Two Legends Join Forces:
Shawn Lane & Richard Bennett
Shawn Lane has turned heads and garnered cheers since last Summer with a # 1 single with powerful appeal and whopping staying power on the charts. I Met the Man relayed the true story and miracle of Shawn’s dad coming back from 17 days in a coma with a supernatural story to tell. The single dropped ahead of his third solo album scheduled to release in 2019 called Shawn Lane: Family & Friends.
Shawn is a three-time GRAMMY nominee and 28-time IBMA Award winner with Blue Highway. Heralded as a vocalist and instrumentalist, Lane is explosive on fiddle, mandolin, and guitar. Shawn is also a respected songwriter, and was nominated as 2015 IBMA Songwriter of the Year, penning such iconic songs as The Game, Sycamore Hollow, and Tears Fell on Missouri. Lane played in the bands of both Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder and Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver prior to becoming a founding member of Blue Highway in 1994.
Richard is a respected guitarist, vocalist, and songwriter who began his musical journey at the young age of seven. By age 15, the East Tennessee native was touring with former Flatt & Scruggs fiddle player Benny Sims. Gigs at Dollywood followed, with his big break coming in the 1990’s as he joined the legendary J.D. Crowe & The New South. Bennett appeared on Crowe’s 1995 album “Flashback,” which was nominated for two GRAMMY Awards. He went on to tour with greats like Bobby Osbourne, Mike Auldridge, and Jimmy Gaudreau. Richard also released several solo and trio albums on Lonesome Day and Pinecastle Records. His projects have garnered radio airplay across the musical genres of Bluegrass, Folk and Americana.
Shawn and Richard started writing songs together in 2017. A few unique songs seemed to have a natural duo feel, so the two decided to spread their musical wings with a duo project showcasing their songwriting, instrumentals, and vocal chops. Their sound that has a slightly more folk and jam feel than the music Shawn and Richard release with their respective primary bands. Richard currently helps drive the traditional yet fresh sound of the J.D. Crowe & the New South reunion band, Flashback, while Shawn shines in the legendary multi-award winning supergroup he co-founded, Blue Highway.
Their debut performance was at the heralded Joe Val Bluegrass Festival in Boston on February 17, 2019, to rave reviews from fans and music critics alike. Past performances include festivals and venues such as Southwest Pickers Festival in Red River, NM; The Down Home in Johnson City, TN; and Fiddlers Anonymous in Chattanooga, TN.
Their newest single “1,000 Miles” releases on February 23, 2023.