Bill Emerson

Bill Emerson - was born in Washington DC and makes his home in Vienna Virginia. He started singing and playing the banjo in1953 and went on to become the founder of the world famous Country Gentlemen. He is one of the most influential 5 string banjo players of all time and has recorded and performed with more bands than any other banjo player. He has a keen interest in fly fishing and amateur photography.

Beginning in 1957, Bill Emerson established himself as a banjo virtuoso and history maker alike! A founding member of the famed bluegrass ensemble "The Country Gentlemen", billed as a featured artist while with "Jimmy Martin" during the very height of that bluegrass legend's career, the very man who introduced the now classic "Fox on the Run" to bluegrass, founder and shaper of "Country Current" the world renowned bluegrass ensemble of the United States Navy Band, to be sure; Bill Emerson has made an impact in the world of bluegrass and acoustic music. Called "a banjo legend" by the "Washington Post", twice awarded "Banjo player of the Year" by the Muleskinner News Bluegrass Magazine, credited with giving start to the careers of both dobro legends Mike Auldridge and Jerry Douglas, credited by Ricky Skaggs as being responsible for his post Ralph Stanley musical career, Bill Emerson was also inducted into the "Virginia Folk Music Association" Hall of Fame in 1984 and June 10th was proclaimed "Bill Emerson Day" by the governor. All this is pretty heavy stuff when you consider Bill was virtually absent from main-stream bluegrass for twenty years during the time he was in the US Navy Band.