The Grascals Celebrate the Big 2-0

Over the last twenty years, The Grascals have set the music world on fire with their stellar singing and impeccable instrumental abilities. What started as a modest desire to have fun and create some good music soon blossomed into a bluegrass band that is a force to reckon within the industry.  “We did have some long-range plans, but you can never see all the wrenches that will be thrown your way, and it takes a lot of work,” lead singer Jamie Johnson said.

Through the highs and lows, the band forged on and kept a continuity of sound that continues to evolve to higher levels of greatness. Their latest recording, 20, captures their influence from IBMA Hall of Famers, The Osborne Brothers, along with original material. One familiar voice returned to the studio while a new voice was added into the mix.

The sextet of Danny Roberts, Terry Smith, Jamie Johnson, Kristin Scott Benson, John Bryan, and Jamie Harper are more than a longtime musical venture. The Grascals have an unbreakable bond that they cherish and celebrate on their 20th anniversary year.

Two Decades Ago

The Grascals first began to take shape in February of 2004.  “Terry Eldredge and I were playing with The Sidemen at the Station Inn every Tuesday night and Jimmy Mattingly walked in,” Jamie Johnson remembers. “He knew Eldredge (they played together in the Osborne Brothers band), and he heard the two of us singing together and asked me if we’d be interested in putting something together. We built the best team we could and became The Grascals.”

The original lineup was Mattingly, Eldredge, Roberts, Terry Smith, David Talbot, and Jamie Johnson. “Every guy in the original Grascals was our first and only call to join the band,” Johnson says.  They began recording their debut album, a self-titled project for Rounder Records, that featured songs like the 2005 IBMA Song of the Year “Me and John and Paul,” “Where Corn Don’t Grow,” and “Viva Las Vegas,” which featured Dolly Parton. She called the band’s first project one of the greatest albums she ever heard, and then invited them to become her opening act and her bluegrass band.

“We felt like we had something special when we started putting everything together, but you never know what the future may hold,” Roberts said. “While in the studio working on the first record, we were contacted by Dolly about going on the road with her and that really started the wheels rolling for the band very quickly.”

“Dolly was even more than you could imagine,” Jamie Johnson says of the experience. “She’s a very hard worker and the ultimate pro, always focusing on making things better for her fans. She is very, very funny and a great cook! She made lunch almost every day for us during rehearsals. I personally had the opportunity to be her ‘Elvis’ each night when we played our shows and I got to dance with her, so that was super special.”

“I can’t say enough about how great it was working with Dolly!” Roberts adds. “She is down to earth, easy to hang out with and a great mentor, and she always gave us great advice and showed us what a real entertainer does on stage.”

They were quick learners, and it began paying off with a 2005 IBMA Award for Emerging Artist of the Year and a Grammy nomination that same year for Best Bluegrass Album (The Grascals). That was followed by winning IBMA Entertainer of the Year the next two years and earning an additional Grammy nomination for Best Bluegrass Album (Long List of Heartaches) in 2006. The band went on to receive its third Grammy nomination in 2012 for Best Bluegrass Album for Life Finds A Way (their first on Mountain Home Records). However, beyond the awards and accolades is an impressive array of experiences.

The Good Times

“We have been blessed to do so many cool things that it’s hard to narrow it down,” Roberts says. “Playing on The Grand Ole Opry with Dolly and Porter the last time they sang together is definitely a very special memory to me. Working with and getting to spend time with Dolly and Hank Jr. and Charlie Daniels is also amazing, along with all the other artists like Vince Gill, Dierks Bentley, Steve Wariner, George Jones, and so many more. Also, getting to know and become friends with so many of my musical heroes like Doyle Lawson, Paul Williams, Sam Bush, Herschel Sizemore, Jesse McReynolds, Bobby and Sonny Osborne—well, just too many to list. I’m so thankful for our business also being a big family!”

