new acoustic” music had pushed instrumental prowess to the forefront. Doyle single-handedly brought harmony singing back into the bluegrass spotlight. Doyle’s sound, which emphasizes smooth, intricate, astonishingly perfect harmonies, innovative song arrangement, and stunning instrumental work, has been a model for countless progressive bluegrass bands of the 1980s, 1990s, and now into the 21st century.

Gospel quartet singing is the strong suit of the Quicksilver repertoire, and Doyle is a master at discovering and revitalizing obscure material from old hymnbooks and early records. His release of “Rock My Soul” in 1981 set the standard for bluegrass quartet singing. Doyle’s all a cappella collection, “Heaven’s Joy Awaits,” was released in 1987 and remains a best seller. The 1997 release of “Kept & Protected” was voted Gospel Recording of the Year by Bluegrass Now’s Fan Choice Awards and was nominated for a Dove Award. The band’s 1998 release, “Gospel Radio Gems” is reminiscent of the early days of radio. “Winding Through Life” was a 1999 Grammy nominee and “Nothing Can Touch Me’ from this recording was a 1999 Dove nominee. “Winding Through Life” was also voted the IBMA 2000 “Gospel Recorded Performance of the Year.”

The awards just keep rolling in for Doyle Lawson and Quicksilver. They have been selected as the IBMA “Vocal Group of the Year” for the last three consecutive years. The project “Hard Game of Love” produced the IBMA 2003 Song of the Year Award for “Blue Train” and, from the same project, “The Hand Made Cross” won the Gospel Recorded Performance of the Year. His latest release is an all gospel collection of songs recorded in the 40s, 50s and 60s in bluegrass and country music and is entitled simply “Thank God.”

Perhaps the major milestone for Doyle is the upcoming 25th anniversary of the founding of Quicksilver, with a celebration to be held in Nashville at the War Memorial Auditorium on April 1st. The concert will reunite Doyle with a number of former Quicksilver members and promises to be an amazing evening of music.

Doyle recently spoke about his career and plans for the future, including an upcoming return to Japan, with our occasional Bluegrass Overnight host Bob Webster. Listen to the interview and enjoy some songs from Doyle’s huge collection.