Pine Mountain Railroad

Pine Mountain Railroad
OriginKnoxville, Tennessee, United States
GenresBluegrass
Years active1998–2006
LabelsCMH Records
Copper Moon Records
TrakTone Records

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 resonator guitar players, along with multiple guest musicians. They released six albums: three independent, one with Copper Moon Records, one with CMH Records, and one with TrakTone Records. They received several nominations and awards from organizations such as the International Bluegrass Music Association and the California Bluegrass Association, and several of their songs placed on the gospel and bluegrass charts.[1][2]

History

In 1998, Kipper Stitt, then a Group Sales Manager for Dolly Parton's Stampede (known at the time as 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 sausage company Odom's Tennessee Pride 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 bass player Missy Raines.[1][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10]

Pine Mountain Railroad was a two-time nominee for International Bluegrass Music Association 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. Their music has also been featured on the CBS show Training Day.[11]

Members

Name Instrument Vocal
Kipper Stitt Banjo Baritone
Mike Gwen Bass Tenor
Jimbo Whaley Guitar Lead
Jimmy Sims Fiddle None
Mike McCoig Bass None
Sonny Brock Mandolin Tenor
Bill McBee Bass Bass
Roscoe Morgan Mandolin Tenor
Samuel "Clint" Damewood Fiddle Tenor
Danny Barnes Mandolin Tenor
Jerry Butler Guitar Lead
Michael Fagan Fiddle None
Matt DeSpain Resonator guitar Lead, Tenor, Baritone
Cody Shuler Mandolin Lead
Matt Flake Fiddle Bass

Discography

Album Record Label Release
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 March 15, 2005

References

  1. 1 2 Bell, Rick (September 2003). "Pine Mountain Railroad Chugs Into New Territory". Country Standard Time. Archived from the original on August 11, 2016. Retrieved March 29, 2026.
  2. ↑ Lawless, John (March 13, 2006). "Pine Mountain Railroad - Audio Samples Online". Bluegrass Today. Retrieved March 29, 2026.
  3. ↑ Geyer, Bobbi (2004) Kipper Stitt of Pine Mountain Railroad. In: Banjo Newsletter: The 5-String Banjo Magazine, Vol. 31, No. 8, pp. 16-23, 38.
  4. ↑ Spano, Charles. "Pine Mountain Railroad Biography". AllMusic. RhythmOne.
  5. ↑ Lawless, John (January 21, 2006). "Pine Mountain Railroad on WTUF Today". Bluegrass Today. Retrieved March 29, 2026.
  6. ↑ Rice, Wayne. "Pine Mountain Railroad". BluegrassBios. Retrieved March 29, 2026.
  7. ↑ Lawless, John (October 29, 2006). "Pine Mountain Railroad Welcomes New Members". Bluegrass Today. Retrieved March 29, 2026.
  8. ↑ Lawless, John (September 25, 2006). "Nothin' Fancy/Pine Mountain Railroad Band Scramble". Bluegrass Today. Retrieved March 29, 2026.
  9. ↑ Hicks, Chuck (August 31, 2001). "Pine Mountain Railroad: Knoxville Train". PopMatters. Retrieved March 29, 2026.
  10. ↑ Dugger, Brian (January 14, 2005). "Bluegrass is a Special Delivery on Pine Mountain Railroad". The Blade. Toledo Blade. Retrieved March 29, 2026.
  11. ↑ "Pine Mountain Railroad TV & Film Sync Placements". Tunefind. Retrieved March 29, 2026.
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