“The Grand Ole Opry hands down is the best experience!” Johnson said. “Also, Radio City Music Hall was incredible. We got locked in the tunnel there after our show while trying to get to the lobby to sign autographs and that was a very funny moment. Playing the Tonight Show with Jay Leno was awesome…and Caesars Palace with Dolly was incredible. We also played at Fort Campbell (Kentucky), and President Bush (43) spoke to them [the troops] and that was very special.”

“The first time we played for President Bush was at Ft Campbell,” six-time IBMA Banjo Player of the Year Kristin Benson adds. “The second time, we played at the Commerce Department in DC for the going-away/thank you party for the Advance team. A lot of those folks are young. Interns, even. So, it was neat to see President Bush express fondness for them. They work tirelessly for very little.” 

“We did get to meet President Bush and First Lady Laura,” Roberts adds. “At first, before we met them, it was a bit hectic with all of the secret service people telling us ‘Don’t touch them, don’t talk to them, just stand there, get a picture and move on.’ However, when President and Mrs. Bush came into the room, that all changed and they talked, shook hands, were super nice in every way.”

“The coolest part about that trip was that, at first, President Bush wasn’t there, so we got to see the West Wing,” says Benson. “You actually get a way better tour if the President isn’t there, so we got to look into the Oval Office. Then, President Bush landed in Marine One on the South Lawn and we got to be outside to watch that. I really loved it. After the party that night, the President, VP, and their wives took pictures with a long line of people. I remember walking by that room after everything was winding down and all four of them were sharing hand sanitizer. I thought, ‘It’s just like the record table.’”

The Tough Times

Since its inception, The Grascals have experienced a few changes in the lineup, which is true of most bands. Past members include banjoists Dave Talbot and Aaron McDaris, fiddlers Jimmy Mattingly, Jeremy Abshire and Adam Haynes, and guitarists Terry Eldredge and Chris Davis. Overall, the group lineup has been relatively stable since 2004.

“We were all friends when the band started, and it remains that way today—in or out of the band, Roberts said. “Fortunately, in 20 years we’ve never had many disagreements, and if there is an issue, we all just decide together on what we think will be best and majority rules.”

“We are a family and families find ways to make it work through good and bad times,” Johnson says. “I will say as far as the chemistry goes, we do very well for six separate minds and bodies.”

“If you’re gonna stay together, you have to let things go,” Benson adds. “We know each other so well. We can pretty much predict every person’s response to any given situation. I know how they think, what they’ll think, and why…and they know that about me. So, if you’re gonna make it work and stay together, you learn to enjoy each other’s company and get over it when someone rubs you wrong. We do laugh an awful lot! If they sense a weakness, it will be exploited in a possibly cruel, but always funny way. Smitty [Terry Smith] may even write a song about it…and health conditions are not excluded.”

Part of what glues the group together is their faith.  “The good Lord above, love, patience, hard work and some good luck here and there,” are all important factors in their success, says Johnson.

“You have to be dedicated to the work you are doing, be ready for any challenge that presents itself, good or bad, and keep everything covered in prayer,” Roberts adds.

That’s exactly what the band did when two of its longtime members landed on hard times in their lives.  “We have been through some major storms with the two original lead singers, me and Terry Eldredge, being addicted to alcohol and the band losing both of us because of it,” Jamie Johnson says. “However, with the strength of Danny, Terry Smith, Kristin, John Bryan and Adam Haynes, the band stayed together, and the train stayed on the tracks. It was because of their courage and loyalty that The Grascals are still here and I’m so glad to be back with them.”

“Losing Jamie…that was such a huge blow,” Benson admits. “I was mainly worried about him, but it hurt us. The saddest times for me have always been tied to seeing a band member suffer. If you have a right heart, you’re human and obviously care more about the person than the band.”

“Anything good is worth working for, and any good friend is worth standing beside through any issues that might come up,” Roberts says.

Jamie left the group in 2015, and John Bryan replaced him on guitar and vocals. John is an incredible vocalist and is an integral part of The Grascals’ sound.    Talking about the return of Jamie Johnson to The Grascals, Roberts says “Having Jamie back is really good for the band. He is a great songwriter, singer, and entertainer that the fans love and appreciate having him return.” 

