Search - Mark Kuykendall, Bobby Hicks & Asheville Bluegrass :: Down Memory Lane

Bluegrass veteran Mark Kuykendall took a 15 year break from the music industry before recording his fine Rebel Records debut, Down Memory Lane. The talented musician, who had spent years playing in the bands of legendary artists such as the Father of Bluegrass Bill Monroe and the King of Bluegrass Jimmy Martin, concentrated on his antique car business so he could stay off the road and raise his daughter.

The official title of the group is Mark Kuykendall, Bobby Hicks and Asheville Bluegrass. The inclusion of Hicks on this recording was an easy decision. Hicks, now in his 80s and playing as strong as ever, is a legendary bluegrass fiddler who, like Kuykendall, is a former Blue Grass Boy. Hicks started playing with Bill Monroe in 1954 and was a key contributor to some of Monroe s most classic recordings, including Cheyenne, Wheel Hoss and Used to Be. He would later go on to play for Ricky Skaggs and Kentucky Thunder for 21 years, performing on Skaggs most successful albums and winning 10 Grammy Awards along the way. Hicks was also the fiddler for the all-star Bluegrass Album Band that featured future IBMA Hall of Famers J.D. Crowe, Doyle Lawson and Tony Rice.

Down Memory Lane features Kuykendall on guitar and lead vocals, Hicks on fiddle and bass vocals, Nick Chandler on mandolin and baritone vocals, Nick Dauphinais on bass and tenor vocals and Seth Rhinehart on banjo. Doyle Lawson makes a guest appearance on the album, adding mandolin on two of the cuts.