Tennessee Bluegrass Band at The Station Inn – photo © Laci Mack
The Tennessee Bluegrass Band welcomes three new members into their fold: Michael Feagan on fiddle, and young brothers: Jacob and Josiah Sheffield on guitar and bass, respectively. They join founding members Lincoln Hensley on banjo, and Tim Laughlin on mandolin.
Feagan will be pulling double duty as he continues to play fiddle for Larry Sparks along with TBB.
Born in Augusta, Kentucky and now living north of Nashville, Feagan explained…
“I told Larry that I’m going to do all his dates. I’m still working with him, and I told Lincoln. I really like Lincoln. He is a fine musician on banjo and guitar. We are all on the same page musically. We all like traditional-style music.
Those young boys and Tim are really good singers. They’ve got really good harmony. They are all good people to be around and that means a lot, too, besides the music. I have fun playing with them. It’ll just get better, the more we play.”
Feagan picked up the guitar at age 10, but found the fiddle at 19.
“I liked the sound of it. I heard Kenny Baker and Bobby Hicks, and I liked their style. I don’t try to play exactly like them, but you can hear a lot of it in my playing.”
Playing professionally for 40 years, the fiddler’s first gig was with the Boys from Indiana. Next, Feagan fiddled with Bill Monroe, performing on the album, Southern Flavor, which won the Grammy Award for Best Bluegrass Recording in 1989. He also played country music with performers such as Dean Dillion, Mel McDaniel, Jerry Reed, and Doug Stone. Returning to bluegrass, he played for Dave Peterson’s 1946 Band, Melvin Goins, Kody Norris, and now, Larry Sparks.
The Sheffield brothers are from Elm City in eastern North Carolina.
“They pick up the music real quick, which is good,” Feagan noted. “I’m getting the chance to play a lot of fiddle tunes that I haven’t played in a long time. They know all that stuff. They like it, too. That means a lot.”
Josiah is 19, a multi-instrumentalist, and attends Patrick Henry College in Virginia, majoring in economics and business analytics.
“I started off at age eight on the piano. I didn’t start playing bluegrass until I was 13.
My brother picked up the fiddle and my grandpa played the banjo. I wanted to play so I picked up the guitar. We got into music because of our maternal grandparents. After taking some beginner guitar lessons, I picked up the banjo. I started listening to a bunch of recordings like JD Crowe & the New South, and obviously some Flatt & Scruggs records, learning by ear.
Jake and I started taking lessons about five years ago from a guy named Jan Johansson. He is a very good teacher. He taught us proper band etiquette. During a jam session, I was asked if I played bass. I said, ‘Not really, but I think I could learn.’ I started playing the bass that very afternoon, and the rest is history. I’ve been playing bass for about four years.”
Josiah met Lincoln at the Abingdon Fiddlers’ Convention.
“We knew Nick Hancock from fiddlers’ conventions. He recommended us to Lincoln. We were honored. We were flattered. This will be the first official traveling band that I’ve been a part of.”
Josiah will sing some lead, but mainly harmony. “It will vary. It will make the whole thing interesting. Lincoln wants me do sometimes baritone, sometimes tenor, and sometimes lead, depending on what sounds the best. I’m looking forward to what the Lord has in store and, ultimately, hope that the Lord is praised by what I do. I hope to bring God the glory.”
Younger brother, Jacob, is 17 and is homeschooled and interns at an engineering firm in Rocky Mount, NC. He hopes to attend NC State and study engineering, but is keeping his options open.
“My granddad, Thompson Waite, played the banjo and got me interested in bluegrass. My dad listens to a lot of bluegrass too.
When I was eight, I started the Suzuki method of violin. After a while, I went to a jam session in Wilson, NC. Someone told me if you can play the fiddle, then you can play the mandolin. So I picked up the mandolin and I’ve always enjoyed singing with my family.
A couple years later, my brother, Joe, taught me to play guitar. Then Jan Johanson was our instructor for a number of years, and is still a good friend of mine. He put a band together: me, Joe, and Johnny Smith. We formed the band Bull Run.
Lincoln heard us sing at Abingdon Fiddlers’ Convention. I was playing mandolin and he heard me sing. He said, ‘Man, if that boy could play guitar, I’d hire him in a heartbeat.’ He didn’t know I could play guitar until another friend of mine, Nick Hancock, told him that I could.”
