Prescription Bluegrass has learned of the death of renowned dobro player and founding member of the Seldom Scene, Mike Auldridge. No details are known at this time but our information is that he passed away sometime this morning, Saturday, December 29th, 2012.
Well known and respected bluegrass radio announcer Katy Daley from WAMU posted this note on a social media site:
“2012 has been a cruel year. I'm deeply saddened to learn that Mike Auldridge passed this morning. Thank you for your friendship and for all your groundbreaking music.”
Bluegrass Band Nothin Fancy posted this note:
“He was a big influence as part of the original Seldom Scene on many musicians and bands, including notably us. Mike had style and musicality that put so much expression in just a few notes. There are simply no words to describe the blessing his music is to the bluegrass world, and no words to capture a loss of this magnitude.”
We’ll post an update as soon as we learn more.
Auldridge started playing guitar at the age of 13. His main influence through his early years was Josh Graves who also sold him his first Dobro.
A 1967 graduate of The University of Maryland, Auldridge worked as a graphic artist for a commercial art firm in Bethesda, Maryland and then for the now defunct Washington Star-News. He did not start playing music full-time until the Washington Star-News folded in 1976.
Auldridge has won numerous awards including a Grammy, and Frets Magazine's "Dobro Player of the Year" and most recently the IBMA's Lifetime Achievement Award.
His most recent recordings are due to be released in 2013 - a trio effort with Dobro peers Jerry Douglas and Rob Ickes. See our story from December 19th this year posted here.
No comments:
Post a Comment