Sideline has announced that Troy Boone will be their new mandolin player, stepping in for Brian Aldridge who left the band in October.
Troy is currently a student in the Bluegrass, Old Time, & Country Music Studies department at ETSU in Johnson City, TN. He has been performing this semester with their Bluegrass Pride Band, an elite group of students headed up by program director Dan Boner. He is planning on continuing his studies, and will commute to Sideline shows from his home in Tennessee.
Skip Cherryholmes, who plays guitar with the band, is delighted to welcome Troy into the fold.
“We are so excited to welcome Troy Boone as Sideline’s mandolin player and vocalist. Troy comes from Erwin, TN where he grew up in the music. He is a very talented young man with a great passion for music, and we are glad to have him on board with us!”
Along with Skip, Sideline includes Steve Dilling on banjo, Jason Moore on bass, Nathan Aldridge on fiddle, and Brad Hudson on reso-guitar.
Boone tells us he is ready to get started, and a bit awestruck by his good fortune.
“I am just overwhelmed by the blessing and opportunity to be a part of this group. I have wanted to play music since I was a kid, and bluegrass always felt right. The guys in Sideline have already helped me so much, and I cannot wait to see what the future holds for not only myself, but the group as a whole. It is intimidating to jump into a group that is well established and extremely talented, but I aim to do my very best, and learn a whole lot along the way!”
He will start when the band gets going again in January. They have a busy winter season so you should be able to catch them somewhere near you next year.
