ABOUT PAM GADD

As former instrumentalist/vocalist for the Kentucky-based New Coon Creek Girls and The Muddy River Band from the Dayton, Ohio area, Pam Gadd moved to Nashville from her hometown of Independence, Kentucky to help form and provide lead vocals, banjo and guitar, for ...

Universal / Capital Recording artists, Wild Rose. Being one of the first country bands, (in the style of Ricky Scaggs) to help introduce new audiences to a bluegrass-country sound, Wild Rose's innovation earned them a, first-in-history Grammy nomination by an all-female band, for Best Instrumental Performance in 1990. As well, they were nominated by the Academy of Country Music (ACM) for Best New Vocal Group of the Year and were featured on T.V. shows including Nashville Now, Crook and Chase, On Stage, The Statler Brothers Show, and Hee Haw.
 
Three CDs and four videos later, the good-humored Gadd rejoined the New Coon Creek Girls in 1995 - teaming up with, among others, the now-IBMA Female Vocalist of the Year, Dale Ann Bradley. Featured on vocals, banjo and the self-named, "jo-bro" (a Gibson 5-string dobro-banjo), Pam stayed for a year and joined them in filming “At Home in Renfro Valley” before being invited to perform as back-up vocalist with country artist, Patty Loveless for a year-long tour opening for Vince Gill and Alan Jackson.
 
Leaving Loveless in 1997, Pam launched out on her own to release her first self-produced solo project, The Long Road, on Vanguard Records. Along with this release came a video of her self-penned, “I’d Rather Have Nobody”. She returned to the familiar bluegrass festival circuit touring with her band, The Long Road, named after her CD (and her life), and released a 2nd CD, Time of Our Lives, on OMS Records in 2001. Both CD’s were critically acclaimed and highlighted her introspective song writing skills; The Long Road charted in Gavin, and Time of Our Lives made the Bluegrass Unlimited charts with the single, “Virginia Man”. As well, Pam received rave reviews in well-known music publications including No Depression, Bluegrass Unlimited, Bluegrass Now, and Entertainment Weekly.
 
Pam was recognized for her songwriting skills when, in 2002, she was nominated for both Song of the Year and Songwriter of the Year by the Society for the Preservation of Bluegrass Music (SPBGMA) held in Nashville each February. She has had songs recorded by country artist, Terri Clark, as well as bluegrass artists, Carl Jackson and John Starling, Doyle Lawson and Quicksilver, and The Rarely Herd.
 
The Country Music Hall of Fame recognizes Pam's ability to spark audience interest through regular invitations to conduct banjo demonstrations that include a lecture on the History of the Banjo and a performance which features varying banjo techniques, from 2-finger and claw hammer, to Don Reno, Bill Keith and Earl Scruggs style. Pam cites Earl Scruggs, Eddie Adcock, Walter Hensley, J.D. Crowe, and Gene Parker as strong influences and is now a Deering Banjo endorsee, playing a beautifully-crafted, 2005 Deering Calico.
 
Pam was a weekly guest with the late Porter Wagoner on the Grand Ole Opry and was the last performer to complete a duet CD project with him which was released on King / Gusto Records in 2004. To date she is featured on six Porter Wagoner projects, recording and performing with him until his recent death in October of 2007.