The Grass Cats band was originally organized in 1997 as a five-piece band from various parts of North Carolina. Comprised of Russell Johnson on mandolin, Tim Woodall on banjo, Robin Burke on bass, Greg Miller on guitar, and Chris Hill on fiddle, all share vocals from time to time. They play a variety of songs ranging from bluegrass classics of the 1950s and 60s to original material written by Russell, a former member of the band New Vintage. (New Vintage won the Society to Preserve Bluegrass Music in America (SPBGMA) band contestFebruary 1993 and The Pizza Hut International Bluegrass Showdown in September 1993. Readers and listeners are advised this refers to the actual musical aspects of the contest and not pizza consumption per se!)

Russell often sings the high lonesome tenor line and adds humor to the stage shows. Russell’s song writing skills have resulted in eight original songs reaching the national chart on Bluegrass Unlimited’s National Bluegrass Survey. From his New Vintage time some of the numbers include “Gravestone,” “No Answer Blues,” “Footprints,” and “Next to Nothing,” With the Cats his charting songs include “Bluegrass Man” and “Your Only Friend.” He, along with Tim and Greg, co-wrote “We Can’t Go Wrong” at the Graves Mountain Festival a few years ago. It was recorded by Mark Newton and Rhonda Vincent on Mark’s “Carry Me Back to the Fold” project for the Rebel label which was IBMA’s 2001 winner in the Recorded Event of the Year category. Russell was also nominated for Bluegrass Songwriter of the Year by SPBGMA in January 2003.

Greg has prior experience with the group “Moe & the Grass” and sings lead on many of the Cats numbers. Chris previously played fiddle with another well known North Carolina band, Al Batten and the Bluegrass Reunion. Tim holds down the banjo position, sings lead on some songs, and hosts a bluegrass radio show on Sunday evenings in Raleigh, North Carolina on WQDR 94.7 FM. Robin is the newest Cat and also sings Southern Gospel in another group, adding a range of vocal styles to the Grass Cats repertoire. She’s a fan of the Isaacs who will be also be featured soon as another “Artist of the Month.”

The Grass Cats have recorded four CDs and all are still available via their website. The project “The Blues Are Back In Town” contains “Bluegrass Man” which was the #1 song in the Nation for April and May 2003 on Bluegrass Unlimited’s National Bluegrass Survey. County Sales, the industry leader in bluegrass music distribution, ranked this project #5 on their Best of 2002 Traditional Bluegrass Recording List. “Bluegrass Man” was the first song the Cat’s ever had to chart and went to #1 after 9 months. The latest release is “Desperate Times” and was ranked #7 among the top 15 albums in November by “Bluegrass Unlimited.” Plus “Your Only Friend” from this CD was the #15 song in the top 30 in the November rankings by “Bluegrass Unlimited.”

Our roving Bluegrass Overnight host Bob Webster caught up with the Grass Cats in October during a visit to North Carolina and captured this interview for our listeners. We learn that the Grass Cats have recently finished a new “retrospective” CD on New Time Records that celebrates their first 7 years together. We’ll all be looking forward to that release and be able to hear some of their live as well as studio numbers. Members of BluegrassCountry.org will be able to download and enjoy an a cappella gospel cut from this yet to be released project.

So, listen in and learn more about the Grass Cats and one of their rare trips outside North Carolina when they’re scheduled to appear at the Graves Mountain Bluegrass Festival next June in Syria, Virginia.