Marty Raybon shared some info about the latest lineup of his touring bluegrass band. In addition to bringing on temps to play banjo while Chis Wade is undergoing cancer treatment, Marty has hired Jason Leek on bass and Tim Laughlin on mandolin and fiddle. Both will also contribute vocals in the group.
Making the point that Wade’s job is being held for him, Raybon indicated that a pair of former members would be playing banjo for him in the interim.
“We are looking forward to Chris being able to return to the road with us, but until his unfortunate situation gets took care of, the banjo position will be covered by past members Daniel Grindstaff and Luke Monday.”
Brother Tim Raybon remains with the band, playing second guitar and fiddle, and singing harmony with Marty, just as he did when they toured together with their family bluegrass band in the 1980s.
New bass player Leek expressed high praise for his new boss.
“I have always thought very highly of Marty as a person and have always been a huge fan of his singing. I can’t think of anyone in any genre that sings with more soul and feel than Marty Raybon. I had filled in with him in the past, and really admired his passion that comes out in every song that he sings. You don’t hear Marty sing, you feel him!
I’ve always had a blast with him, so I am very excited to come on board with such a great singer and great band!
I also want to mention, aside from being such a great musician/singer, Marty has one of the biggest hearts in the business!! Now that I’ve been with him for a little while, I have seen first hand how much he cares for his fans and his band, and I have a lot of respect for him as a musician, singer, band leader, and as a person!
I assure you, you can expect some really great things from Marty in the future. He has a great line-up of musicians and singers and I’m honored to be a part of it!”
You can keep up with Marty’s tour schedule online.
Over the weekend, we picked up some further details about Chris Wade’s condition and treatment. People who had spoken with Chris since we did last week told us that Chris will have to wear a full leg cast to immobilize his knee while he is undergoing up to a year of chemotherapy for the cancer. Following the chemo, a knee replacement will be performed.
They also mentioned that Chris greatly appreciates the kind words being shared on his Facebook page.
