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Charles Samuel Bush (born April 13, 1952) is an American who is considered an originator of progressive bluegrass music. In 2020, he was inducted into the International Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame as a member of New Grass Revival. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame a second time in 2023 as a solo artist.
The New Grass Revival went through numerous personnel changes, with Bush remaining as the sole original member. Bassist and vocalist John Cowan joined in 1974, with banjo ace Béla Fleck and acoustic guitarist Pat Flynn being enlisted in 1981. From 1979 through 1981, the group toured with Leon Russell, opening the shows and backing Russell during his headlining set.
Beginning in 1980, Bush and Cowan periodically jammed with the Nashville-based Duckbutter Blues Band, whose other members were blues guitarist Kenny Lee, drummer Jeff Jones, and bassist Byron House. Bush recorded his debut solo album, Late as Usual, four years later. In 1989, Bush and Fleck joined Mark O'Connor, Jerry Douglas, and Edgar Meyer in an all-star bluegrass band, Strength in Numbers, at the Telluride Bluegrass Festival in Colorado. When the New Grass Revival dissolved in 1989, Bush joined Emmylou Harris' Nash Ramblers, touring and recording with Harris for the next five years.
In 1995, Bush worked as a sideman with Lyle Lovett and Bela Fleck's Flecktones. He formed his own band, featuring Cowan and ex-Nash Ramblers Jon Randall and Larry Atamanuick, shortly before recording his second solo album, Glamour & Grits, in 1996. He released his next album, Howlin' at the Moon, in 1998, with many of the same players and special guests, including Harris, Fleck and J. D. Crowe.
In the winter of 1997, Bush and the New Grass Revival reunited for an appearance on Late Night with Conan O'Brien as the backup band for Garth Brooks. On March 28, 1998, Bush's hometown of Bowling Green, KY, honored him with a special "Sam Bush Day" celebration.
Following Howlin' at the Moon in 1998, he released Ice Caps: Peaks of Telluride in 2000, which was a live recording. In 2004, Randall left Bush's band and Brad Davis took over harmony vocals and guitar duties.
In 2006, Bush released Laps in Seven. The release was significant because it marked the return of the banjo to Bush's recordings, played by Scott Vestal. The guitarist, Keith Sewell, performed on the recording, but shortly after took a job with the Dixie Chicks. Bush sought a new guitarist for his recordings and road band and found Stephen Mougin.
In 2007, Bush released his first live concert DVD, titled On The Road. 2007 also marked the first time he had been chosen to host the International Bluegrass Music Association Awards.
Bush contributed to two bluegrass to the British Progressive Rock band the Moody Blues – 2004's Moody Bluegrass: A Nashville Tribute to the Moody Blues, and 2011's Moody Bluegrass TWO...Much Love. Bush provided the lead vocal for the Ray Thomas song "Nice To Be Here" on the latter album.
He lives in Nashville, Tennessee.
|- |1987 |"Seven By Seven" |rowspan=3|Best Country Instrumental Performance | |- |1990 |"Big Foot" | |- |rowspan=2|1993 |"Scotland" | |- | At the Ryman with Emmylou Harris |Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal | |- |1997 |"The Sinister Minister" |Best Pop Instrumental Performance | |- |rowspan=2|1999 |"Reuben's Train" |Best Country Instrumental Performance | |- | Home Sweet Home with Doc Watson and Merle Watson |rowspan=2|Best Bluegrass Album | |- |rowspan=2|2000 | Bluegrass Mandolin Extravaganza with David Grisman, Ricky Skaggs, Jesse McReynolds, and Frank Wakefield | |- | Meyer: Short Trip Home (In the Nickn of Time; BP; Concert Duo, The Prequel, Etc.) with Joshua Bell, Mike Marshall and Edgar Meyer |Best Classical Crossover Album | |- |2002 | O Brother, Where Art Thou? with various artists |Album of the Year | |- |2005 |"Puppies N'Knapsacks" |rowspan=2|Best Country Instrumental Performance | |- |2006 |"Who's Your Uncle?" | |- |2011 | Circles Around Me |rowspan=2|Best Bluegrass Album | |- |2024 | Radio John: The Songs of John Hartford |
Bush also recalls meeting Mr. Monroe as a young teen. After demonstrating his mandolin technique Monroe offered the advice: "stick to the fiddle". Bush is one of the main attractions at the annual Telluride Bluegrass Festival in Telluride, Colorado and plays the eight p.m. set on Saturday night as well as many guest appearances throughout the weekend. He is affectionately known as "The King of Telluride" for his perennial appearances there (and Emmylou Harris the "Queen of Telluride"). Bush also toured in Harris' band, The Nash Ramblers. Additional collaborations include recording and live performances with Doc Watson, Linda Ronstadt, Dolly Parton, Ann Savoy, Tony Rice, Peter Rowan, Russ Barenberg, David Grisman, Mark O'Connor, Edgar Meyer, and in "Strength in Numbers", a band consisting of Béla Fleck, Mark O'Connor, Edgar Meyer, Jerry Douglas, and Sam Bush.
Strength in Numbers was a collaboration born from jam sessions at the Telluride Bluegrass Festival. The music on their CD release entitled "The Telluride Sessions" was all instrumental and recorded live, showcasing the individual talent of each player and their ability to improvise. During 2000–2008 there were many variations of the Strength in Numbers band, also known as "Bluegrass Sessions", always including Jerry Douglas, (Dobro), and usually bassist Byron House, also from Bowling Green, KY. Other musicians include Gabe Witcher (fiddle), Bryan Sutton (guitar), Tim O'Brien (fiddle, mandolin, guitar, vocals) and Darol Anger (fiddle).
The Sam Bush Band tours extensively, appearing at many small venues and large festivals such as the Strawberry Music Festival (Memorial Day and Labor Day), Rockygrass (late July), and every spring at the Americana Festival, Merlefest in Wilkesboro, North Carolina.
| 1977 | Together Again For The First Time (w/ Alan Munde) | — | — | — | Ridge Runner |
| 1985 | Late as Usual | — | — | — | Rounder Records |
| 1996 | Glamour & Grits | — | — | — | Sugar Hill |
| 1998 | Howlin' at the Moon | — | — | — | |
| 2000 | Ice Caps: Peaks of Telluride | — | — | — | |
| 2003 | Hold On, We're Strummin' (w/ David Grisman) | 7 | — | — | Acoustic Disc |
| 2004 | King of My World | 2 | 64 | — | Sugar Hill |
| 2006 | Laps in Seven | 2 | — | — | |
| 2009 | Circles Around Me | 3 | — | 47 | |
| 2016 | Storyman | 3 | — | — | |
| 2022 | Radio John | 2 | — | — | Smithsonian Folkways |
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