Claire Lynch

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Claire Lynch
Claire Lynch (30361323857) (cropped).jpg
Lynch at the Richmond Folk Festival in 2018
Background information
Born (1954-02-20) February 20, 1954 (age 70) [1]
Kingston, New York, U.S.
Genres Bluegrass
Occupation(s)
  • Singer-songwriter
  • musician
  • Record producer
Instrument(s)
  • Vocals
  • guitar
Years active1977–present
Labels
Website clairelynch.com

Claire Lynch (born February 20, 1954) is an American bluegrass musician, singer, songwriter, and producer. She is a three-time winner of the International Bluegrass Music Association's Female Vocalist of the Year honors. [3] She is considered one of the two best female voices in bluegrass, a recognition she shares with Dale Ann Bradley. [3]

Contents

Early life

Lynch moved to Huntsville, Alabama from Kingston, New York, when she was 12 years old. [4] She grew up in a musical family, with her mother playing the piano and her father singing. [5] She had two sisters with whom she would sing, including doing trios at church. In high school, she spent time writing and recording songs. [5]

Career

Lynch's musical career transitioned during college when she became interested in bluegrass music. She joined a band called Hickory Wind, which eventually changed its name to the Front Porch String Band. [5] Lynch played with the group until 1981, when it retired from the road. She then pursued a dual career of music and raising a family. The Front Porch String Band reunited in 1991, releasing the album Lines and Traces. [5]

Discography

TitleAlbum detailsPeak positions
US Bluegrass
[6]
Breakin' It
  • Release date: 1982
  • Label: Ambush Records
Friends for a Lifetime
Moonlighter
  • Release date: 1995
  • Label: Rounder Records
Silver and Gold
  • Release date: August 5, 1997
  • Label: Rounder Records
Lovelight
  • Release date: April 11, 2000
  • Label: Rounder Records
Out in the Country
New Day
  • Release date: March 28, 2006
  • Label: Rounder Records
11
Crowd Favorites
  • Release date: October 9, 2007
  • Label: Rounder Records
10
Whatcha Gonna Do
  • Release date: August 25, 2009
  • Label: Rounder Records
Dear Sister
  • Release date: May 28, 2013
  • Label: Compass Records [2]
9
North by South 5
"—" denotes releases that did not chart

Awards and honors

Lynch has won numerous awards in her career, including being named the best female vocalist in 1997, 2010, and 2013 by the International Bluegrass Music Association. She also received a USA Walker Fellowship Award in 2012. [7]

Three of Lynch's albums have been nominated for a Grammy in the Best Bluegrass Album category: [8]

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References

  1. Harris, Craig. "Claire Lynch Biography". AllMusic . Retrieved July 6, 2017.
  2. 1 2 Morris, David (March 28, 2013). "New Music from Claire Lynch". Bluegrass Today. Retrieved September 2, 2014.
  3. 1 2 Papadatos, Markso (November 16, 2013). "Review: Claire Lynch shines on angelic studio album Dear Sister". Digital Journal. Retrieved March 25, 2014.
  4. Wake, Matt (August 19, 2014). "Claire Lynch, bluegrass star, former Huntsville resident tells story behind 'Dear Sister' LP". AL.com. Retrieved October 6, 2015.
  5. 1 2 3 4 Weber, Mark (October 15, 2015). "Claire Lynch Band including Red Deer on current tour". Lacomb Express. Retrieved November 7, 2015.
  6. "Claire Lynch Album & Song Chart History – Bluegrass Albums". Billboard . Prometheus Global Media . Retrieved March 16, 2015.
  7. Hughes, Ellen (January 27, 2014). "Post-modern Bluegrass? Claire Lynch Band Breaks Out at ABC". Penn Live. Retrieved September 2, 2014.
  8. "Artist: Claire Lynch". www.grammy.com. Recording Academy. 2020. Retrieved April 2, 2020.