MORRISTOWN — Rhonda Vincent, dubbed "The New Queen of Bluegrass" by the Wall Street Journal, performs at the Mayo Performing Arts Center on Thursday, April 18.
With more than 70 awards to their name, Rhonda Vincent and the Rage are the most celebrated band in bluegrass, with honors including a coveted Entertainer of the Year award from the International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA) and seven consecutive IBMA Female Vocalist of the Year awards. Vincent's music draws deeply from the soul of Bill Monroe-styled bluegrass, while incorporating a modern feel that make her songs both classic and contemporary.
The fifth generation of musicians in her family, Vincent was quite literally born into the business. Her parents Johnny and Carolyn helmed the popular bluegrass outfit the Sally Mountain show, with whom Rhonda made her stage debut at age five, singing and tapping a snare drum. She began playing mandolin onstage at age eight, and quickly mastered an array of stringed instruments, from guitar to fiddle.
As she grew as a vocalist and musician, she augmented her love of traditional bluegrass with a growing appreciation for such contemporary mavericks as the New Grass Revival and Doyle Lawson and Quicksilver. She made the transition from being a member of the Sally Mountain Show to a being a solo artist, cutting her first solo album in 1986.
After a series of solo recordings for venerable bluegrass label Rebel Records, Vincent signed to Giant Records for a pair of major-label country projects. Her return to bluegrass began with her 1999 signing to Rounder Records, and continued through a series of releases which grew her audience and made her the recipient of vast critical acclaim, commercial success, radio airplay (with several long-term, chart-topping appearances on the Bluegrass Unlimited survey), and heightened visibility in the media, including a top-five video on CMT for "You Can't Take It With You When You Go."
Rhonda Vincent and the Rage will perform at 8 p.m. Tickets are $29 to $59.
The Mayo Performing Arts Center is located at 100 South St., Morristown. For tickets or more information call the box office at 973-539-8008 or visit mayoarts.org.