Warren Blair

A 50-year career of the “Hired Gun” of Bluegrass and Country music Photo by Brian Auburn It has been an amazing ride for Warren Blair in the bluegrass world. Hailing from the Baltimore area, Blair’s career with a fiddle in his hand has seen him play with many bluegrass legends since his prowess on the instrument became known in the early 1970s.  While Blair earned his nickname of “The Hired Gun” by being a go-to fiddler for artists who were coming through town and as the fiddler who was brought in by various bands on an interim basis until they could find a permanent replacement. This flexibility led Blair to opportunities that many other musicians would not have had if they were tied to a single group for a long period of time. As a result, Blair’s musical history represents an important part of the bluegrass genre’s history from the early 1970s to now, including his last year onstage as the current fiddler for Lorraine Jordan and Carolina Road.  Wa