Audience demand has always been an unstoppable force in the music business, and in today’s online environment, new stars can be made in a moment’s time.
Such is the story of Shawn & Gracie Lane, a pair of bluegrass and Gospel singers who developed a following without ever intending to on Facebook. Shawn, of course, is well familiar to bluegrass fans for his 23 years with Blue Highway, and time with Doyle Lawson before that. He is widely understood to be one of our most gifted songwriters as well as a powerful tenor vocalist, on top of his mandolin, fiddle, and guitar playing.
His wife, Gracie, is also a fine singer, as are their sons, Grayson and Garrett. Shawn shared a taste of his talented family’s skills on his 2014 Mountain Songs album, and he had shared with us at the time how much it meant to him to record with his wife and kids.
After being married for 20 years, many of them taken up with singing around the house, Gracie posted an impromptu video in 2016 of she and Shawn singing My Kind of Woman, My Kind of Man which Vince Gill and Patty Loveless had recorded some years ago. Earlier this year, another video of she, Shawn, and Grayson singing One More Day received 30,000 Facebook likes in 48 hours.
Before long, promoters started calling and the Lanes were booked to perform on the 21st Annual Stringbean Memorial Bluegrass Festival, and in a co-bill in June with Larry Sparks. Given the positive response at both shows, they have decided to make some dates available as Shawn & Gracie Lane, with theirs sons in support, along with Gaven Largent, Blue Highway resonator guitarist, in tow.
As the Lanes were celebrating their 21st wedding anniversary this past weekend, they asked us to share a number of videos with out readers which they have created recently. We agree that everyone will enjoy them.
First up, the one that got so much attention, their version of One More Day.
Followed by Midnight Highway from the Stringbean Festival…
…and Ralph Stanley’s I’ll Wear A White Robe.
Sherri George will be representing Shawn & Gracie Lane, and she can be reached by email.
