GRATIOT — Bluegrass Express will be presenting a Bluegrass Gospel Concert at 7 p.m. on Saturday, July 20 at the Gratiot Park just north of Wis. 11. The event is free and is sponsored by the Evangelical Free Church of Gratiot.
In February 2024, the band’s single “Don’t Say Goodbye if You Love Me” reached No. 13 on the Hooked on Bluegrass Top 50.
Bluegrass Express was formed in 1980 by the father-son team of Gary and Greg Underwood and has performed extensively ever since, from Michigan to Mississippi and all points in between. Collectively, they have over a dozen studio recordings to their credit. The recent all-gospel recording project “Answer to my Prayer” received critical acclaim throughout bluegrass and gospel circles.
Founding member and band patriarch Gary Underwood (guitar) grew up in the tiny east central Illinois town of Custer Park. One of his earliest musical influences was the fiddle playing neighbor “Fiddy” Crater. Gary developed a great interest in the fiddle at a young age and was hooked from then on. In the early stages of the band, Gary switched to the guitar to handle a large portion of the vocals. An accomplished song writer, he is still featured on occasion on the fiddle and spends time repairing and restoring vintage violins.
Co-founder Greg Underwood (bass) is the product of a childhood filled with music. By age 12, he was playing mandolin and singing on stage. Greg received “Most Promising Male Vocalist” and “Most Promising Mandolin” from the Society for the Preservation of Bluegrass Music in America early in his career. Greg now handles the bass chores for the group along with lead and harmony vocals, and has written many songs performed by the band. Among his many credits, Greg sang and performed with Country Music Hall of Famer Charlie Louvin, and spent two years playing bass and touring with Grammy winning artists “The Cox Family.”
Jacob Underwood (banjo/mandolin/fiddle) first took the stage with the group at the age of three, won his first fiddle contest at the age of 10, became a full-time member of the band at age 11, and has won numerous contests in banjo, mandolin and fiddle. In 2016, Jacob released an instrumental CD “The Banjo Files” and in 2017, he released “As Time Goes By,” with a bluegrass treatment on songs of the 30’s, 40’s and 50’s, with collaboration by Norway’s “Attitunes” vocal group. In the spring of 2022, Jacob’s single “Tis ‘o Sweet to Trust in Jesus” from his all-gospel album “My Hope Is In The Lord” reached No. 8 on Bluegrass Today’s Gospel Weekly airplay chart.
Andrew Hunt (Fiddle/Mandolin) began taking violin lessons at the age of seven and soon thereafter picked up the guitar and mandolin. He was surrounded by music from an early age through his parents. He is a 2015 Summa Cum Laude graduate of Middle Tennessee State University’s Recording Industry program, graduating with a degree in Music Business. While living near Nashville, he worked at Compass Records on Music Row after graduating from college. Andrew currently resides with his family in Guthrie, Oklahoma, and has recorded with late legendary fiddler Byron Berline and played as a member of the Byron Berline Band.
Jonathan Hunt (Banjo/Guitar) began his musical journey taking fiddle lessons before settling on the banjo and guitar. His mature sound and pro grade banjo picking bring solidity, sparkle and polish to the table. His flat-pick guitar chops are among the best you will find in Bluegrass today. He is a student of music genres ranging from Blues to Western Swing to Bluegrass. Jonathan built a relationship with banjo master John Hickman who taught him about playing and building banjos. Jonathan is a luthier — building professional custom banjos and components and has done banjo set up work for Steve Bush (The Cleverlys) and Alison Brown. Jonathan also recorded and toured with Byron Berline and currently resides in Stillwater, Oklahoma.