“In a way, it felt like all we did was tread water until Jamie came back,” Benson says. “I know, for me, it was a huge rejuvenation. Jamie has all the skills I don’t. He’s a natural frontman and I just want to stand on the side and play. He writes a ton of songs and all I do is write instrumentals, so he’s a big source for material. He’s great with people. I think he’s the face of the band because his personality is so magnetic. People just love him. He’s funny and adds a lot of life to the long rides in the Sprinter. I think he’s singing better than ever. He’s more confident and sings with way more emotion. He’ll stand a foot off the mic and project with a really thick vocal tone. I think it’s only appropriate that he’s back because he has imprinted the band in such a strong way that it’s not the same without him.”

“It was an amazing opportunity to step into Jamie’s shoes when he left the band nine years ago,” John Bryan said. “Now having him back and getting to sing with him as part of the band is even better. He is a fantastic artist, and it is an honor to get to share the stage with him.”

Today’s Music 

The Grascals tie together the past with the present and future on the band’s new album, 20, a nod to their twentieth anniversary performing as an ensemble.  “I’m excited that on the new album we paid tribute to The Osborne Brothers by doing a couple of their classic songs,” Roberts says. “From day one they were a major influence on the band. I’m especially happy to hear OG [Original Grascal] Jamie Johnson’s voice again along with John and Smitty on this new Grascals record. This is also the first recording with our newest member Jamie (Harp) Harper. Not only is Jamie a great fiddle player, but he is also a wonderful singer and has a great Roger Miller song on this record. I feel like this record is at the top of anything The Grascals have ever recorded, and I am excited for everyone to hear it.”

“I sing a couple of songs during our shows but didn’t really have plans to sing on the record,” Jamie Harper said. “Jamie #1 brought this Roger Miller tune (“Some People Make It”) to my attention, and everyone seemed to dig it, so we cut it.”

“Having Harp has been a great addition,” Benson says. “I love his singing and am so glad he’s featured on the new record. He’s got a great stage presence. He brought his own following to The Grascals because people have loved him with the various bands he’s been in. Harp is a pro. He’s been at this a while, and it shows. He’s extremely funny and routinely makes us gut-laugh.”  For the band’s latest project, the sextet tackles two of the Osborne Brothers’ classics, “Tennessee Hound Dog” and “Georgia Pineywoods.”

“They’re just two Osborne Brothers tunes that we’ve never covered—no rhyme or reason really—we just thought they’d work well with this line up,” says Jamie Johnson. “We could have actually chosen many of their songs to cover because we love them all. It was important for us to pay tribute to them like we have done throughout our twenty years.”

“The Osborne Brothers are our biggest influence,” Johnson continues. “Smitty and El performed with them for years, and I filled in from time to time with Bobby and his band after Sonny retired. They were just the best! Early on, Bobby would come out and perform with us on the road, and Sonny even traveled with us a few times on the bus. It was a very special time for us.”

“Sonny Osborne is the reason I got the job with The Grascals,” Benson explains. “I knew Aaron was leaving and told him I was interested. I asked him to please let the band know that when he left and I think he was kind enough to mention it, but Sonny called either Smitty or El to recommend me and I think that’s what mattered most. I grew up loving the Osborne Brothers. Sonny’s banjo playing is hugely important to me and he was a real mentor and friend. I desperately miss him. It’s great when the band wants to do Osborne Brothers material because I already know and love it. I grew up watching Smitty and El play with those guys. The first memory I have of seeing them was at the Myrtle Beach festival and those two were in the band. It’s always gratifying to end up in a group with guys you saw when you were young and were beginning to fall in love with the music.”

For this album, The Grascals feature the vocal trio of Terry Smith, Jamie Johnson, and John Bryan.  “We love harmonies and that is the core of The Grascals’ sound and hearing our voices together is enjoyable for us and feels very special,” Johnson said. “It didn’t really take any special consideration – things just fell into place naturally. When we decide who sings what part, we just go with what feels and sounds right to us.”

