Randy Waller & the Country Gentlemen Biographies

Randy Waller & Country Gentlemen

Bluegrass has always been built on a solid foundation of old and new, but scarcely in such a lucky combination as with Randy Waller. Being the son of Country Gentlemen-legend Charlie Waller he brings a great name and a family heritage into his music. On the other side he belongs to the newer generation and went his own way in the music business before he returned to the pristine Bluegrass. He works with the same innovation, which once brought his dad to the top of the Bluegrass world. He was born in 1959 in Washington, D.C. and grew up with the music of the Country Gentlemen, and people like Eddie Adcock, Jimmy Gaudreau, Jerry Douglas, Doyle Lawson and many others were a part of the family. In the summer he went on tour with his dad and learned Bluegrass from the scratch. After the school he made a little career in Country music, but finally he returned to his Bluegrass family and joined the Gents in 2003. Randy has always been the greatest fan of his dad and is an appropriate replacement as lead singer and guitar player. He is on tour with Mark Delaney, David Kirk, and Gary Creed (the 'new' Country Gentlemen). Mark Delaney began as an eleven year old and learned to play the banjo from his grandfather with great success. He is heavily influenced by Earl Scruggs, his playing has brought him a lot of fame. Highlights in his career are the work with Charlie Waller and Buzz Busby as well as recording with Mike Auldridge and Frank Wakefield. David Kirk comes from a typical musical family, learned at an early age to play the mandolin and later on to sing tenor. He's been working with Southfork, the Hazel River Band and Virginia Blue. He hails from Virginia, where he still lives with his family. Gary Creed, too, learned not only to play the banjo and guitar from his grandfather, but the building of those instruments as well. He took over this business in the third generation. During his time with the navy he played in the Navy Bluegrass band "Dixie Almanac" all over Europe, and he has work and recordings with Jerry Butler, Ben Isaacs and Sonny Smith to his credits.
(Complete Country Gentlemen Band Bio)

Randy Waller
(Lead Vocals/Guitars)

Randy Waller was born in Washington D.C. in 1959 Randy grew up surrounded by the music of The Country Gentlemen. "Those musicians were like family to me," he says, of the giants like Eddy Adcock, Jimmy Gaudreau, Bill Yates, Ricky Scaggs, Jerry Douglas, and Doyle Lawson. Spending the school year on a farm in Tennessee with his dad's sister, he traveled the roads with Charlie in the summers, soaking up ground breaking music and learning of life in a traveling bluegrass band.

When he finished his schooling, he chose to make his living playing music developing a solo career that found him opening for major country acts, fronting regional country and country-rock bands, and teaching guitar in Richmond, Virginia. This wide and varied musical exposure has given Randy a deep knowledge and understanding of all kinds of music which has allowed him to draw from many genre. Randy has always been his dad's biggest fan. "To be able to replace him as the lead singer and guitar player with The Country Gentlemen is a dream come true." , Randy Waller.

Randy Waller is endorsed by Saga Musical Instruments (Blueridge Guitars)

(More about Randy)

Dave Kirk
(Mandolin/Vocals)

Dave grew up playing in his family's band along with his brothers and sisters since he was a small child as mandolin player and tenor singer. In addition to The Kirk Family, he has worked with Southfork, The Hazel River Band, and Virginia Blue. He also had a stint with Ben "Cooter" Jones and The Hazard County Boys. A native Virginian, David resides in Culpepper, Va. with his wife and family.

Dave plays Bryce Mandolins

Mark Delaney
(Banjo/Vocals)

Mark is a native of Maryland and began playing the banjo seriously at the age of eleven under the tutelage of his Kentucky born grandfather. Not long after, he was playing professionally in regional bands in the Washington, D.C. area including many years with Arnold Hobbs and Partners at Partners Two club in Centreville, Va. Marks inventive approach to Scruggs style playing made him favorite with bluegrass audiences in the Washington-Baltimore area.

Mark has worked with Norman Wright and The Travelers, Darren Beachley and The Maryland Line, Badly Bent, The Patuxent Partners, and The Good Deal Bluegrass Band. In addition to performing and recording Mark teaches banjo and mandolin. Highlights in Mark''s career include appearances with bluegrass legends Charlie Waller and Buzz Busby, as well as recording with Mike Auldridge and Frank Wakefield.

Gary Creed
(Bass/Vocals)

Gary started playing guitar as a child with his grandfather I.Q. Creed and uncle Kyle Creed who was a well know clawhammer banjo player as well a instrument maker from Galax, Va. Gary learned to make banjos from these two making him a third generation instrument maker.
A Navy veteran, Gary received commendations for his work as banjo player with the Navy Bluegrass Band, Dixie Almanac playing throughout Europe.

Gary has played guitar with Grassfire, from Floyd,, Va. played bass and recorded with Lynwood Lunsford and the Misty Valley Boys and has recorded with Jerry Butler, Ben Isaacs and Sonny Smith.
Gary has a young son who plays everything he picks up and dad thinks his ability will far surpass his. Gary lives at Fincastle, Virginia just five miles from the first Bluegrass Festival.