Young Jacob likes his new role.
“I’ve enjoyed playing with the Tennessee Bluegrass Band so far. It’s a lot of fun. I’ve been somewhat put out of my comfort zone, as I’m not used to being a guitar player. I’m more of a mandolin player. And I’m the lead singer. I’ve been more used to singing the harmony parts, but I’m getting more comfortable with it. I’m learning a lot of new material which is good. It’s been a good experience. I give all the glory to God. I love music and I have a talent for it. That’s a gift from God so I’m thankful for it.”
Hancock, whose photographs are regularly featured here at Bluegrass Today, explained his role in detail …
“In 2023, I was at the Abingdon Fiddlers’ Convention to photograph it for Bluegrass Today, and to report the winners of the competitions. Lincoln Hensley and The Tennessee Bluegrass Band were there also, to provide entertainment on Saturday night while the judges tallied their scores. Lincoln had watched the band Bull Run perform in competition as the last contestant. I had earlier pointed out Bull Run’s lead singer and guitar player to Lincoln as having a strong and good sounding lead voice. Lincoln noticed the youngster playing mandolin and singing tenor in the group, Jacob Sheffield. Lincoln said, ‘He has a real smooth tenor that I like.’ Lincoln also noticed that Jacob had placed second in the guitar competition at Abingdon.
On June 25th this year, Lincoln messaged me and asked me if I had any contact information for ‘that kid at Abingdon last year with the good tenor voice.’ I had Jacob’s phone number, but would prefer to call him and tell him that Lincoln Hensley wanted to talk with him. I asked Jacob if I could give his phone number to Lincoln and he agreed.
Lincoln later called and told me he had talked with Jacob, and asked him if he would be interested in singing lead and tenor in The Tennessee Bluegrass Band, and Jacob responded with a ‘yes.’ Lincoln was also looking for a bass player with vocal abilities, and Jacob told Lincoln, ‘My brother plays bass and sings harmonies.’
Lincoln invited both Jacob and Josiah to an audition at Tim Laughlin’s house on the Saturday after Lincoln returned from his California trip. Both Lincoln and Tim were very pleased with the audition, and hired Jacob and Josiah on the spot.”
Hancock got to see and hear the new band configuration.
“I attended the Lincoln Hensley Stage dedication in Erwin, TN on Friday, July 12, where the new Tennessee Bluegrass Band, with Jacob and Josiah, performed for the event. I was very happy to witness that. Both Jacob and Josiah are very talented youngsters and very honorable young people. I wish them a good future with The Tennessee Bluegrass Band.”
The veterans of the band are happy with their new personnel.
Lincoln Hensley, a founding member and banjoist with the Tennessee Bluegrass Band, expressed,…
“We are so thrilled to welcome these men aboard to The Tennessee Bluegrass Band. They all bring so much to the table for our show and overall band sound. Michael Feagan has an incredible amount of experience on the road playing with everyone from the Father of Bluegrass Music, Mr. Bill Monroe, to country legend, Jerry Reed. I really have been enjoying the interplay between his fiddle and my banjo lately on our road dates, and working up arrangements with him. He really listens and we have a great musical chemistry together already.
Now, the Sheffields! Those two, even as young as they are, have really blown us away! Their blend with Tim on the trios happened so quickly, it actually shocked me. They have an excellent understanding of how harmony works, and either one of them can sing any part. They are total naturals. I first noticed Jacob and Josiah’s vocal ability at last year’s Abingdon Fiddlers’ Convention. I wrote their names down that night as possible prospects if we ever made a change. I am so thrilled to have all these guys out on the road with us, and to hit the studio soon. The first few shows with them have been so much fun!”
TBB’s mandolinist, Tim Laughlin, added….
“We are really excited about our new band members of The Tennessee Bluegrass Band. Michael Feagan, plus Jacob and Josiah both are outstanding vocalists. Harmony with these three is better than ever. Lincoln and I are looking forward to sharing our love of bluegrass music with such a great and talented group of people.”
Look for the new line-up Labor Day weekend when the Tennessee Bluegrass Band performs on the iconic stage at Camp Springs Blue Grass Park in Elon, NC.
