Luke Bradshaw
Luke Bradshaw is an American journalist and upright/electric bassist. He was a regular performer at the Grand Ole Opry and he was also the house bassist for the Rockabilly Radio Show from 2003 to 2005. He is currently best known as being the bass player and vocalist for the Southern Rock supergroup, Skinny Molly, which features Mike Estes, formerly of Lynyrd Skynyrd.
Early life
Growing up in Mountain View, Arkansas, he started visiting the Ozark Folk Center and Stone County Courthouse where traditional music is frequently played and quite popular. He began his musical career at seven years old by performing at Jimmy Driftwood's Barn with Driftwood himself on the song "The Battle of New Orleans."
At the age of 15, he bought himself an electric bass from the Sears catalog and began playing along to songs he heard on WSM out of Nashville late at night. Eventually buying an upright bass, he earned a scholarship at Henderson State University and played with the college's jazz band, NuFusion, studying improvisation under Rick Diamond. He also worked as the primary songwriter and bass player for the three-piece funk band the Funkapotamus.
After graduating from Henderson State University, Bradshaw worked for the Hope Star in Hope, Arkansas as a photographer and writer for the newspaper. A year after that he received a job at the Richmond Register in Richmond, Kentucky as the sports editor. While employed by the Richmond Register, Bradshaw covered the University of Kentucky Wildcats; he was also a beat writer for the Cincinnati Bengals. Several of his stories were picked up by the Associated Press and published worldwide.
Skinny Molly
During the time, he was a newspaper journalist for the Hope Star, he first met Jim and Jesse. After doing an interview with them, he was asked to join the legendary bluegrass band onstage. Several years later, Bradshaw joined Jesse McReynolds and the Virginia Boys as a full-time member. During his tenure as a Virginia Boy, he performed on the Grand Ole Opry backing up a variety of artists including George Hamilton IV, Bobby Osborne, Dierks Bentley and Jeanie Seely. Bradshaw also was among the first group of musicians to ever play a Grateful Dead song on the Grand Ole Opry when he played upright bass and sang with David Nelson of the New Riders of the Purple Sage.
Bradshaw joined Skinny Molly in early 2007. Shortly after becoming a member of the band, Skinny Molly put out their debut album, No Good Deed. Skinny Molly has since put out two other CDs, Haywire Riot (on Ruf Records) and Here For a Good Time. They continue to tour all over North America and Europe.
Early life
Growing up in Mountain View, Arkansas, he started visiting the Ozark Folk Center and Stone County Courthouse where traditional music is frequently played and quite popular. He began his musical career at seven years old by performing at Jimmy Driftwood's Barn with Driftwood himself on the song "The Battle of New Orleans."
At the age of 15, he bought himself an electric bass from the Sears catalog and began playing along to songs he heard on WSM out of Nashville late at night. Eventually buying an upright bass, he earned a scholarship at Henderson State University and played with the college's jazz band, NuFusion, studying improvisation under Rick Diamond. He also worked as the primary songwriter and bass player for the three-piece funk band the Funkapotamus.
After graduating from Henderson State University, Bradshaw worked for the Hope Star in Hope, Arkansas as a photographer and writer for the newspaper. A year after that he received a job at the Richmond Register in Richmond, Kentucky as the sports editor. While employed by the Richmond Register, Bradshaw covered the University of Kentucky Wildcats; he was also a beat writer for the Cincinnati Bengals. Several of his stories were picked up by the Associated Press and published worldwide.
Skinny Molly
During the time, he was a newspaper journalist for the Hope Star, he first met Jim and Jesse. After doing an interview with them, he was asked to join the legendary bluegrass band onstage. Several years later, Bradshaw joined Jesse McReynolds and the Virginia Boys as a full-time member. During his tenure as a Virginia Boy, he performed on the Grand Ole Opry backing up a variety of artists including George Hamilton IV, Bobby Osborne, Dierks Bentley and Jeanie Seely. Bradshaw also was among the first group of musicians to ever play a Grateful Dead song on the Grand Ole Opry when he played upright bass and sang with David Nelson of the New Riders of the Purple Sage.
Bradshaw joined Skinny Molly in early 2007. Shortly after becoming a member of the band, Skinny Molly put out their debut album, No Good Deed. Skinny Molly has since put out two other CDs, Haywire Riot (on Ruf Records) and Here For a Good Time. They continue to tour all over North America and Europe.
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