Bluegrass guitarist and singer Tony Rice, a highly influential figure in acoustic music, died on December 25, 2020, at the age of 69, in Reidsville, North Carolina.
Born David Anthony Rice on June 8, 1951, in Danville, Virginia, Rice’s musical journey began with the guitar, though he initially learned to play the mandolin. His early exposure to music came through his father, Herbert Rice, and uncles who performed as the Golden State Boys. A pivotal moment in his development occurred when he met Clarence White of the Kentucky Colonels, who profoundly impacted his playing style.
Rice’s career spanned a wide range of acoustic genres, from traditional bluegrass to jazz-influenced New Acoustic music and songwriter-oriented folk. He collaborated with a diverse array of musicians, including J.D. Crowe and the New South, David Grisman – during the formation of Dawg Music – and Jerry Garcia. He also led his own band, the Tony Rice Unit, and co-founded the Bluegrass Album Band, performing and recording with his brothers Larry, Ron, and Wyatt.
Throughout his career, Rice experimented with instrumentation beyond traditional bluegrass, incorporating drums, piano, and soprano saxophone into his recordings. He was inducted into the International Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame in 2013, recognizing his significant contributions to the genre. The authorized biography, Still Inside: The Tony Rice Story, by Tim Stafford and Caroline Wright, was released in 2010, offering an in-depth account of his life and career.
Rice’s early years were marked by a nomadic childhood, with his family relocating frequently across the western United States and eventually returning to the South. He began performing publicly at age nine, appearing on the Town Hall radio show.
