Originally printed in the October 1996 issue of Acoustic Musician. @1996. Repeated with permission.
Copies of original issue with full text available from Acoustic Musician
for $2.95
SAM BUSH CHRONOLOGY
| 1952 - April 13 | Sam Bush was born in Bowling Green, Kentucky. |
| 1963 - December | Sam, with the help of his parents purchased a Gibson A-50 mandolin. |
| 1967-69 | Sam was the winner at the National Junior Fiddle Championship, Weiser, Idaho. |
| 1967 | Sam met banjo player Alan Munde, at a fiddle contest in Lexington, Missouri, playing guitar for Lou Berline, Byron's dad. |
| 1969 | Sam Bush, Alan Munde and Wayne Stewart recorded Poor Richard's Almanac for American Heritage, later available on Ridge Runner. It was the first recording to marry bluegrass and Texas fiddle in an all-instrumental album. Each took turns overdubbing the bass. |
| 1969 | Alan left to play with Jimmy Martin. Sam & Wayne recruited Courtney Johnson to compete Poor Richard's Almanac. |
| 1970 | Sam graduated from high school, moved to Louisville, and joined Bluegrass Alliance. Sam replaced Dan Crary on guitar. While at a festival, he saw a skinny guy sitting on guitar case jamming in Reidsville, North Carolina. His name was Tony Rice. Sam invited him to play guitar so Sam coule play mandolin instead. The other menmbers were: Lonnie Peerce - fiddle, Ebo Walker - bass, Buddy Spurlock - banjo. |
| 1971 | Buddy Spurlock left Bluegrass Alliance, and Courtney Johnson replaced him. |
| 1971 (Labor Day) | Tony left to play with his brother Larry in J. D. Crowe's band. Curtis Burch replaced Tony on guitar and also played Dobro. |
| 1971 - October | Sam, Courtney, Curtis and Ebo left the Bluegrass Alliance to form their own group, New Grass Revival. |
| 1972 | The first self-titled New Grass Revival album was recorded in three days for Starday Records. It is now found in truck stops on Starday under the title Today's Bluegrass. |
| 1973 March-May | Hooked up with "largest Billboard Attraction," Leon Russell. Butch Robins had played Leon's Hank Wilson album and recommended New Grass to open on the tour. |
| 1973 | Ebo left New Grass, and Butch Robins played bass for a little over a year. |
| 1974 | John Cowan replace Butch Robins on bass. |
| 1979-1981 | Driving through Tulsa, Oklahoma, Leon Russell sees a sign for a New Grass show, stopped, sat in and asked New Grass to become his backup band and open the shows. |
| 1981 | Curtis and Courtney left New Grass, and were replaced by Pat Flynn on guitar and Bela Fleck on banjo. |
| 1982 | Duckbutter - Sam and his high school friends started jamming in clubs: Kenny Lee, Jeff Jones and Byron House. |
| 1982 (late) | Chemotherapy |
| 1989 Dec 31 | Last New Grass Revival gig was opening for Grateful Dead. |
| 1990 | Sam joined Emmylou Harris and was given a creative role in the Nash Ramblers. |
| 1995 | Emmylou dissolves the Nash Ramblers |
| 1996 | Sam Bush Band active |