Tony Rice facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Tony Rice
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Rice in 2006
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | David Anthony Rice |
| Born | June 8, 1951 Danville, Virginia, U.S. |
| Died | December 25, 2020 (aged 69) Reidsville, North Carolina, U.S. |
| Genres | Americana, bluegrass, folk, jazz |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, songwriter |
| Instruments | Guitar |
| Years active | 1970–2013 |
| Labels | Rounder, Sugarhill Acoustic Disc, Mountain Home |
| Associated acts | The Bluegrass Alliance, J.D. Crowe & The New South, David Grisman Quintet, Bluegrass Album Band, The Tony Rice Unit, Ricky Skaggs |
David Anthony Rice (born June 8, 1951 – died December 25, 2020), known as Tony Rice, was an American guitarist and bluegrass musician. He was a very important acoustic guitar player in different styles like bluegrass, progressive bluegrass, newgrass, and acoustic jazz. In 2013, he was honored by being added to the International Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame.
Tony Rice's music covered many acoustic styles. He played everything from traditional bluegrass to a new kind of acoustic music influenced by jazz. He also played folk music where the songs told stories. During his career, he performed with famous groups like J. D. Crowe and the New South, and David Grisman's band. He even played with Jerry Garcia from the Grateful Dead. Tony Rice also led his own group, the Tony Rice Unit. He worked with other great musicians like Norman Blake and recorded with his brothers Wyatt, Ron, and Larry. He also helped start the Bluegrass Album Band. He was unique because he sometimes added drums, piano, and saxophone to his bluegrass music, which usually only uses acoustic instruments.
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Tony Rice's Early Life and Music Beginnings
Tony Rice was born in Danville, Virginia, but he grew up in Los Angeles, California. His father, Herb Rice, first introduced him to bluegrass music. Tony and his brothers learned the basics of bluegrass and country music from musicians in Los Angeles. These included members of the Kentucky Colonels, especially Clarence White, who became a huge inspiration for Tony. Meeting other music lovers like Ry Cooder, Herb Pedersen, and Chris Hillman helped him grow even more in the music he learned from his dad.
Playing in Different Bands
In 1970, Tony Rice moved to Louisville, Kentucky. There, he played with a band called the Bluegrass Alliance. Soon after, he joined J.D. Crowe's New South. This band was known as one of the best and most forward-thinking bluegrass groups. They even started adding drums and electric instruments, which Tony didn't always like.
When Ricky Skaggs joined the New South in 1974, the band recorded an album called J. D. Crowe & the New South. This album was fully acoustic and became the best-selling record for Rounder Records at that time. The band included Tony Rice on guitar and lead singing, J.D. Crowe on banjo and vocals, Jerry Douglas on Dobro, Ricky Skaggs on fiddle, mandolin, and tenor vocals, and Bobby Slone on bass and fiddle.
Around this time, Tony met David Grisman, a mandolin player. Grisman was creating new music that mixed jazz, bluegrass, and classical styles. Tony left the New South and moved to California to join Grisman's band, which played only instrumental music. As part of the David Grisman Quintet, Tony started learning music theory and how to read music. This helped him play more than just bluegrass. A famous guitarist named John Carlini taught Tony music theory. Carlini helped him understand jazz playing and how to improvise music. The David Grisman Quintet's first album in 1977 is seen as a very important album for acoustic string band music.
In 1980, Tony Rice, J.D. Crowe, Bobby Hicks, Doyle Lawson, and Todd Phillips formed the Bluegrass Album Band. They recorded music together from 1980 to 1996.
With his own band, the Tony Rice Unit, he explored a new style called "spacegrass" on albums like Mar West and Still Inside. Members of this band included Jimmy Gaudreau (mandolin), Wyatt Rice (guitar), Ronnie Simpkins (bass), John Reischman (mandolin), and Rickie Simpkins (fiddle).
Working with Other Musicians
In 1980, Tony Rice recorded an album of bluegrass duets with Ricky Skaggs called Skaggs & Rice. He also made two popular albums with traditional musician and songwriter Norman Blake. Tony also recorded two Rice Brothers albums (in 1992 and 1994) with his older brother Larry and younger brothers Wyatt and Ronnie.
