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Pine Mountain Railroad was an American contemporary bluegrass band based out of Knoxville, Tennessee co-founded by banjoist and baritone singer Kipper Stitt, guitarist and lead singer Jimbo Whaley, and tenor/lead singer and bassist Mike Gwen in 1998. Over the years, it featured an array of singers, fiddle players, bassists, guitarists, mandolinists, and a resonator guitar player, along with multiple guest musicians. They released six albums together; three independent, one with Copper Moon Records, one with CMH Records, and one with TrakTone Records. They have received several nominations and awards from highly-respected organizations such as the International Bluegrass Music Association and the California Bluegrass Association, and several of their songs reached Gospel and Bluegrass charts.

Biography
In 1998, Kipper Stitt, Group Sales Manager for Dixie Stampede, attended a meeting for the Pigeon Forge Convention and Visitors Bureau. The meeting was to plan for an upcoming dinner they were hosting at the upcoming American Bus Association National Convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. During the meeting, Stitt gave the suggestion that he plays the banjo and if anyone else plays the guitar, they could play some bluegrass music at the dinner. Mike Gwen, who was there representing Mainstay Suites, said that he played guitar and sang and his friend Jimbo Whaley, who was also attending the meeting, also sometimes performed with him at Church. Following the convention, they continued to play together and began performing shows. In 2001, they were sponsored by the sausage company Odom's Tennessee Pride Real Country Sausage and were heard weekly on the Grand Ole Opry performing their theme song. In March 2006, Pine Mountain Railroad released their final album, Heartache & Hope, produced by legendary bass player Missy Raines. In late 2006, Kipper Stitt, the last remaining founding member at the time and owner of the band, sold Pine Mountain Railroad to the band's mandolin player Cody Shuler, who went on to found Cody Shuler & Pine Mountain Railroad. Stitt described his reason for leaving as to have more time at home with his sons, with whom he founded Grassically Trained in 2016.

Accomplishments
Pine Mountain Railroad was a two-time nominee for IBMA Emerging Artist of the Year in 2003 and 2004, and was awarded California Bluegrass Association Emerging Artist of the Year in 2002. They traveled to several countries, including the United States, Canada, Mexico, and the Bahamas. Additionally, several of their songs reached the top in the bluegrass charts. Their music has also been featured on the CBS Primetime show Training Day

Members

 * Kipper Stitt (banjo) (baritone)
 * Mike Gwen (bass) (tenor)
 * Jimbo Whaley (guitar) (lead)
 * Jimmy Sims (fiddle)
 * Mike McCoig (bass)
 * Sonny Brock (mandolin) (tenor)
 * Bill McBee (bass) (bass singer)
 * Roscoe Morgan (mandolin) (tenor)
 * Samuel "Clint" Damewood (fiddle) (tenor)
 * Danny Barnes (mandolin) (tenor)
 * Jerry Butler (guitar) (lead)
 * Michael Fagan (fiddle)
 * Matt DeSpain (dobro) (lead) (tenor) (baritone)
 * Cody Shuler (mandolin) (lead)
 * Matt Flake (fiddle) (bass singer)

Albums

 * Full Throttle! - Independent, 1998
 * Pine Mountain Railroad - Independent, 2000
 * Live! at the Old Country Church - Independent, 2001
 * Knoxville Train - Copper Moon Records, 2002
 * The Old Radio - CMH Records, 2003
 * Heartache & Hope - TrakTone Records, Mar. 15, 2005
 * Knoxville Train - Copper Moon Records, 2002
 * The Old Radio - CMH Records, 2003
 * Heartache & Hope - TrakTone Records, Mar. 15, 2005
 * Heartache & Hope - TrakTone Records, Mar. 15, 2005
 * Heartache & Hope - TrakTone Records, Mar. 15, 2005