Even though Lonesome River Band has had a steady stream of lineup changes since the band formed in 1982, the talent the troupe brings to the stage has never wavered or deteriorated.
Today, Lonesome River Band (LRB) is composed of guitarist Brandon Rickman, fiddle player Mike Hartgrove, basses Barry Reed, Randy Jones on the mandolin, and banjo player Sammy Shelor, who has been performing under the LRB banner since 1990.
Since 1992 when the last founding member of LRB left the group, Tim Austin, Shelor has assumed stewardship of the band, guiding and maintaining their contemporary bluegrass sound, while also recruiting new musicians who can bring their own tastes and influences to the stage and to the studio.
Today, LRB is still regarded as one of the most talented outfits hitting the bluegrass circuit, and their musical prowess is evident in this performance during the 2013 Festival of the Bluegrass at the Kentucky Horse Park, where the group rips through a number of feisty originals, such as “Whoop and Ride” and “Who Needs You,” as well as poignant covers, like the traditional “Cold Rain and Snow” and Merle Haggard’s “Red Bandana.”
