South Canyon String Band  

Why South Canyon?

One of the hardest things to agree upon once you have formed a band is what to call yourselves. We tossed around ideas for as long as we've known each other, but nothing really hit a chord with us when it came to a name. So how did we decide upon South Canyon String Band? It came down to geography. Rich is from Utah and as a kid he hiked in many of the canyons in the state. One of his favorite places is South Canyon, which is located in the Grand Canyon.

   South Canyon in the Grand Canyon   

We all live in the general area of Glenwood Springs, Colorado. There is also a South Canyon just southwest of Glenwood Springs, where the scenery is beautiful, there are natural hot springs, and some pretty nice areas to hike and bike. We decided that South Canyon String Band would remind us of both places that we enjoy so much.

  South Canyon near Glenwood Springs 

banjo/fiddle

Ron hails from Kansas City, Missouri and experimented during his teenage years with many different instruments...guitar, fiddle, drums, harmonica. But when he bought a cheap banjo (complete with instruction book) at a yard sale, he was home!  Within a couple of days, he was playing several of the old standard banjo numbers like "Cripple Creek" and "Banjo in the Hollow." He remembered his grandfather playing bluegrass tunes on the fiddle. These recollections brought Ron back to his roots and he settled into bluegrass for good. He searched out jam sessions and began attending bluegrass festivals where he took advantage of music seminars.  His favorite banjo player is the great Earl Scruggs, whom he tries to emulate in both style and consistency. Ron now lives in New Castle, Colorado with his wife.

mandolin/vocals

Ken is the youngest in the band. He was born and raised in Tacoma, Washington. His older brother Mike played the guitar, and Ken noticed that girls paid lots of attention to Mike. Ken began to play around with the guitar, teaching himself chords. Mike suggested they could form a band if Ken played a different instrument. Ken bought his first mandolin at a pawn shop, went to jam sessions, festivals, concerts, and hung out with other musicians. Ken played on stage for the first time in high school and was hooked as soon as he heard the applause and girls began to pay attention to him. Ken now sings vocals in the band with Kevin and Rich. After Ken graduated from college, he met his wife and moved to Colorado. They live in Glenwood Springs with their two daughters.

bass/vocals

Rich was born in Provo, Utah and spent most of his early years exploring the canyons of the state. When he was thirteen years old, his cousin Sue began to teach him how to play the bass. While Sue was more interested in showing Rich the values of classical music, Rich turned more toward bluegrass. He soon began sitting in with a few bluegrass bands in the area. When he was eighteen, Rich joined the Army and continued playing whenever he could. After his four years in the service, he relocated to St. George, Utah and lived there until 2003, when he and his wife moved to Glenwood Springs.

guitar/lead vocals

Kevin is a California son, raised in the San Diego area. He started playing the guitar when he was in junior high school. Starting as so many musicians do with an old cheap guitar, Kevin progressed to better instruments as his ability increased. He sought out jam sessions and community gatherings where he could play. When he was in college he met some local bluegrass musicians and began to jam regularly with them. This eventually led to a spot as the lead guitarist and vocalist with a bluegrass gospel band called 'Sweet Surrender.' While in college, Kevin met another bluegrass fan at a festival and a few years later they married. They now live in Glenwood Springs with their son.

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