User:Jms89/ChiggerHillBoys&Terri

The Chigger Hill Boys & Terri are a multi-time Gospel Music Association Dove Award nominated Gospel Bluegrass band from Nashville, TN. The band was formed by mandolin player Mike Richards, vocalist Terri Gore, bassist Ricky Gore, guitarist/vocalist Rodney Lay, Jr., with banjo player Tom Hughs in the summer of 2001 when the members got together to have a little fun at a local bluegrass festival. The group decided to record a homemade 5 song EP to sell at the festival to make a little gas money. The song Face To Face With Amazing Grace, from that at-home project, began to get a little airplay, the song was appeared on both national and international Bluegrass and Christian Country charts. The song went to #13 in the “industry standard” magazine Bluegrass Now Magazine’s Gospel Truths chart and all the way to Number One on the nationally syndicated Power Source Top 20 countdown. The song has recently appeared on the widely popular, chart-topping, various artist compilation “O Lord How Great Thou Art”. Mark Dunham, guitar/vocals, joined the group after the release of the “Will Play for Pie” album. Rodney left the group in 2006 and Bob Stangenberg joined on guitar and vocals. (Bob had also co-written “When I Got Down On My Knees” on the “Will Play For Pie” CD.) Ethan Blair is a banjo prodigy, joining the Chigs at just 16 years old. In the past the group have also been joined on the road by banjo/dobro player Brian Sterling, dobro player Al Goll, and fiddle player Greg Hallums.

After the initial success of their independent release, the group signed with Gospel Music powerhouse Daywind Music Group, recording for their Thoroughbred Records division. Their first release for Thoroughbred was 2003’s “Oh Brother.....What Now?”. Continuing what had started with their independent project, this CD contained several now “classic” Chigger Hill tunes. Songs like “Water To A Drowning Man”, “Are You Praying Hard”, “Glory Hill”, and “Face To Face With Amazing Grace” are still strong staples in The Chigger Hill Boys & Terri’s live shows today. Much chart success followed the release of “Oh Brother..”, and the group began to be one of the most talked about new acts in bluegrass. The project was nominated for Bluegrass Album of the Year. “Will Play For Pie” was their next Thoroughbred Records project in 2004. The new project stretched the writing of the group, writing most of their own material is a goal for the group. It also incorporated new sounds, such as the cello on “First Steps In A New Direction”, a #1 song on the Power Source Magazine Bluegrass charts. The project also included “He Still Looks Over Me” which was written by Mike & Rodney Lay Jr. and which also won a Dove Award for Bluegrass Song Of The Year in 1999 for the recording of it by The Lewis Family. “Pie” was the group’s second CD to be nominated for a GMA Dove Award for Bluegrass Album of The Year.

After a year or so of trials & tribulations, including the moving on of guitar & vocalist & founding member Rodney Lay Jr., work began on the new project just weeks after returning to the road. “Soul Central Railroad” was the culmination of their efforts. “Soul Central Railroad” featured a guest appearance from original Chig Rodney Lay, Jr. and, in one of the highlights of the project, a duet with Country Music Hall of Famer Charlie Louvin, of the Louvin Brothers. It was released in October 2006.

After returning to road in 2007 to support "Soul Central", and also returned to the #1 spot on the charts with "He Understands".

2008 brought the "Chigs" first hymn collection, "Hymns from Chigger Hill" on the Thoroughbred Label. It was nominated for Gospel Music Association's Bluegrass Album of the Year in 2009.

The band spent late summer 2010 in the studio working on a Sept. 2010 release.