Starting in 1984, Tony worked on four albums with Béla Fleck, a famous banjo player. These albums included Double Time (Béla Fleck album) (1984) and The Bluegrass Sessions: Tales from the Acoustic Planet, Vol. 2 (1999).
In 1993, he joined David Grisman and Jerry Garcia to record The Pizza Tapes. In 1994, Tony Rice and David Grisman recorded Tone Poems. For this album, they used different old and special mandolins and guitars for each song.
In 1994, Tony Rice also joined Mark Johnson to record "Clawgrass Mark Johnson with the Rice Brothers and Friends." This album featured Tony and his brothers Larry, Wyatt, and Ronnie.
In 1995, Tony recorded an album with John Carlini, who also played with the David Grisman Quintet.
In 1997, Tony Rice, his brother Larry, Chris Hillman (from the bands Flying Burrito Brothers and the Byrds), and banjo player Herb Pedersen formed a group called Rice, Rice, Hillman & Pedersen. They released three albums between 1997 and 2001.
In the 2000s and 2010s, he performed as a quartet with guitarist and singer-songwriter Peter Rowan, bassist Bryn Davies, and mandolin player Sharon Gilchrist.
Tony Rice's Solo Music
In 1979, Tony Rice left Grisman's group. He then recorded Acoustics, an album inspired by jazz. After that, he released Manzanita, which was a mix of bluegrass and folk music. His other albums like Cold on the Shoulder, Native American, and Me & My Guitar also combined bluegrass, jazzy guitar playing, and songs written by famous artists like Joni Mitchell, Bob Dylan, and Gordon Lightfoot.
Tony Rice had a unique deep singing voice. However, in 1994, he was diagnosed with a voice problem called muscle tension dysphonia. This made it impossible for him to sing during live shows. Later, in 2014, he was diagnosed with lateral epicondylitis, also known as "tennis elbow," which made playing the guitar painful. Because of this, his last public performance playing guitar was when he was inducted into the International Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame in 2013.
In 2015, Tony Rice said that he wouldn't perform in public again until he could play as well as he used to, or even better. He wanted to make sure he could entertain his fans in a way that would help them forget their daily worries.
A book about Tony Rice's life, called Still Inside: The Tony Rice Story, was written by Tim Stafford and Caroline Wright. It was published in 2010.
Tony Rice's Passing
Tony Rice passed away at his home in Reidsville, North Carolina, on December 25, 2020. He was 69 years old. His longtime friend and music partner, Ricky Skaggs, said that Tony died while making his coffee.
His induction into the International Bluegrass Hall of Fame in 2013 was reportedly the last time he played guitar in public. This was due to the tennis elbow that affected his ability to play in his later years.
Tony Rice's Impact on Music
Tony Rice is known for changing how bluegrass guitar was played and leaving a lasting mark on the music style. David Grisman called Rice "a complete musician of the highest caliber." Ricky Skaggs said he was "the single most influential acoustic guitar player in the last 50 years."
In a guitar lesson about Tony Rice's style, musician Molly Tuttle said that everyone can learn something from his playing. She noted that even after playing guitar for a long time, she still goes back to listen to him. Tony Rice was a big influence on the bluegrass band Punch Brothers. They dedicated their album Hell On Church Street as a tribute to Tony Rice and his 1983 album Church Street Blues. Members of the Punch Brothers said that Rice's earlier album had a huge impact on their music. Also, guitarist Chris Eldridge was a student of Tony Rice. The group had planned for their album to be a surprise gift for Tony, but he passed away before they could finish it.
Discography
Awards and Honors
Grammy Awards
- Best Country Instrumental Performance – The New South, Fireball – 1983
International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA) Awards
- Hall of Fame Inductee, 2013
- Instrumental Performer of the Year – Guitar – 1990, 1991, 1994, 1996, 1997, 2007
- Instrumental Group of the Year – The Tony Rice Unit – 1991, 1995
- Instrumental Group of the Year – Bluegrass Album Band – 1990
- Instrumental Album of the Year – Bluegrass Instrumentals, Volume 6 (Rounder); Bluegrass Album Band – 1997
Images for kids
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Rice in 2006
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Tony Rice performing at RockyGrass in 2005
See also
In Spanish: Tony Rice para niños
