kids encyclopedia robot

Gabe Witcher facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts
Quick facts for kids
Gabe Witcher
Gabe Witcher in December 2007.jpg
Witcher in 2007
Background information
Birth name Gabriel Witcher
Born (1978-06-11) June 11, 1978 (age 47)
Genres Progressive bluegrass, bluegrass, Americana, Rock
Instruments Violin, guitar, drums, mandolin, bass, vocals
Years active 1984–present
Labels Nonesuch
Associated acts Punch Brothers, Jerry Douglas, Witcher Brothers, many more...

Gabriel Witcher (born June 11, 1978) is an American musician who plays many instruments. He is also a producer, composer, and arranger. He is best known for playing the fiddle and singing.

Gabe is one of the original members of the band Punch Brothers. In 2019, he and his bandmates won a Grammy Award for Best Folk Album. They were also recognized as special scholars at Oberlin Conservatory in 2014.

Gabe Witcher's Musical Journey

Gabe Witcher started performing music very young. In 1984, when he was just six years old, he played at the Strawberry Music Festival. A famous musician named Bill Monroe invited him to play a duet on stage.

Later that day, Gabe and his father were asked to play three songs on the main stage. This led to them forming a band called "The Witcher Brothers." They performed all over the southwestern United States for 25 years.

In 1993, Gabe wrote music for the movie The Skateboard Kid. He performed many of these songs with his band, Trashkittens. One of their songs, "Hard to Find," was even featured in a music video at the end of the film.

In 1995, Gabe joined a band called the Laurel Canyon Ramblers. He played with them for four years and recorded two albums.

In 1999, Gabe joined a tour for Béla Fleck's album, "The Bluegrass Sessions: Tales from the Acoustic Planet, Vol. 2." He played the fiddle on this tour. From 2002 until 2008, Gabe was a regular member of Jerry Douglas' band.

In 2008, Gabe helped start the band Punch Brothers. He has been a key member of this group ever since.

Gabe also toured with Kenny Loggins and Jim Messina in 2005. He played many instruments, including fiddle, mandolin, and drums, and also sang. In 2010, he joined the Dave Rawlings Machine for some tour dates.

Gabe has worked on music for many movies and TV shows. These include The Good Dinosaur, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2, Inside Llewyn Davis, The Hunger Games, Brokeback Mountain, Cars, and Toy Story. He has also contributed to TV shows like True Detective, Nashville, and Better Call Saul. He even helped produce music for Nashville and True Detective.

Gabe Witcher has won one Grammy Award and has been nominated ten times. Six of his nominations were with Punch Brothers. He also received four Grammy nominations as a producer. He has worked on albums for many famous artists, including Paul Simon, Eric Clapton, Elton John, Beck, Willie Nelson, and Fiona Apple.

Gabe has also written music arrangements for artists like Elton John and the Kronos Quartet. He composed music for the video game Red Dead Redemption 2. He was also the music director for a live performance of the game's score in 2019.

Personal Life

Gabe Witcher married actress Mary Faber on September 15, 2013. They have two sons together.

Music Director Roles

Gabe has been a music director for several important events:

  • Sara Bareilles: He directed her performances on TV shows like Saturday Night Live and Ellen. He also directed her "Amidst The Chaos" Album Release Tour in 2019.
  • The Music of Red Dead Redemption 2: He directed this at the Red Bull Music Festival in Los Angeles in 2019.
  • Kennedy Center presents: American Acoustic w Chris Thile – All Star Jam (2016)
  • Another Day, Another Time: f/ the music of Inside Llewyn Davis – Los Angeles (2013)

Discography

Punch Brothers

Year Title Label
2008 Punch Nonesuch
2010 Antifogmatic Nonesuch
2012 Who's Feeling Young Now? Nonesuch
2013 Ahoy! Nonesuch
2015 The Phosphorescent Blues Nonesuch
2015 The Wireless (EP) Nonesuch
2018 All Ashore Nonesuch

