Johnson Mountain Boys

Johnson Mountain Boys
Origin	Gaithersburg Maryland and Washington, D.C., U.S.A.
Genres	bluegrass
Years active	1978–1988, with some "reunion" shows from 1989 to 1996.
Labels	Rounder
Past members	Initial line-up: Dudley Connell - lead vocals, banjo, guitar Richard Underwood - vocals, banjo Eddie D'Zmura (musician/vocalist/mandolin/composer who recorded on the first three discs including Rounder 0135 Self Titled The Johnson Mountain Boys David McLaughlin - vocals, mandolin, fiddle, lead guitar Eddie Stubbs - vocals, fiddle Larry Robbins - bass Other Members: Tom Adams - vocals, banjo, mandolin (joined 1986) Marshall Wilborn - vocals, bass (joined 1986) Earl Yager - bass Warren Blair - not a band member but played fiddle on the album Blue Diamond.

The Johnson Mountain Boys were a popular bluegrass band throughout the 1980s from the Washington, D.C. area. Their style favored a more traditional approach to bluegrass than some of their contemporaries. They released ten albums and toured widely, playing venues such as Madison Square Garden, The White House, the Lincoln Center and the Grand Ole Opry in the United States. Other tours took them around the world to England, Japan, and Africa. The group was frequently recognized with nominations for Grammy Awards, International Bluegrass Music Awards, and awards from the Society for the Preservation of Bluegrass Music in America. Many of the band's members are still active in other musical groups and settings.

The first incarnation of the band, initially known as "The Johnson Boys", formed in 1975 as a duo featuring Dudley Connell on banjo and Ron Welch on guitar and Eddie D'Zmura on mandolin. The band was renamed, "The Johnson Mountain Boys" after learning of another folk band already using the "Johnson Boys" name. The name The Johnson Mountain Boys was suggested by George Connnell, Dudley's father; this band is a tribute to George Connnell who was a true gentleman and a great banjo player as well and a wonderful person. There is no such place as "Johnson Mountain" in Montgomery County, Maryland from which many of the band members come. The group was a full five-piece band by 1978 that featured Connell on guitar, Franny Davidson on banjo—replaced by Richard Underwood after the band's first recording session--[Eddie D'Zmura] (musician), Eddie Stubbs on fiddle, and Larry Robbins playing bass. The groups self-titled first album won considerable acclaim. Subsequent albums made the group young standard bearers of traditional bluegrass in the 1980s. In 1986, there were two personnel changes. Marshall Wilborn replaced Larry Robbins on bass and Tom Adams replaced Richard Underwood on banjo.

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