Tony Rice
David Anthony Rice (June 8, 1951 – December 25, 2020) was an American bluegrass guitarist. He was an influential acoustic guitar player in bluegrass, progressive bluegrass, newgrass and acoustic jazz. He was inducted into the International Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame in 2013.
Tony Rice | |
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Rice in 2006 | |
| 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 |
| Instrument(s) | Guitar |
| Years active | 1970–2013 |
| Labels | Rounder, Sugarhill Acoustic Disc, Mountain Home |
Rice's music spans the range of acoustic from traditional bluegrass to jazz-influenced New Acoustic music to songwriter-oriented folk. Over the course of his career, he played alongside J. D. Crowe and the New South, David Grisman (during the formation of "Dawg Music") and Jerry Garcia, led his own Tony Rice Unit, collaborated with Norman Blake, recorded with his brothers Wyatt, Ron, and Larry, and co-founded the Bluegrass Album Band. He recorded with drums, piano, soprano sax, as well as with traditional bluegrass instrumentation.