Jerry Douglas

Year Title Label
2006 The Best Kept Secret Koch

Laurel Canyon Ramblers

Year Title Label
1996 Blue Rambler 2 Sugar Hill Records
1998 Back on the Street Again Sugar Hill Records

Credits

Albums

† Grammy Award Winner ^ Grammy Award Nomination
Artist Project Role
Paul Simon So Beautiful or So What Fiddle
Stranger to Stranger Fiddle, Vocals
Eric Clapton Old Sock Fiddle
Elton John Wonderful Crazy Night Arranger, Conductor
Willie Nelson The Great Divide Fiddle
Neil Diamond Dreams Fiddle
Beck Return of the Grievous Angel Fiddle
Shania Twain Now Fiddle
Rosanne Cash The River & the Thread † Fiddle
Fiona Apple/Jon Brion So Sleepy Fiddle
Emmylou Harris Return of the Grievous Angel Fiddle
Merle Haggard Chicago Wind Fiddle
John Denver All Aboard Fiddle
Bette Midler It's the Girls! Fiddle
Punch Brothers/ VariousArtists Another Day, Another Time Fiddle, Vocals
Dierks Bentley Up on the Ridge ^ Fiddle
The Chieftains Voice of Ages Fiddle
Eddy Mitchell Heros, Jumbalaya Fiddle
Johnny Hallyday Rester Vivant Fiddle
Travis Tritt The Storm Fiddle
Lee Ann Womack Something Worth Leaving Behind Fiddle
Dwight Yoakam Dwights Used Records Fiddle
Sara Watkins Young in All the Wrong Ways Producer, guitars, Fiddle, Arrangements
Rhiannon Giddens Tomorrow Is My Turn Fiddle, Violin, Guitar, Arranger (Strings, Horns)
Phoebe Bridgers Stranger in the Alps Violin
Noam Pikelny Noam Pikelny Plays Kenny Baker Plays Bill Monroe ^ Producer
Noam Pikelny Beat The Devil and Carry a Rail^ Producer
Jerry Douglas The Best Kept Secret ^ Fiddle, Strings
Chris Thile How to Grow a Woman from the Ground ^ Fiddle, Vocals, Arranging
The Secret Sisters Put Your Needle Down Fiddle, Violin, Arranger (Strings)
Chris Hillman The Other Side Fiddle
Tom Brosseau What I Mean to Say Is Goodbye Fiddle

Film

º Academy Award Winner for Best Score

^ Academy Award Nominee Best Original Song

! Golden Globe Nominee Best Original Song

† Grammy Award Winner Best Original Song
Title Composer Role
The Peanut Butter Falcon Gabe Witcher, Jonathan Sadoff, Noam Pikelny, Zach Dawes Fiddle
The Ballad of Buster Scruggs Additional Music Fiddle
The Good Dinosaur Mychael & Jeff Danna Fiddle
The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2 Additional music Composer
Toy Story^! Randy Newman Fiddle
Cars Randy Newman Fiddle
Cars 3 Randy Newman Fiddle
The Princess and the Frog Randy Newman Fiddle
Inside Llewyn Davis T Bone Burnett Fiddle, Vocals
The Hunger Games James Newton Howard Fiddle
Brokeback Mountainº Gustavo Santaolalla Fiddle
Babelº Gustavo Santaolalla Violin
Charlie Wilson's War James Newton Howard Fiddle
This Is 40 Jon Brion Fiddle, Violin
Kingsman: The Golden Circle Henry Jackman, Matthew Margeson Fiddle
A Million Ways to Die in the West Joel McNeely Fiddle
Wild Hogs Teddy Castellucci Fiddle
The Homesman Marco Beltrami Violin
Robin Hood Marc Streitenfeld Fiddle
The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie Andy Paley Fiddle
Nights in Rodanthe Jeanine Tesori Fiddle
Soul Men Stanley Clarke Fiddle
The Dukes of Hazzard Nathan Barr Fiddle
Without a Paddle Chris Beck Fiddle
Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins David Newman Fiddle
The Best Of Me Aaron Zigman Fiddle
Bridge to Terabithia Aaron Zigman Fiddle
Christmas Cottage Aaron Zigman Fiddle
Flicka Aaron Zigman Fiddle
The Wendell Baker Story Aaron Zigman Fiddle
The Notebook Aaron Zigman Fiddle
Mater and the Ghostlight Bruno Coon Fiddle
Bigger, Stronger, Faster* Dave Porter Fiddle
Venom James L. Venable Fiddle
The Cave Reinhold Heil Violin