Influenced by singers Bobby Osborne, Michael Jackson, and The Beatles, Johnson began developing his singing chops in his late teens.  “It’s just a gift from God and hard work, listening to my peers and heroes,” Johnson said. Part of that work was honing his skills to capture the authenticity in a song.  “I was a very generic vocalist for years until I actually lived out some of the lyrics of the songs I sang,” Johnson says. “I felt like I had a hard time making my voice believable, but that eventually came along with sincerity and maturity.”

Bryan, who has been performing with the Grascals the last nine years, began singing at a young age in church with his mother.  “After going to see Del McCoury in concert and having family members that played bluegrass music on a more professional level encourage me, I felt the push to pursue becoming a professional musician myself. Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver, Blue Highway, and The Johnson Mountain Boys were a few of the bands that really influenced me with their amazing vocals and musicianship and inspired me in my own career. I was blessed to grow up in the Watson Family (yes, that Watson family) in Boone, North Carolina, and music is part of my heritage and something that I learned at the feet of some of the best to ever do it!”

“I definitely feel that my voice is a gift from God,” Bryan continues. “I say that with all humility—I am grateful to Him for giving me a voice to sing with! I would also say that it is something that I have worked for and that it has come from the influence of other amazing singers that I have had the opportunity to work with that have pushed me to become better.”

The talented instrumentalists are also featured on “12th and Pine,” an instrumental that Danny Roberts helped compose with one of his students. “During the pandemic, I was giving online lessons and started working with Wyatt Ellis. As we went along, we evolved from doing lessons to writing tunes together and this is one of the more than 20 songs that he and I have written. The Grascals always include an instrumental on our albums, and I thought it would be fun to include this one. Wyatt’s mom, Teresa, suggested the title “12th and Pine” because it’s the corner where the Station Inn sits—the place where The Grascals started.”

Johnson also penned a song for the project called “Pull the Trigger.” “I took the song idea to Shawn Camp with the idea of Cupid, except he has a ‘love gun’ instead of a bow and arrow,” says Johnson. “We just had fun, telling a little love story with attitude.”

The Future

The Grascals is a love story of sorts. A band of musicians united together in love and loss, and as banjoist Kristin Benson describes it “years of uncertainty and ups and downs.”

“When I first joined in 2008, those guys were so popular and we enjoyed that for many years,” Benson reflected. “Like any business, there is an ebb and flow, and we’ve seen leaner years. Obviously, COVID was tough on everyone. Gosh, as I think about it, there have been so many seasons. Some of the hardest times were during the most popular years. We played all the time and were gone way more than I wanted to be. That was back when our son was little. I remember one year, we played 150 shows and had another 20 or 30 Opry dates, and it felt like we were always recording, off and on. We also did a two-week press trip for the Cracker Barrel record [The Grascals & Friends – Country Classics with a Bluegrass Spin]. It was a lot. We were hardly ever home. We also had some business relationships that became really strained and complicated during that time.”

But through it all, the band became stronger.  “I’m eternally grateful for how supportive they’ve been of me as a mom and musician who does some other things,” Benson said. “That freedom and understanding breeds loyalty and it’s the reason I’m still here. We’re not a young band. Our two youngest members, John and Harp, are middle-aged with small kids. I think the experience that comes from decades of doing this results in a wiser, bigger-picture perspective. We have a united vision for how much we want to play. None of us want to travel the way we did back in the day. At this point for me, being in the Grascals just feels like home.”

With band members who feel so close to each other, The Grascals are happy to keep on making more music and memories.  “It’s hard to know exactly what lies ahead for us, but I am excited for whatever it is!” Danny Roberts says. “I’m 61 years old and I am shooting for another 20 years with this band. I would feel very blessed if that happened.”

“No, probably not 20 more to go but what we have left will be fun!” Jamie Johnson says. “We have proven to be a really good band that is dedicated to our craft in bluegrass and country music. We’ve won awards and played with legends on legendary stages, and we remain grateful for whatever comes our way. My one and only tattoo says “Amor Fati” which is “to love one’s fate,” and I certainly love my fate with The Grascals.”