This name ain't gonna' mean much unless you grew up around Southwest Virginia in the shallow, muddy little puddle of music that I did. But this cat right here, he made something out of it. Unfortunately he was killed in a motorcycle accident, and died today at 64. https://bluegrasstoday.com/ronnie-bowman-passes/


I met Ronnie Bowman when I was a kid, literally a kid. He was just an older kid than me, but playing guitar and singing in a local band my Dad liked a lot, the Lost & Found, based in neighboring Franklin County. (where my band, the Harwell-Grice Band is...) This is what we do here, and guys like Ronnie, well... they established that home base here. After L&F, he went on to join Lonesome River Band, and those guys basically redefined what mainstream bluegrass music was in the 1990's. Then he relocated to Nashville to pursue his songwriting passion. Had quite a bit of success with it too. LeeAnn Womack... "The Healing Kind"? Ronnie Bowman wrote that and recorded it. She wanted it. Hit one.





I could go on for hours with stories. I've got 100 or more Including a last minute key change on a song in Ab I had to play bass on... live audience, big theater. A lost guitar pick that was a gift from Tony. (Yeah, Rice) I was on all fours in a Bristol alleyway helping him look for it. Because I knew damn well what that meant. But he's dead tonight from a motorcycle wreck. There won't be any more songs or stories. I was really hoping to see Ronnie again in this life. Waited too long.

Sorry to hear of the passing of your friend.

Sincere condolences, Greg 

Read his name and thought I might have heard it.  read Lost & Found and thought I was pretty sure I'd heard it.  read Little River Band and knew I'd heard it.
Crap.


Peter

This one too, got a little attention.





I talked to a couple folks today. Everyone is still in shock.