Tom Knowles - I’ve been listening to Bluegrass and country since I was a kid in the 1950's. I still love the old traditional style - Stanley’s, Flatt & Scruggs, Reno & Smiley, Jim & Jesse, Jimmy Martin and all the rest of the early players. I played violin as a kid but gave it up when I became enamored with bluegrass. My first instrument was banjo and I played in bands in the DC bars in the mid fifties. I also played special service shows while I was in the Army at Fort Rucker. I also played in a local band there in Alabama. We played a Saturday radio show and did local school house and bar gigs. I was away from the music professionally for a few years during the 1960's but at that time started playing guitar more and concentrating more on vocals. I went to lots of “pickin” parties during this period and played a lot at jam sessions in my home and stayed active playing and singing with friends just for fun. There were always lots of good musicians to jam with in the Washington DC area I
n the mid 70's I became active again professionally when I organized Appalachian Reign. For almost 10 years we played the local bar scene including the famous Red Fox where we had a regular night. We played weekly at Shaky’s Pizza Parlor in Rockville for almost 8 years. Other shows included regular appearances at Smithsonian sponsored concerts, lots of east coast festivals and concerts, and loads of weddings and private parties. We were one of the bands at the first WAMU radio bluegrass concert series. I was fortunate to have a lot of great musicians come through the band, some as fill ins and some as regulars. Some of the regulars include Porter Church, Chris Warner, Dick Smith, and Lamar Grier on banjo; Bill Torbert and Buzz Busby on Mandolin; Dave Auldridge as my tenor singer; and
Joe Meadows on fiddle. Some of the famous fill ins included Don Stover, Carl Nelson and Emery Lester. During this time I also promoted a series of concerts in Rockville and had Dave Evans, Del McCoury, Country Gazette, the Bluegrass Cardinals, and East Virginia come in for shows. Joe Meadows is the one that got me started on fiddle in the mid 80's. I always had loved the fiddle and having some background as a kid, I probably picked some of it up quicker than someone starting from scratch. And I was really fortunate to have someone like Joe to help me. Fiddle is now my primary instrument but I still like to sing a song or two and can sing a good baritone part.
I was again inactive during the 1990's due to the pressures of my job and the need to start making some money. But, I worked hard on my fiddle and stayed active in jam sessions. Since my retirement from my banking career, I have started playing out more. I’ve played gigs in the Baltimore area with both country and bluegrass bands.
I moved to Strasburg, Virginia in the summer of 2008 and played with a local band, 5 of a Kind for three years. I am presently inactive as far as professional involvement but I still enjoy good jam sessions and often play for worship services at the local Methodist Church.
I had the pleasure of meeting Larry at the Galax Old Fiddlers Convention. I have attended the Smyth County jam on a couple of occasions on my way home from Thanksgiving with family in Knoxville. What a wonderful experience to play on your stage and meet some great musicians and folks.