Television

^ Emmy Nominated

Title Selection Role
True Detective Season 3 Score Recordist, Additional Music, performer
True Detective Season 2 Score Violin, Electric Violin, Electric Bass
True Detective The Angry River Composer, Arranger (strings), Violin
Nashville Nothing in This World Will Ever Break My Heart Again^ Co-Producer (w/ T Bone Burnett), Arranger (Strings, Background vocals), Violin
Nashville Ho Hey Co-Producer (w/ T Bone Burnett), Guitar, Fiddle, Mandolin
Nashville Used Co-Producer (w/ T Bone Burnett), Arranger (Strings, Background vocals), Fiddle
Nashville Consider Me Co-Producer (w/ T Bone Burnett), Arranger (Strings, Background vocals), Fiddle
Nashville We Are Water Co-Producer (w/ T Bone Burnett), Arranger (Strings, Background vocals), Fiddle
Nashville Looking for a Place To Shine Co-Producer (w/ T Bone Burnett), Arranger (Strings, Background vocals), Fiddle, Mandolin, Keyboards
Nashville Hanging on a Lie Co-Producer (w/ T Bone Burnett), Arranger (Strings, Background vocals), Fiddle, Mandolin, Keyboards
Nashville Stomping Ground Co-Producer (w/ T Bone Burnett), Arranger (Strings, Background vocals), Fiddle,Mandolin,
Nashville Gun for a Mouth Fiddle
Nashville Tough All Over Fiddle
Nashville Let There Be Lonely Keyboards
Better Call Saul Score Violin
Sons of Anarchy All Along The Watchtower Fiddle
Legends of Tomorrow Score Fiddle
Justified Score Fiddle
Turn: Washington's Spies Score Fiddle
Party of Five Score Violin
King of the Hill Score Fiddle
Crossing Jordan Innocent When You Dream Fiddle
Heartland Score Fiddle
Point of Honor Score Fiddle
Texas Rising Score Fiddle
Bonnie & Clyde Score Fiddle
Hatfields & McCoys Score Fiddle
Sarah Silverman Show Score Fiddle
News Radio Score Fiddle
Just Shoot Me! Score Fiddle
Worst Week Score Fiddle
Curious George Score Fiddle
Berenstain Bears Theme Song Fiddle
Three Moons Over Milford Score Fiddle
Any Day Now Score Fiddle
George and Leo Score Fiddle
The Lazarus Man Score Fiddle
Dilbert Score Fiddle

Live Television

Artists Show
Punch Brothers
Punch Brothers w/ Steve Martin
Dolly Parton
  • 78th Academy Awards Show
Beck and Willie Nelson
Willie Nelson and Lee Ann Womack
Willie Nelson
  • Academy of Country Music Awards

Bands and Tours

Dates Artist Role
(2006–2023) Punch Brothers Fiddle, Vocals, Drums
(2014) Steve Martin and Martin Short Fiddle
(2012) Paul Simon Fiddle
(2010) Dave Rawlings Machine Fiddle, Guitar, Vocals
(2006) k.d. lang Fiddle, Guitar
(2005) Loggins and Messina Sittin' In Again Reunion Tour Fiddle, Mandolin, Dobro, Percussion, Vocals
(2002–2008) Jerry Douglas Band Fiddle
(2000–2001) Eve 6 Bass
(1999) The Bluegrass Sessions f/ Béla Fleck, Sam Bush, Jerry Douglas, Bryan Sutton, Mark Schatz Fiddle
(1995–2000) Laurel Canyon Ramblers Fiddle
(1984–2008) The Witcher Brothers Fiddle, Vocals
kids search engine
Gabe Witcher Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.